Good Morning

Carswell AFB, 1949
Carswell AFB, 1949
Photo: E. W. Weinberger / SDASM

Fill ‘er up. And, while you’re at it, check the oil and wash the windows.

Not sure which flavor of B-36 this is, but the Peacemaker was renowned for its extreme long range. The B-36J, the so-called “featherweight” variant, which first flew in 1955, had a smaller crew and only had a rear-firing gun with 1200 rounds. The other guns, with their retracting mechanisms, as well as the fire control systems, were removed. In this configuration, the B-36J could carry 30,600 gallons (183,600 pounds) and allowed missions of up to 50 hours. Fifty. Hours.

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