B-36 Peacemaker Wooden Model

Military Mahogany is proud to offer this B-36 Peacemaker wooden model to our series of beautiful hand crafted models.

On June 26, 1948, the 7th Bombardment Group received the Air Force's first operational B-36 Peacemaker heavy bomber. The B-36 was the largest American bomber ever produced as its 230 foot wingspan was almost 50 percent longer than that of the B-52 Stratofortress that replaced it. During its eight years of service, it was one of America's major deterrents to aggression, and it was famous for "never having fired a shot in anger." The huge six-engine bomber was designed to deliver nuclear weapons against an enemy on the other side of the globe.

On Feb. 12, 1959, the last B-36 Peacemaker was retired from the Air Force inventory when an all-jet bomber force took over the aircraft's duties. Development of the huge plane began in 1941. The Army Air Forces wanted a bomber that could fly from the United States to Europe, drop bombs, and then return. The prototype first flew Aug. 8, 1946, and operational models were delivered to Strategic Air Command in 1948.

The fleet was not fully operational until 1951. Although the aircraft had great range, the slow cruising speeds at combat weight (about 225,000 lbs.) caused the entire B-36 program to be criticized as outdated in the post-World War II era of jet development. By 1952 all of the B-36s were delivered as or converted to "J" models, which had improvements over other models and stronger landing gear.

Dimensions:
22" Wingspan
17" Length
8" Height