@ Tucson, AZ
March 2018
This mighty Convair B-36 Peacemaker is the largest aircraft in the collection of the Pima Air & Space Museum. The B-36 was unique in being powered by six piston propeller engines and four turbojets (six turnin’ and four burnin’), more engines than any other mass-produced aircraft. As the B-36 gained a reputation for engine fires with the radial engines, some crews humorously changed the aircraft’s slogan into “two turning, two burning, two smoking, two choking and two more unaccounted for”. The cause for the engine fires was due to the R-4360 engines being mounted backwards, in a pusher configuration the carburetor was now in front of the engine, so could not benefit from any engine heat which resulted in icing which resulting in a richer fuel flow onto a hot engine. The engines utilized 336 spark plugs, all requiring replacement after every flight.
First flown in 1946, 384 Peacemakers were produced before retirement in 1954 and replacement by the B-52 Stratofortress. The B-36J was the last production variant, with strengthened landing gear, increased fuel capacity, reduced armament (tail guns only) and reduced crew. Only 33 of these were built. This is one of only four surviving examples of the B-36.
