Source: Wikipedia. Pages: 46. Chapters: Convair B-36, Convair F-102 Delta Dagger, Convair F-106 Delta Dart, Convair CV-240 family, Convair XF-92, Convair 880, Convair Kingfish, Convair XC-99, Convair F2Y Sea Dart, Convair XB-46, Convair Model 48 Charger, Convair 990, Convair XFY, Convair Model 118, Convair R3Y Tradewind, Convair X-6, Consolidated Vultee XP-81, Convair Model 116, Convair YB-60, Fairchild XC-120 Packplane, Convair XB-53, Convair XP6Y, Cornfield Bomber, XSM-74. Excerpt: The Convair B-36 "Peacemaker" was a strategic bomber built by Convair and operated solely by the United States Air Force (USAF) from 1949 to 1959. The B-36 was the largest mass-produced piston engine aircraft ever made. It had the longest wingspan of any combat aircraft ever built (230 ft or 70 m), although there have been larger military transports. The B-36 was the first bomber capable of delivering any of the nuclear weapons in the US arsenal from inside its two bomb bays without aircraft modifications. With a range greater than 6, 000 mi (9, 700 km) and a maximum payload of 72, 000 lb (33, 000 kg), (and thereby having the ability to carry both the United States' atomic fission and fusion weapons), the B-36 was the world's first manned bomber with an unrefueled intercontinental range. The genesis of the B-36 can be traced to early 1941, prior to the entry of the U.S. into World War II. At the time it appeared there was a very real chance that Britain might fall to the Nazi 'Blitz', making a strategic bombing effort by the United States Army Air Corps (USAAC) against Germany impossible with the aircraft of the time. The U.S. would need a new class of bomber that could reach Europe from bases in North America, necessitating a combat range of at least 5, 700 miles (9, 200 km), the length of a Gander, Newfoundland-Berlin round trip. The USAAC therefore sought a bomber of truly intercontinental range, similar to the Nazi RLM's own ultra-long-range Amerika Bomber program. The USAAC opened up a design competition for the very long-range bomber on 11 April 1941, asking for a 450 mph (720 km/h) top speed, a 275 mph (443 km/h) cruising speed, a service ceiling of 45, 000 ft (14, 000 m), beyond the range of ground-based anti-aircraft fire, and a maximum range of 12, 000 miles (19, 000 km) at 25, 000 ft (7, 600 m). These proved too demanding-far exceeding the technology of the day-for any short-term design, so on 19 August 1941 they were reduced to a maximum range of 10, 000 mi (16, 000 k