B-36 origins

[Bruce Dennis]

Thanks Ed. Ping me an email if you would like me to send you a PDF of FDRs Aviation Administration bill.

email = info@filephotoservice.co.uk

Regards,
Bruce

[25Kingman49]

Bruce,
Little of this helps with your objective to connect FDR directly to the project.

The "Peacemaker" according to Joe Baugher

http://www.joebaugher.com/usaf_bombers/b36_1.html

The attached document may be even less helpful to your goal but you may as well stash them away with your B-36 files. This is a memo/letter dated 28 Sept 1945 from Norris Bradbury (Los Alamos) to Gen. Groves (MED) related to a conference held to discuss future postwar nuclear capable bomber aircraft selection.

In attendance are representative from Los Alamos, Air Technical Service Command (Engineering, Wright Field), and "Kingman" representatives Col Heflin base commander Wendover Field, Utah (where weapons development and drop testing occurred) with Capt Semple, Lead Bombardier, Flight Test Section, 216th AAF BU (Sp) Wendover, Field.

The B-36 receives honorable mention here with aircraft statistic as the only heavy bomber under consideration, nearing implementation. I suspect on page 2, item d. may be referring to what in time would become the XB-52 but that's just a WAG by me.

As suggested earlier this does not coincide with your FDR connection but does offer a window into military aircraft planning at least as it related to delivering nuclear weapons globally at this point in time during late 1945 merely weeks after the Japanese surrender.

Sorry about the individual pages, I tried loading a small PDF at 340 KB but it failed to load as too large. Also, if you want these docs please save them soon. I seem to always be running up on my limit of allowable attachments volume. These may need to be removed to allow for others in different threads. Still becoming accustomed to the limits of this forum.

Edit: Bruce, have you attempted contact this topic via request here?

https://fdrlibrary.org/contact-us

[Bruce Dennis]

Hello Scott,
It is all interesting, including the events covered in your attachments which occurred after the death of FDR: the B-36 was becoming relevant again as the postwar maps were being drawn.

The FDR library is quite an under-appreciated source for aviation researchers. This page is the mother-lode:

http://www.fdrlibrary.marist.edu/arc...dingaid&id=502

See the 'A' section for aviation.

Thanks.

Bruce

[Tony Kambic]

One of the more interesting things for me about the B-36 was how to change the air cooled P&W R-4360 engines into pushers. Took me some time to investigate. Having participated in rebuilding two R-2800s, and learning their structure, I could not see how it was easy to turn the engine around to become a pusher and maintain the ram air cooled aspect.

P&W engineers must have had some foresight as it was relatively easy. These P&W radials had each cylinder bolted to the crankcase with approx. 35 nuts on studs. Each cylinder had appropriate baffles to direct cooling. What they did for the B-36 was turn the engine around to be a pusher, then rotate each cylinder on it's base 180 degrees so the baffles faced in the proper direction so they still directed the ram air. Then some slight re-routing of the intake and exhaust pipes, and resetting the cam timing and the engine was an air cooled pusher.

Tony

[PMoz99]

Bruce, thanks for the link. However, it may just be me, but I wandered around it for a while and still have no idea of what you mean by 'see the A section for Aviation'.
Can you please be more specific?
Thanks
Peter

[Bruce Dennis]

Hello Peter,
Seems I left out the useful bit of the description!

Half way down, SERIES 5, BOX 92 & 93.

Sorry about that.

Regards,
Bruce

[PMoz99]

Thanks Bruce