Heavy Metal

More about the immensity of the B-36:

The B-36 Peacemaker. It was not a small aircraft, just look at the size of that tire!

The tricycle landing gear of the XB-36 included single-wheel main gear with the largest tires ever made at the time. Each tire measured 9 feet 2 inches (2.79 m) tall, 3 feet (0.91 m) wide, and weighed 1,320 pounds (600 kg), containing enough rubber to produce 60 automobile tires.

Due to the excessive loads of each main landing gear wheel, they were replaced with a 4 tire truck.

XB-36 Landing Gear

I believe the only airfields that the B-36 could land on were Ft Worth (where the factory was) and Wichita.

Experiments with tracks also were carried out.

Crazy stuff during the rapid maturation of aviation!

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A-5A Vigilante of Heavy Attack Squadron VAH-1 "Smokin' Tigers" being launched from the aircraft carrier USS Saratoga (CVA-60) during operation "Long Horn", 1964.

VAH-1 was assigned to Carrier Air Wing 7 (CVW-7) aboard the aircraft carrier USS Independence (CVA-62). Note the Kaman UH-2A Seasprite plane guard helicopter in the background.

North American A-5 Vigilante - Wikipedia

167 built. I never saw one fly, but have seen a couple on static display. I believe there’s one at the USS Midway Museum in San Diego. Wife and I are heading there later this month…8^)

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