- Yes
- No
Background
Spoiler
The B-36D was a further modification of the B-36B, featuring two pairs of J47-GE-19 Turbojet engines to assist in propelling the aircraft alongside the six R-4360-41 Engines. Further changes, such as replacement of the AN/APQ-24 with the K-3A Bombing and Navigational Radar, APG-3 was also removed with the addition of AN/APG-32 for the gunner station. The bomb bay was replaced with a new snap-action mechanism, making the process of opening or closing the bomb bay only 2 seconds.
The prototype B-36D was completed even earlier than Convair had anticipated. This particular model was a modified version of the B-36B and exhibited significant differences from the subsequent B-36Ds, as it was equipped with four Allison J35 jet-assist engines in its pods, rather than the later standard 147-GE-19 engines. The initial operational B-36D took to the skies on 11 July 1949; however, the Air Force did not formally accept any of these aircraft for an additional year.
The initial B-36Ds accepted by the Air Force in August 1950 were sent to Eglin AFB for evaluation; however, the Strategic Air Command (SAC) did not receive some of the new models until much later. By December, the command’s fleet of operational bombers comprised 38 B-36s, which included several B-36Ds and approximately 24 B-36Bs that were soon to be upgraded to the D configuration. These aircraft were assigned to units within the Eighth Air Force’s 7th Bombardment Wing.
Aside from a single simulated bombing mission to Hawaii in December 1948, no B-36s were deployed overseas until 1951. On January 16, six B-36Ds were dispatched to the United Kingdom, landing at Lakenheath Royal Air Force Station after staging through Limestone AFB in Maine. The aircraft returned to Carswell on January 20. A similar mission occurred on December 3, when six B-36s from the 11th Bombardment Wing arrived at Sidi Slimane in French Morocco, having flown nonstop from Carswell.
Despite two years of engineering test flights and high-priority modifications, numerous issues with the early production models persisted. Nevertheless, advancements were being made through incremental changes and well-planned solutions. By 1951, the aircraft were nearly combat-ready, yet still had significant shortcomings. For instance, in October, the B-36’s gunnery system was deemed operationally inadequate. SAC identified the “gunnery and defensive armament as the most significant weakness in the current B-36 capabilities.”
Enhanced containers and improved sealants had significantly decreased fuel tank leakages. Modifications to the electrical system had also reduced fire risks during ground refueling operations. Failures related to landing gear and bulkheads were largely rectified. However, the Air Force remained dissatisfied. In April 1952, it initiated a series of gunnery missions for both the B-36 and RB-36 aircraft, known as Far Away, which concluded in July. This test revealed that the malfunctions in the B-36’s defensive armament system were partly attributable to inadequate maintenance and errors by the gunnery crew. Consequently, Test Fire was launched in September by an RB-36 squadron from the 28th Strategic Reconnaissance Wing. This exercise concluded in December, successfully achieving its primary goal of standardizing maintenance and operational procedures.
As the Air Force had anticipated, Test Fire reaffirmed the overall findings of Far Away, indicating that the B-36’s defensive armament remained largely ineffective. Several components required redesign, and the fire-control system was found to be only marginally sufficient. In response, the Hitmore project was initiated in early 1953, bringing together the efforts of the Air Force, General Electric, and Convair, the primary contractor. This initiative involved modifying six B-36 aircraft to further evaluate the airborne accuracy of the fire-control system. Additionally, these aircraft conducted separate test flights to assess the operational effectiveness of the gunnery system. The results from Hitmore were promising, as no significant issues were identified by mid-year. It became evident that the B-36’s defensive armament would be effectively operationalized following several minor modifications.
The B-36D production run would run until June, 1951, with a total of 26 built, while an additional 64 were converted from B-36B’s. In December, 1956, there was only 11 B-36D’s left operational, and they would slowly be phased out by the end of 1958.
Technical Data
Specifications
Crew - 15
Length - 49.4 m
Height - 14.3 m
Wingspan - 70.1 m
Empty Weight - 73,197 kg
Gross Weight - 113,534 kg
Max Takeoff Weight - 167,829 kg
Powerplant A- 6 x Pratt & Whitney Wasp Major R-4360-41 Pusher Prop Radial Engines (2,600 kW per engine.)
Powerplant B - 4 x General Electric J47-GE-19 Turbojet Engines (23 kN dry)
Takeoff Run - 1,341 m at Sea Level.
Rate of Climb - 4.88 m/s Standard, 11.23 m/s Emergency Power.
Service Ceiling - 12,405 m
Cruising Speed - 357 km/h Average.
Max Speed - 654 km/h at 11,034 m
Range - 5,676 km
Armament
Up to 72,000 lb (32,659 kg) of Bombs Standard, 86,000 lb (39009 kg) Overload.
100 lb Bombs.
250 lb Bombs.
325 lb Bombs.
350 lb Bombs.
500 lb bombs
1,000 lb Bombs.
1,600 lb Bombs.
2,000 lb Bombs.
4,000 lb Bombs.
2 × T-12 43,000 lb Bombs.
Atomic Munitions
(2 x 1) x 8 M24A1 20mm Cannons in Retractable Mounts. (16 Cannons Total) (92,000 Ammunition Total)
Avionics
K-1 Bombing system
or
K-3A Bombing and Navigational Radar
AN/APG-32 Radar (Tail Gunner)
Images
Sources
Spoiler
(Book) Marcelle S. Knaack’s Encyclopedia of U.S. Air Force Aircraft and Missile Systems Volume II, Post-World War II Bombers 1945-1973
- K-3A
- K-1
- I would like to see them as modifications.
- I voted no to previous poll.
