The Shortest Lived Mega Bomber You Never Heard Of - Convair YB-60
HTML-код
- Опубликовано: 5 май 2022
- For all its success after World War 2, the Convair B-36 Peacemaker strategic bomber was still a piston-engined machine, and it would not take long for it to be displaced by jet power.
However, as the 1950s began, the company conceived an idea to extend the career of its beloved bomber: they would create a jet-propulsion version that could enter the atomic era.
The new design requirements would take it far from its original concept, giving birth to an entirely different aircraft with sleek swept-back wings.
The Convair BY-60 would eventually be developed in parallel with the legendary Boeing B-52 Stratofortress, and they even shared the same engine model.
Equipped with an unrivaled payload capacity, the BY-60 was on its way to becoming the United States’ most competent atomic delivery platform…
---
Join Dark Skies as we explore the world of aviation with cinematic short documentaries featuring the biggest and fastest airplanes ever built, top-secret military projects, and classified missions with hidden untold true stories. Including US, German, and Soviet warplanes, along with aircraft developments that took place during World War I, World War 2, the Korean War, the Vietnam War, the Cold War, the Gulf War, and special operations mission in between.
As images and footage of actual events are not always available, Dark Skies sometimes utilizes similar historical images and footage for dramatic effect and soundtracks for emotional impact. We do our best to keep it as visually accurate as possible.
All content on Dark Skies is researched, produced, and presented in historical context for educational purposes. We are history enthusiasts and are not always experts in some areas, so please don't hesitate to reach out to us with corrections, additional information, or new ideas.
In 1958, when I was in ROTC I was asked if I would like to fly on a weekend. They said it will be one takeoff and one landing and I would need an overnight bag. We went to the airbase on Long Island and got on a B-36 and took off at at 0600 on Sat. and landed back on Sun. at 1200. We flew to the artic down the Pacific coast of Canada back to the US from Washington back to New York and landed only once. It was the biggest thrill of my life until my oldest child was born.
I was a B52G copilot, pilot, instructor pilot, and stan/eval pilot starting with VietNam flying out of Guam, and ending up on Sac Alert during the cold war. It flew elegantly for a plane without ailerons. The biggest mistake of my life is when I quit the Airforce in 1977 because Carter cancelled the B1 program after I had been selected to be in the startup B1 training squadron at Edwards AFB.
The B 52 was an inspired design. With upgrades, it may stay in service close to 100 years. Really incredible.
These videos bring me back to being a 12 year old, enamored with everything aircraft. Thank you for a very well edited and curated video.
Ages ago when I was a kid, I remember a book of aircraft mentioning the YB-60, and I noted how similar it looked, at least superficially, to the B-52. This piece filled in a LOT of gaps that were probably not available (or released / declassified) back then. Thanks a lot for yet another enlightening video!
My favorite B-36 story is the last flight of the plane. It flew from storage to the USAF Museum at Write-Pat AFB. The built the one wall and arched roof and reinforced floor for the building it was going to be in. The plane flew in, landed and parked on the apron just short of it's final home. They emptied out all the tanks and otherwise made it ready for long term storage inside. Then the aircraft was backed in and the final wall built.
I always loved that massive Peacemaker,a prop plane jet hybrid made to simply instill fear in Soviet Union military officers.
I’m always amazed at the number of designs and aircraft built in the 1930-60s.
The Convair YB-60 although a very interesting alternative to the B-52 was basically a B-36 with swept wings and jet engines. Sharing 70% of the B-36 it was cheaper and carried a more hefty load but slower than the YB-52. Unfortunately it had many issues and had significant handling problems, due to its controls having been designed for slower operating speeds. Thanks for sharing this very interesting video.....
While my father was stationed at El Toro MCFS, I was caught up in the amazing pace of aircraft development. Especially all the jet fighters. I was 10 and 11 years old. Thank you for your video.
Even the B-52 was almost cancelled before it could enter production. In 1951, the Air Force suffering a terrible defeat over North Korea at Namsi, where six of nine B-29s on a daylight bombing mission were lost. This meant that no further daylight raids were attempted, as the "North Korean" MiG-15s (now know to having been flown by Soviet V-VS aircrews, serving under WWII, at the time Colonel (later Marshal) Ivan Kozehdub) could easily evade the P-80 and F-2 "Banshee" jets. Although the F-86 Sabre proved more than capable of dealing with the Soviet-made MiGs, they still couldn't adequately protect the lumbering bombers. Work was already being done on high-altitude, faster jet bombers like Convair's own B-58 "Hustler", and these were seen as the only way a bomber could reliably penetrate enemy airspace, complete the mission, and return home safely. That, too, was shattered in May 1960, with the shoot-down of Francis Gary Powers' U-2, flying at a minimum altitude of 70,000 feet (the true altitude has never been divulged), showing that missiles, rather than high-speed jet interceptors, were now the main threat to bombers.
The B-36 is one of my all-time favourite aeroplanes. I can thoroughly recommend the book ‘Magnesium Overcast’ which covers the whole B-36 story.
USAF General tasked with making final decision on the new bomber.
My uncle was career Air Force.
One of the drawbacks to the YB-60 was it used the same airfoil of the B-36. The wing generated a pretty fair amount of lift, but drag was a problem at higher speeds.
Those turrets looked pretty advanced for the time
The Airforce wanted faster, so Convair built the B-58.
During a coutesy visit of a B52 to the UK it was followed by a British Vulcan bomber. The B52 landed first of course. During the return courtesy trip to the US the Vulcan was told to wait while the B52 landed. The Vulcan then did a low level barrel roll along the runway, perfectly safe for the Vulcan but needless to say the 'henhouse' erupted. 'Manners maketh man' - OOPS!
I had the Monogram 1/72 scale B-36 kit when I was young. At the time it was the largest plastic model airplane produced.
Yeah, the BUFF was tough to beat and she has more than proved her worth. Thank you for this and all of your “Dark” series videos. Do take care, amigo.