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As the advent of jet aircraft began to emerge in the late 1940s and early 1950s, Convair started design on a swept-winged version of the B-36 with all-jet propulsion.
In March 1951, the US Air Force authorized Convair to convert two B-36Fs to B-36Gs.
Since the jet aircraft was so different from production B-36 models, the designation was later changed to YB-60.
The eight-engine YB-60 shared 72% of its parts with the B-36. The fuselages of the two aircraft were nearly identical, although the YB-60 had a longer, pointed nose with a needle-like instrument probe, instead of the B-36's rounded nose. The wingspan was 206 feet, the length 171 feet.
One YB-60 prototype was completed, S/N 49-2676, and used in test flights, with its maiden flight on April 18, 1952; a second prototype, S/N 49-2684) was never completed.
The YB-60's competitor was the Boeing B-52 Stratofortress, which the Air Force selected as its next generation of heavy bomber. The B-52 could fly about 100 mph faster than the B-60. The two YB-60s were scrapped in July, 1954.
The Convair XC-99: The Cargo Version of the B-36
The other variant of the B-36 was the giant cargo plane, the XC-99 (S/N 43-52436) , the largest piston-engined aircraft in the world. It was built at the Consolidated plant in San Diego, had its maiden flight on November 23, 1947, and was delivered to the Air Force in May 1949. The XC-99 was used for many years in active service.
The XC-99 logged more than 7,400 hours of flying time and moved more than 60 million pounds of cargo.
The XC-99 made its final voyage March 19, 1957.
In 1957, due to metal fatigue, the XC-99 was taken out of service, and put on display in San Antonio. Eventually the plane deterioted, and in 1993 was transferred to the National Museum of the U.S. Air Force in Dayton.
Disassembly of the aircraft began at Kelly Field in April 2004. Portions of the airframe were then airlifted from Kelly, some pieces via C-5 Galaxy aircraft. By the summer of 2008, the XC-99 had been completely transferred to Dayton. There are rumors that the aircraft will be moved again, this time to Davis-Monthan. News accounts of the actual status of the XC-99 are unclear.
Convair also considered developing a commercial airliner based on the YB-60, but ultimately scrapped the idea in favor of pursuing the Convair 880 jetliner.
The Convair Model 37 was to have a wing span of 230 feet, 182 feet in length.
Passenger capacity was planned at 204. Cruising speeds were projected to be between 310-342 mph, and be able to operate at altitudes up to 30,000 feet, with a range of 4,200 miles.
Convair YB-60 S/N 49-2676 (U.S. Air Force photo) |
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Convair YB-60 and B-36 shown side by side (U.S. Air Force photo) |
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Convair YB-60 on tarmac (U.S. Air Force photo) |
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Convair YB-60 at Convair plant with B-36 aircraft in the background (U.S. Air Force photo) |
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Convair YB-60 in Flight (U.S. Air Force photo) |
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Convair XC-99 Transport - S/N 43-52436 |
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