wow, this is a lot of fire power at the ready, and ready to pop out of the plane when needed! The B-36 Peacemaker
For defense, early variants were equipped with six remotely operated retractable turrets and twin 20 mm cannons in both the nose and tail, giving a total of 16 guns.
The Convair intercontinental bomber was very intimidating in size alone. The top and bottom turrets were a cool design and an aerodynamic solution, except they were notorious for jamming and didn't always expel all their ammo. A moot point because they were all eventually removed (and other interior comfort features) to "Featherweight" the planes, allowing them to fly much higher. Despite its size, its electronic countermeasures and high altitude made them hard to find. The early jet fighters could reach as high but couldn't maintain level flight. It was a "one pass" deal. Regarding the USAF, the Century Series fighters changed all that and the B-36 was best used for recon work.
I grew up reading a comic strip that featured the B36. It wasn't till about 50yrs. later that I found it really existed!
ReplyDeleteThe Convair intercontinental bomber was very intimidating in size alone. The top and bottom turrets were a cool design and an aerodynamic solution, except they were notorious for jamming and didn't always expel all their ammo. A moot point because they were all eventually removed (and other interior comfort features) to "Featherweight" the planes, allowing them to fly much higher. Despite its size, its electronic countermeasures and high altitude made them hard to find. The early jet fighters could reach as high but couldn't maintain level flight. It was a "one pass" deal. Regarding the USAF, the Century Series fighters changed all that and the B-36 was best used for recon work.
ReplyDeletethank you for the extensive info!
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