Subject: Six Turnin' and Four Burnin'
Six Turnin' and Four Burnin" Link at the bottom is well worth watching… it's very short.
Quite an airplane for its day! Jimmy Stewart is one of my very favorite people and I'm sure you all know that he flew many mission's out of England in B-24's during WW2. Also that he stayed in the Air Force Reserve after the war, flew the B-52, and retired as a Brigadier General. During subsequent interview's, he would avoid any discussion about his war experience as a pilot, but flew many 'High risk' mission's during that time. He, along with many other Hollywood stars, rose to the occasion with distinction...
A far cry from most of the Hollywood liberal's of today!
When I was instructing in Enumclaw, I had the privilege of meeting a guy who flew the B-36, both operationally and as a test pilot. By then, he was a farmer (wearing bib overall's) and settled into a sedentary lifestyle. I think he sensed that I was doubting his credential's... On the next visit, he brought his AF logbooks and I was humbled and embarrassed (to say the least) after reviewing same! He had flown just about everything in the AF inventory....
I couldn't even carry his lunch! :-))
When I worked for the state during the 50's, I used to overnight frequently in Spokane near Fairchild AFB, and the B-36 was stationed there as part of the SAC program. When they took off you could hear them for 15 or 20 minutes after takeoff and they had a most unusual sound. Then along came the B-52, and that was the end of the B-36 era! GB
Just some after thoughts.
The B-36 was bigger than the B-52. It was designed during WW2 to fly non stop. USA-Germany and return, in case England fell and we lost our bases there.
There are only three B-36s remaining, Dayton AFB, Ft Worth Tx airport and The SAC base museum in Nebraska.
Even you non-SAC guys should enjoy this video of one of the biggest.
Jimmy Stewart in "Strategic Air Command" in the 1950's, here is a clip from that movie. Anyway, whoever sent out this clip found some good pictures of the interiors and exterior of the B-36.
Remember, "Six Turnin' and Four Burnin'".... .the six props and the four jets that were hung out on the wing to help the production models get off the ground.
Worth it for the sound - six piston and four jet engines
You will also see Jimmy Stewart on the jump seat.....
Look at all those instruments and engine controls at the Flight Engineer station.
Also note that the Co-Pilot controls the Jet engines while the Flight Engineer controls the pistons.
Click the link below to see the video:
http://www.alexispa rkinn.com/ photogallery/ Videos/2008- 4-18-B-36- SAC-Video. wmv
[I added this photo that I thought interesting. It sure is an eye-opener when comparing the sizes of these bombers, the B-29 and the B-36A, version prior to adding the jet engines. Marlin]