About 12 years ago, a good friend and I spent a long weekend at the museum. His back was bothering him so he had to travel around in one of the provided scooters. When we came through the doors and he saw the B-36, there were tears in his eyes. He was an Air Force Veteran and flew on the B-36 in the mid 1950's. He rode that scooter up and down the length of the aircraft telling me stories of shimming through the pressurized tubes, and some of the missions he flew. I thought nothing could top that until the evening when an Air Force orchestra from Washington, DC, our home, was playing in the museum. We attended and got to meet Tom Griffin, one of the Doolittle Flyers. Such a magic, memorable time. Sadly he's passed on now, but those are memories of him I will treasure. Thank you for all the work you do preserving our history.
As a young boy I grew up in Texas in the 50s. We used to see and hear B36’s go over all the time. I loved to see and hear them. There was one time in about ‘53 that a news paper said the Air Force would be remapping the whole country using B36’s and they would be flying very low, so we should not worry if we saw one flying over much lower than usual. A few days later one came over VERY VERY LOW. I could count the rivets in that plane as it went over. He shook the ground. I have never forgotten that experience and that was 68 years ago. One of my most favorite airplanes. I still watch Strategic Air Command at least once a year. Wow, what a plane.
My dad was a doctor at Brook Army Hospital in San Antonio in the mid 50's. I was 5 or 6. Like you I remember looking up at the B36s as they took off from Randolf AFB which was nearby and flew over our house. The thrum of the engines was so powerful that my siblings and I would stand and shout just to feel the resonance in our lungs. Very strong memory.
In ~1973 or 1974, my Parents and I stopped at this wonderful Museum. When we came to the B-36, my Dad looked at the Serial Number and said "I have flown this airplane". He had the ability to remember such things. Meaning the exact airplane right in front of us. At age ~14, I was impressed. He was the youngest and first 2LT to become an Aircraft Commander in both the B-36 and, soon after, the B-52. He flew them both out of Walker AFB in Roswell NM.
@@lawrencewiddis2447 I went through his records in the past. And what I posted is what I found. Dad loved flying so that's why he was an early airline pilot hire at Air Oregon and then Horizon until the FAA forced him to retire at 60. He wasn't happy about that. But he moved on. He flew as a safety pilot with me while I built hours for my IFR PP rating.
I've visited the museum many times and the Peacemaker never ceases to amaze. I'm expecting Jimmy Stewart and Harry Morgan to appear at any moment in these interior shots.
While I don't know abut Frank Morgan, in the case of Jimmy Stewart I believe he actually flew both of the aircraft (B-36 & B-47) that were featured in the movie. Though I wonder if the time he spent making the movie was credited to his Air Force Reserve time requirements? He also flew as an :observer" during several B-52 missions in Viet Nam.
The J version carried two flight engineers if I recall. Sadly this video doesn't show the flight engineers station in the back of the upper flight deck
I'm amazed at how clean that interior is. Been visiting this museum since the early 70s and always wondered what it looked like in there. Thanks for posting!
I noticed that too. Clean and COMPLETE. Few if any instruments missing. Far too many museum planes look great on the outside but disappoint when their interior is seen.
I saw a B-36 at a museum in CA. It's difficult to overstate how massive this airplane really is. It is a beast! The other thing that caught my eye was all those vacuum tubes. You know right away that this thing was built before solid state circuits. It didn't have a very long life as the B-47 soon took over, followed not long after that by the B-52. But that was the nature of the Cold War. There was a documentary where a former pilot talked about how it was difficult to keep the rear-facing piston engines adequately cooled. A truly fascinating piece of aviation engineering!
that big glass top main cockpit, ,,,it's the size of a studio apartment in New York....so much room and such a great 360 view outside. What an amazing design and still baffling that it could actually FLY!
My father piloted this very plane circa 1958 while stationed at Carswell AFB, Ft. Worth. They called it the “4 deuces” because of its tail number. He had a chance to visit it 8 years ago, but they would not let him see the interior. I think he will enjoy this clip… BTW, if the museum is interested in a photo of the crew by the plane, please let us know and we’ll be happy to send.
@@gregorypizzini Nice! Dad's stories -- scary ones, impressive ones, or funny ones, kept us all entertained. The teamwork it took to operate this beast was amazing.
Every few years the curators move the barriers further away from the aircraft as if our very presence threatens their existence. Even though they crawl through them when they want.
@@danodamano2581 We use the railings to protect the artifacts as much as possible and we need access for maintenance purposes of course. Feel free to visit on an open aircraft day, we hold them monthly now. Great access!
Ah, I recognized the marvelous ART-13 transmitter from WWII. Thanks for the excellent panning. It makes the tour more interesting than fixed positions.
And panning slowly enough to actually see things. So many channels pan so quickly that not only you can’t see any details, you are in danger of getting sick!
US Military may not kept B-36 Active long, but sure does lot other Equipment. I drove/worked out of a 1960 5 Ton Truck threw/after Desert Storm. A lot my late 80's gear also dating back to then and even some was Date Stamped 1950's. And cant forget B-52 H Models now Flying were some ones stationed at 3 Michigan Air Force Bases 60+ yrs ago. Visited all 3 while there were still there
A truly magnificent aircraft, and it’s nice to finally see the insides. I first saw that aircraft when I was 15 that was 42 years ago, after begging my father to drive to Dayton from Youngstown. Now I’ve been an aviation maintenance technician for 38 years!
The condition of the interior is breathtaking. When you see it from this prospective, you realize how much was going on inside this beast.I need to get up to Dayton. It’s on my bucket list.
In 1958 One made two ILS approaches into the Orlando Executive Airport (then Herndon Airport). I was 10 years old. I can still see the "six turning and 4 burning". My neighbor worked for Showalter Flying Service at that time and captured the event on 8mm. A wonderful childhood memory for this current pilot of 51 years. My favourite bomber of all times. Now you're causing me to go put on "Strategic Air Command".
I am proud to have worked at the Ft. Worth AF Plant #4 where these beasts were built, we had one on display outside the main gate to the plant, I remember seeing it as I'd go in to work building the F16, F22, and F35 during my 38 years there.
As a small boy growing up in Houston, B-36's stationed in Ft. Worth would fly over the city on mock bombing runs. Sometimes in a 3-4 plane formation, sometimes a single plane. Regardless of how many were up there, you knew they were up there. Everything from windows to your teeth would vibrate. It was a good sound. You knew they were there for you. I would stare at them slowily passing overhead and wonder what it was like inside them. One afternoon when I was at my grandfather's real estate office, I heard this huge vibrating roar approaching. I ran outside just in time to see a B-36 pass overhead at what seemed like almost tree-top level. The plane flew directly overhead, then banked slowly to the left. It was huge. I was so surprised to see how graceful it was in executing that maneuver. Poetry in motion.
James Stewart movie Strategic Air Command they appear in it. It was a cool piece of history to watch. I visit the museum when I'm there in the area. So much history to see. Even the buildings around the area. I wish they'd do more on the Berlin Air Lift. It was the largest humanitarian thing the USAF did and have such a little section on it. Sad.
The interior looks surprisingly intact with few things removed compared to the newer aircraft interiors that you've shown. Thanks for the tour of the cabin and for preserving this and all the other aircraft.
WOW!!! This is amazing. Just how complex that aircraft is and it is 100% analog. Every control, every sensor, every adjustment done. All manual and independent of the other controls. I don't think it would be possible to build such a craft today. Let alone teach some one to fly the dang thing.
Prior to them moving the B36 but post shutting down the exhibition for the eventual move I was humbled by a couple museum curators to go up in the observation deck way up in the hanger that I hadn’t even knew existed (JROTC field trip prior to my enlistment). One of my life’s greatest memories was looking down on the Peacemaker!
Six turning, four burning, indeed! Runway 08/26 at Kirtland AFB in Albuquerque was built out at 13,500 feet to accommodate those big bruisers especially during those summer days when density altitude could present a major problem. Magnificent.
This is arguably my favorite aircraft in your amazing collection. You can see photos or videos of it, but only when you stand next to it, can you appreciate the size I am blessed to live only 2 hours from the museum and try to get there once a year or so. I am so grateful that the NMUSAF has done such a wonderful job preserving these artifacts so that the public can learn about the history of the USAF and its predecessors.
WOW! memories of my opportunity to crawl into the one that was on static display directly across from a b-29, b-47, b-52 and a b-58 hustler at chanute afb back in the 70's. this one looks totally restored and flight capable... beautiful!
Very cool video. My Dad was career Army (WWII) and Air Force. Was in SAC for years back in the day. "Strategic Air Command" is one of my all time fave films....
When I was a kid back in the early 60’s back in north Texas, I rode my bicycle out to Amon Carter Airport to see the B-36 on display. I climbed over the fence and walked around it. I then climbed up the right main landing gear into the wheel well. To my surprise there was an access into the bomb bay from there, with a narrow catwalk running fore & aft. So, I crawled through and on hands & knees crawled to the front and into the forward section. Had a great time crawling around that giant beast for several hours. I crawled through the tunnel to the aft section. Eventually made my way back through the bomb bay and down the landing gear.
There was an XC-99 (cargo version) parked at Kelly Field for many years. It was in pretty poor condition, but open to roam around in. My Dad (an old B-29 guy) took me to see it when I was a kid. It was chopped up and moved to Tucson for possible reconstruction, but it's still scattered around in pieces. Sad end to a one-of-a-kind aircraft.
@@Oldbmwr100rs Remember, the B-36 started as a contingency plan in case England fell to the NAZIs. If it fell, the Peacemaker was designed to fly round-trip from the US East Coast to Europe. And then there's the fact that early nuclear weapons were HUGE. The first production models of the Plutonium atomic bombs weren't much smaller that the original "Fat Man", and the first air deliverable hydrogen bombs were even bigger.
I have several small titanium artifacts from the 001 XB-70.. Actually, my apologies. 002 is the one that went into the dessert. A real shame, as it was more refined and lighter than 001.
@@pilot3016 I once worked for a guy who was involved with the project when he was in the service, he had a framed plaque with a picture of the aircraft and a few bits recovered from the crash site.
when I was an AOC in Pensacola in '82 (they)?? dumped all kinds of vintage aircraft down near the seawall for restoration for the Naval Aviation Museum. I always felt like I had first crack at climbing around in those oldies...
Around 80 or 81 my dad took me to the museum and when we saw the B36 he recognized the tail number. It was the aircraft from one of his unit photos from his time in the Airforce. He spent many hours working on the the B36's. I will never forget that visit.
Man, the interior restoration was incredibly well done I'm impressed by the amount of equipment that they still had in the aircraft. I wish was able to be there when they were opening up all of the aircraft!
The use of vaccum tubes has been incorporated in some modern US fighter planes. They called the application "Hybrids". I can't recall what planes it's been a few years.
The B-36 didn't make the history books, but it was an amazing achievement. I've seen the huge size difference between a B-17 and a B-29, and it's similar with the way the B-36 dwarfed the B-29. A beautiful airship that would have been a useful strategical weapon had we not won the war in 1945. A lot of care goes into keeping this lady so clean and I'm grateful to really get a detailed look inside. Thanks for the tour!
use to live on a farm outside of Loveland Ohio and one bright sunny spring day I watched as 4 36's flew right over my head so low i thought they were about to land in the field down the road . One was painted in orange while the other 3 were silver with either white or black lettering . They really shook the ground when they flew overhead so much that the dishes rattled and a couple even fell and broke . Mom said it was a small price to pay for our safety and security . Someday I would like to make the trip the the museum but with health issues and corona world I don't know if I'll ever make it . Thanks for the great video !!!!!
I was born in 1945 and remember these things flying over very high and the sound they made. This was when I was around 8 years old or so. Great airplane. I lived in Dallas Texas at the time. In fact still do live in Dallas! My father took me to the Fort Worth Airport Airforce Base Carswell and we saw the B 36 and were allowed to go inside and look at it for an hour. What an experience. This video showed the front portion of the plane but not the aft portion. I rode the little rail car several times. My father finally told me to STOP!! It was so much fun!
As a boy, my dad took me to Mitchell AFB on Memorial Day 1950. I was 10 and so impressed by the B-36 that I made models of it. When it took off, the noise rumbled and shook everything.
384 built. Every inch packed with complex instrumentation, electrical equipment, hydraulic systems, fuel storage and delivery, crew positions and pressurized mechanism with related heating and cooling equipment. Just to name a few. Then there’s the payloads and their own complex operations. One aircraft amazing, hundreds mind boggling, check list complete, let’s run her up.
Thank you so much for posting this! I was in 6th grade when I built the 1:72 model by Revell. I think it was Revell. Anyway, I've always loved the B-36 and got to see this very same plane when I took my boys to see it.
With all the great restoration work no one ever re-tied the rope to the top of the tunnel - it was hanging down like that when I went through it in 1992. The “Consolidated Vultee” steering wheel buttons are nice but were always missing in service - no B-36 pilot or crew I’ve talked to ever remembered seeing them.
What a spectacular video. That interior looked so good I expected to see an aircrew onboard running their preflight checklist. Seriously, I really like these interior videos because otherwise it is unlikely us mere mortals would ever get to see inside such a mighty beast.
One of my flight instructors was a crewman on Peacemakers. I saw the exterior back when it was in Building One. Years ago the museum opened it up once for a guided internal tour and to this day I kick myself for not taking part in that. :-/ Thank you for making this video. 👍🙂🇺🇸
Saving up to come over for a visit including your incredible museum from the UK. Thanks for sharing such interesting footage of your aircraft. The Peacemaker is such an iconic aircraft, always been amazed by it since my Dad bought me a kit of one when I was younger.
I've got to get back to the museum. This video was fantastic. The complexity of it. Astounding. It's amazing anything this large ever got off the ground.
Used to be a B-36 @ the old Amon Carter Airport between Dallas and Ft. Worth....don't know how times I visited this magnificent bomber, went inside the bomber a few times back then....
The B36 Peacemaker was first delivered to the USAF the day after I was born in 1953. I have always held a special reverence to the aircraft as an example of the height of propeller based military aircraft of that era. Every once in a while I take the Jimmy Stewart film out of mothballs and watch it to remind me of why we keep and need to keep a ready alert system in our arsenal of vigilance. I did have the privilege of serving in SAC from 1972 thru 1976 and I was fortunate enough to server almost all of my time at SAC HQ at Offutt AFB in Omaha Nebraska. While there I would often spend time admiring these and a lot of other older aircraft in the SAC museum which was just on the edge of the base. They had a B36 on display there and some years after I left Offutt I returned to the call of the museum to find our beloved B36 dissembled for transporting to the new The Strategic Air Command & Aerospace Museum down the highway in Ashland where many of our aircraft are on display safely indoors. I remember the awe of seeing the staggering height of the six turbine engines stacked on end, readying for shipment. It's been many years since I had the honor of seeing her and I thank you for the very detailed walk through of the Peacemaker. Thank you to all of my brothers and sisters who served with us back in the day when strategic deterrence was that terrible necessity that it was. Peace was our profession.
I was there last Friday, August 20th for the open cockpit tour. I arrived at about 1:30pm but had to wait till 4pm for my turn. There was a time limit of 1 minute once I stepped into interior and only allowed to stand and look around. I am grateful for that opportunity,but was disappointed for the limited access and tjme allotted. I really wanted to see the Flight Engineer's panel/station but could not get far enough forward for a good look. This video does not show it either. We will take what we can bet I suppose.
Here in Wichita, we have a fully restored and flying B-29, Doc. It would be truly amazing to a B-36 restored to flying status. They had one on static display at Chanute when I lived there and it was sent to Castle AFB when Chanute closed. I think seeing one these flying overhead would be some you would never forget.
I think the restoration to flyable status and keeping it that way for the air show circuit would eat up Elon Musk's assets in about 17.3 minutes. And how about all the maintenance equipment that would have to be found or reproduced? (Need to watch Kamala's speech about 'the passage of time'.)
I saw a B-36 for the first time last year atvthe Pima Air & Space Museum. That plane captured my imagination when I first saw a picture of it as a teenager. Kind of nice that it never dropped bombs on people.
I remember pulling myself through the tube over the bomb bay between the front and rear fuselage sections back in about '56/57 at Travis AFB, CA. I also remember watching one come in for a landing at Travis missing its rudder!
I grew up in KY about 50 miles from Wright Patterson Air Force Base in Dayton, Oh. Started going there in the late 50’s. I remember seeing a big plane sitting outside in what looked like a junkyard. Had parts and all kinds of items under it. The Air Force decided they wanted an Aviation Museum, so the process began. After many years, they finally moved that aircraft inside. It puzzles me to see only 4 sets of gauges for the engines, as well as only 4 throttles…in one place, then overhead it shows the rest?? PS…I watched another A/C that was being delivered to Wright Pat. It was the Valkyrie XB-70. The only remaining XB-70 flew around the Greater Cincinnati area burning fuel so it could land. It also sat outside. After years the nose started drooping…had to prop it up!
6 turning and 4 burning. This plane is absolutely amazing. I was outside one day, 94-95 time frame, and heard an awesome sound overhead, I looked up, it was the liberty bell, b17 coming in for a landing at the nearby airstrip. (Yep, I went to see her and took plenty pics) The sound and vibration was incredible. I can't even imagine what this must have sounded like low overhead. I'm gonna have to go see her..these old war planes are just so cool..great video..
I’m so glad the USAF kept this AC for future generations to see. Remarkable piece of post WWII equipment. B36s kept the peace during its short operational lifespan and is an important piece of Cold War history.
Last time I was at the Air Force museum, there was only one main hanger for display and the XB-70 was parked outside. Nice to see some expansions since then.,
If you ever have the occasion to re-do this already great video, I would love to hear some narration explaining what some of the gear is that is shown in the video. Some of it was obvious, but a lot of it wasn't.
Agreed. A sense or order to the production would help. Seems like this video jumps all over the place. Also, have the camera operator cut the caffeine. All the back-and-forth panning was highly annoying and detracted greatly from the content.
I went to Dayton in july 19 and honestly, this Museum is certainly the nicest I have visited in my lifetime . It was a real dream for me being in this place ! 🤩👍
Sehr gute innenansichten der b 36 peacemaker hat mir echt gut gefallen das Video ich habe das Flugzeug als Modell im Maßstab 1 72 von Monogramm bei mir zuhause es ist eines der schönsten flugzeuge der US air force vielen dank nochmal
It needed the 4 burning to carry all the instrumentation,thank you for the video,it answered a lot of questions for while at the same time giving me goosebumps.🇺🇸🇦🇺👍
My pop took my brother and I to Dayton when we were kids and at the time the B36 was in terrible shape and propped up outside on wooden crates and they hadn’t quite started the restoration yet. Inside they had just one of the gigantic landing gear struts and wheels on display. Even so, at the time I thought it was the biggest plane ever made. I’m glad to see it in its fully restored condition. I still hope to take my son and grandson there someday.
1970 was the last year my father was in the air force, he was posted at right paterson before retirement. Going to mad river jr. high scool we watched as they built the first building around it! It was fun going inside befor the general public, president Nixon dedicated the opening ceremony.
I can only imagine the incredible weight of all the electronics equipment in there. I'm sure the vacuum tube tester machine would constantly get a workout! What an incredible time when radios were simpler to fix. Davies Moulding still make those radio knobs to this day!
I know an old boy who flew these from 1954-57. As they began to retire the B-36, was transferred in 1958 to the B-52D and flew it for the rest of his career.
About 12 years ago, a good friend and I spent a long weekend at the museum. His back was bothering him so he had to travel around in one of the provided scooters. When we came through the doors and he saw the B-36, there were tears in his eyes. He was an Air Force Veteran and flew on the B-36 in the mid 1950's. He rode that scooter up and down the length of the aircraft telling me stories of shimming through the pressurized tubes, and some of the missions he flew. I thought nothing could top that until the evening when an Air Force orchestra from Washington, DC, our home, was playing in the museum. We attended and got to meet Tom Griffin, one of the Doolittle Flyers. Such a magic, memorable time. Sadly he's passed on now, but those are memories of him I will treasure. Thank you for all the work you do preserving our history.
I enjoy visiting the museum. I live an hour away, so I try to get there yearly.
May he rest in peace. 🫡
As a young boy I grew up in Texas in the 50s. We used to see and hear B36’s go over all the time. I loved to see and hear them. There was one time in about ‘53 that a news paper said the Air Force would be remapping the whole country using B36’s and they would be flying very low, so we should not worry if we saw one flying over much lower than usual. A few days later one came over VERY VERY LOW. I could count the rivets in that plane as it went over. He shook the ground. I have never forgotten that experience and that was 68 years ago. One of my most favorite airplanes. I still watch Strategic Air Command at least once a year. Wow, what a plane.
My dad was a doctor at Brook Army Hospital in San Antonio in the mid 50's. I was 5 or 6. Like you I remember looking up at the B36s as they took off from Randolf AFB which was nearby and flew over our house. The thrum of the engines was so powerful that my siblings and I would stand and shout just to feel the resonance in our lungs. Very strong memory.
I remember the B36 at Fairford Uk
Travis AFB, CA. B-36 Brake squealing; and engines that shook the earth; THEN, B-52s showed up.
they were built in Ft Worth and about half were stationed at Carswell AFB there
I wish we had one now to fly over Moscow VERY VERY LOW!
In ~1973 or 1974, my Parents and I stopped at this wonderful Museum. When we came to the B-36, my Dad looked at the Serial Number and said "I have flown this airplane". He had the ability to remember such things. Meaning the exact airplane right in front of us. At age ~14, I was impressed. He was the youngest and first 2LT to become an Aircraft Commander in both the B-36 and, soon after, the B-52. He flew them both out of Walker AFB in Roswell NM.
2LT and a bomber commander. Interesting.
@@lawrencewiddis2447 I went through his records in the past. And what I posted is what I found.
Dad loved flying so that's why he was an early airline pilot hire at Air Oregon and then Horizon until the FAA forced him to retire at 60. He wasn't happy about that. But he moved on. He flew as a safety pilot with me while I built hours for my IFR PP rating.
I've visited the museum many times and the Peacemaker never ceases to amaze. I'm expecting Jimmy Stewart and Harry Morgan to appear at any moment in these interior shots.
While I don't know abut Frank Morgan, in the case of Jimmy Stewart I believe he actually flew both of the aircraft (B-36 & B-47) that were featured in the movie. Though I wonder if the time he spent making the movie was credited to his Air Force Reserve time requirements? He also flew as an :observer" during several B-52 missions in Viet Nam.
@@martykarr7058 I think he qualified on the B52 also.
Funny you should reference Jimmy Stewart and Harry Morgan from that very famous movie "Strategic Air Command". I had the same thoughts.
Different film I know, but I always think of Jimmy Stewart shouting “which way to Ireland”? when over the Atlantic.
"One take-off... one landing." Remember? LOL!
I couldn't imagine trying to fly something that big and complex. I'm glad she's being preserved and cared for.
The J version carried two flight engineers if I recall. Sadly this video doesn't show the flight engineers station in the back of the upper flight deck
I'm amazed at how clean that interior is. Been visiting this museum since the early 70s and always wondered what it looked like in there. Thanks for posting!
I noticed that too. Clean and COMPLETE. Few if any instruments missing. Far too many museum planes look great on the outside but disappoint when their interior is seen.
I saw a B-36 at a museum in CA. It's difficult to overstate how massive this airplane really is. It is a beast! The other thing that caught my eye was all those vacuum tubes. You know right away that this thing was built before solid state circuits. It didn't have a very long life as the B-47 soon took over, followed not long after that by the B-52. But that was the nature of the Cold War. There was a documentary where a former pilot talked about how it was difficult to keep the rear-facing piston engines adequately cooled. A truly fascinating piece of aviation engineering!
I know, all the old school electronics on that plane
impervious to EMP
@@kayak63red34 Very true, one of the reasons that every thing in the US military arsenal used tubes during the NATO "Tripwire" era.
I joined US Army in 1980 at age 16 and yes we still had Equipment with Tubes, at least into 90's. Some of our Air Defense used these
that big glass top main cockpit, ,,,it's the size of a studio apartment in New York....so much room and such a great 360 view outside. What an amazing design and still baffling that it could actually FLY!
My father piloted this very plane circa 1958 while stationed at Carswell AFB, Ft. Worth. They called it the “4 deuces” because of its tail number. He had a chance to visit it 8 years ago, but they would not let him see the interior. I think he will enjoy this clip…
BTW, if the museum is interested in a photo of the crew by the plane, please let us know and we’ll be happy to send.
Really? Cool! My dad was the crew chief! At his time he was based out of Limestone In Maine! Before your Dads time. Awesome!
@@gregorypizzini Nice! Dad's stories -- scary ones, impressive ones, or funny ones, kept us all entertained. The teamwork it took to operate this beast was amazing.
They wouldn't let him inside? Sounds about right.
Every few years the curators move the barriers further away from the aircraft as if our very presence threatens their existence. Even though they crawl through them when they want.
@@danodamano2581 We use the railings to protect the artifacts as much as possible and we need access for maintenance purposes of course. Feel free to visit on an open aircraft day, we hold them monthly now. Great access!
Awesome video. You forget this was pre-ejection seat days as that is why no seats had back cushions. This aircraft is a national treasure.
Ah, I recognized the marvelous ART-13 transmitter from WWII. Thanks for the excellent panning. It makes the tour more interesting than fixed positions.
And panning slowly enough to actually see things. So many channels pan so quickly that not only you can’t see any details, you are in danger of getting sick!
US Military may not kept B-36 Active long, but sure does lot other Equipment. I drove/worked out of a 1960 5 Ton Truck threw/after Desert Storm. A lot my late 80's gear also dating back to then and even some was Date Stamped 1950's. And cant forget B-52 H Models now Flying were some ones stationed at 3 Michigan Air Force Bases 60+ yrs ago. Visited all 3 while there were still there
A truly magnificent aircraft, and it’s nice to finally see the insides. I first saw that aircraft when I was 15 that was 42 years ago, after begging my father to drive to Dayton from Youngstown. Now I’ve been an aviation maintenance technician for 38 years!
Any tips for someone looking to get into aviation maintenance?
@@Tigershark_3082 Joining the military in any aviation related job
@@Alansaidhello What if I can't join the military?
I have a set of the old view master disc slides from the early seventies featuring the stand outs. My Dad was with the KC 135's at Wright Patt.
My Dad was the crew chief of this plane. We visited it a couple of years ago. He hadn't seen it in 60 + years. It was great!
It’s a magnificent and majestic bomber.😮😮
The condition of the interior is breathtaking. When you see it from this prospective, you realize how much was going on inside this beast.I need to get up to Dayton. It’s on my bucket list.
Your thoughts are exactly what was my take-away from looking over the interior. WOW! A busy and well placed space!
IT'S INCREDIBLE .YOU NEED 2 DAYS TO SEE IT ALL.
I was expecting to see a stripped hull. Amazing to see the amount of gear and instrumentation inside.
@@garyhess7439 and a really good pair of comfortable shoes!!
Come on up Brother. I am there twice a year. But i live in Ohio. It is worth it if you are an Aviation Buff . . .
This is one of the absolute stars of the museum. Fantastic to see in person, albeit for most of us from the outside only!
In 1958 One made two ILS approaches into the Orlando Executive Airport (then Herndon Airport). I was 10 years old. I can still see the "six turning and 4 burning". My neighbor worked for Showalter Flying Service at that time and captured the event on 8mm. A wonderful childhood memory for this current pilot of 51 years. My favourite bomber of all times. Now you're causing me to go put on "Strategic Air Command".
Excellent Movie.
I am proud to have worked at the Ft. Worth AF Plant #4 where these beasts were built, we had one on display outside the main gate to the plant, I remember seeing it as I'd go in to work building the F16, F22, and F35 during my 38 years there.
As a small boy growing up in Houston, B-36's stationed in Ft. Worth would fly over the city on mock bombing runs. Sometimes in a 3-4 plane formation, sometimes a single plane. Regardless of how many were up there, you knew they were up there. Everything from windows to your teeth would vibrate. It was a good sound. You knew they were there for you. I would stare at them slowily passing overhead and wonder what it was like inside them. One afternoon when I was at my grandfather's real estate office, I heard this huge vibrating roar approaching. I ran outside just in time to see a B-36 pass overhead at what seemed like almost tree-top level. The plane flew directly overhead, then banked slowly to the left. It was huge. I was so surprised to see how graceful it was in executing that maneuver. Poetry in motion.
Absolutely amazing! The interior is immaculate and looks like it's ready to fly. I've always wanted to see what the interior looked like.
Immaculate????😅😂😅 Ohhhh boy.
I love looking inside the Bomb bay and seeing the doors leading out to the wings where the could work on the engines.
I couldn't believe the size of the Hangar in Dayton , Ohio . I sure hope I can go back someday ! !
James Stewart movie Strategic Air Command they appear in it. It was a cool piece of history to watch. I visit the museum when I'm there in the area. So much history to see. Even the buildings around the area. I wish they'd do more on the Berlin Air Lift. It was the largest humanitarian thing the USAF did and have such a little section on it. Sad.
The interior looks surprisingly intact with few things removed compared to the newer aircraft interiors that you've shown. Thanks for the tour of the cabin and for preserving this and all the other aircraft.
I can almost smell that smell all military equipment have. Wonderful preservation of history!
What a majestic cockpit! That cockpit has to be either the best rated or close to the best rated cockpit of any aircraft!
WOW!!! This is amazing. Just how complex that aircraft is and it is 100% analog.
Every control, every sensor, every adjustment done. All manual and independent of the other controls.
I don't think it would be possible to build such a craft today. Let alone teach some one to fly the dang thing.
Prior to them moving the B36 but post shutting down the exhibition for the eventual move I was humbled by a couple museum curators to go up in the observation deck way up in the hanger that I hadn’t even knew existed (JROTC field trip prior to my enlistment). One of my life’s greatest memories was looking down on the Peacemaker!
Six turning, four burning, indeed! Runway 08/26 at Kirtland AFB in Albuquerque was built out at 13,500 feet to accommodate those big bruisers especially during those summer days when density altitude could present a major problem. Magnificent.
This is arguably my favorite aircraft in your amazing collection. You can see photos or videos of it, but only when you stand next to it, can you appreciate the size I am blessed to live only 2 hours from the museum and try to get there once a year or so. I am so grateful that the NMUSAF has done such a wonderful job preserving these artifacts so that the public can learn about the history of the USAF and its predecessors.
Very well done. I even get the unique smell of a military plane while looking at the images.
It does have an odor inside, we spent about an hour inside total for photos and video.
Yeah, there's that "aroma". You never it.
WOW! memories of my opportunity to crawl into the one that was on static display directly across from a b-29, b-47, b-52 and a b-58 hustler at chanute afb back in the 70's. this one looks totally restored and flight capable... beautiful!
Very cool video. My Dad was career Army (WWII) and Air Force. Was in SAC for years back in the day. "Strategic Air Command" is one of my all time fave films....
When I was a kid back in the early 60’s back in north Texas, I rode my bicycle out to Amon Carter Airport to see the B-36 on display. I climbed over the fence and walked around it. I then climbed up the right main landing gear into the wheel well. To my surprise there was an access into the bomb bay from there, with a narrow catwalk running fore & aft. So, I crawled through and on hands & knees crawled to the front and into the forward section. Had a great time crawling around that giant beast for several hours. I crawled through the tunnel to the aft section. Eventually made my way back through the bomb bay and down the landing gear.
There was an XC-99 (cargo version) parked at Kelly Field for many years. It was in pretty poor condition, but open to roam around in. My Dad (an old B-29 guy) took me to see it when I was a kid. It was chopped up and moved to Tucson for possible reconstruction, but it's still scattered around in pieces. Sad end to a one-of-a-kind aircraft.
This is my SECOND favorite aircraft at the museum, The XB-70 will all ways be #1 for me!
There's also one at the castle air museum in Awater, claifornia. Those planes were shockingly huge, literally dwarfing the B 29!
@@Oldbmwr100rs Remember, the B-36 started as a contingency plan in case England fell to the NAZIs. If it fell, the Peacemaker was designed to fly round-trip from the US East Coast to Europe. And then there's the fact that early nuclear weapons were HUGE. The first production models of the Plutonium atomic bombs weren't much smaller that the original "Fat Man", and the first air deliverable hydrogen bombs were even bigger.
I have several small titanium artifacts from the 001 XB-70.. Actually, my apologies. 002 is the one that went into the dessert. A real shame, as it was more refined and lighter than 001.
@@pilot3016 I once worked for a guy who was involved with the project when he was in the service, he had a framed plaque with a picture of the aircraft and a few bits recovered from the crash site.
We think alike, the B-1 is seriously great too, a real aerodynamic masterpiece.
when I was an AOC in Pensacola in '82 (they)?? dumped all kinds of vintage aircraft down near the seawall for restoration for the Naval Aviation Museum. I always felt like I had first crack at climbing around in those oldies...
Around 80 or 81 my dad took me to the museum and when we saw the B36 he recognized the tail number. It was the aircraft from one of his unit photos from his time in the Airforce. He spent many hours working on the the B36's. I will never forget that visit.
The Peacemaker and B-17 are my favorite military airplanes
I studied under one at Chanute AFB in the 80’s before they closed it . Heard the old girl flew out of there . Sure would have Loved to have seen it .
My dad flew in the Peacemaker as navigator, and I've seen the outside of one. The interior shots are a treat! Imagine vacuum tube radios etc. Thanks!
Man, the interior restoration was incredibly well done I'm impressed by the amount of equipment that they still had in the aircraft. I wish was able to be there when they were opening up all of the aircraft!
Love the vacuum tube electronics. That plane may have been old-fashioned but it was probably EMP hardened.
The use of vaccum tubes has been incorporated in some modern US fighter planes. They called the application "Hybrids". I can't recall what planes it's been a few years.
The B-36 didn't make the history books, but it was an amazing achievement. I've seen the huge size difference between a B-17 and a B-29, and it's similar with the way the B-36 dwarfed the B-29. A beautiful airship that would have been a useful strategical weapon had we not won the war in 1945. A lot of care goes into keeping this lady so clean and I'm grateful to really get a detailed look inside. Thanks for the tour!
Awesome museum, throughly enjoyed our trip there in May.
use to live on a farm outside of Loveland Ohio and one bright sunny spring day I watched as 4 36's flew right over my head so low i thought they were about to land in the field down the road . One was painted in orange while the other 3 were silver with either white or black lettering . They really shook the ground when they flew overhead so much that the dishes rattled and a couple even fell and broke . Mom said it was a small price to pay for our safety and security . Someday I would like to make the trip the the museum but with health issues and corona world I don't know if I'll ever make it . Thanks for the great video !!!!!
I was born in 1945 and remember these things flying over very high and the sound they made. This was when I was around 8 years old or so. Great airplane. I lived in Dallas Texas at the time. In fact still do live in Dallas! My father took me to the Fort Worth Airport Airforce Base Carswell and we saw the B 36 and were allowed to go inside and look at it for an hour. What an experience. This video showed the front portion of the plane but not the aft portion. I rode the little rail car several times. My father finally told me to STOP!! It was so much fun!
The dramatic music along with the footage of the coffee pots and toilet is spot on.
As a boy, my dad took me to Mitchell AFB on Memorial Day 1950. I was 10 and so impressed by the B-36 that I made models of it. When it took off, the noise rumbled and shook everything.
384 built. Every inch packed with complex instrumentation, electrical equipment, hydraulic systems, fuel storage and delivery, crew positions and pressurized mechanism with related heating and cooling equipment. Just to name a few. Then there’s the payloads and their own complex operations.
One aircraft amazing, hundreds mind boggling, check list complete, let’s run her up.
The zoom ins on the avionics are really nice. Some of them have company names, company locations, etc. A lot of history there.
Thank you so much for posting this! I was in 6th grade when I built the 1:72 model by Revell. I think it was Revell. Anyway, I've always loved the B-36 and got to see this very same plane when I took my boys to see it.
Thanks for sharing this. I've wanted to see inside this aircraft for almost fifty years... and now I finally have!
Best interior shots I've seen. Thanks
With all the great restoration work no one ever re-tied the rope to the top of the tunnel - it was hanging down like that when I went through it in 1992. The “Consolidated Vultee” steering wheel buttons are nice but were always missing in service - no B-36 pilot or crew I’ve talked to ever remembered seeing them.
My dad was a Senior Master SGT, worked on these at Fairchild AFB. They were very loud! 6 Turning and 4 Burning
What a spectacular video. That interior looked so good I expected to see an aircrew onboard running their preflight checklist. Seriously, I really like these interior videos because otherwise it is unlikely us mere mortals would ever get to see inside such a mighty beast.
The B-36 had the most unique droning sound. A sound that complemented its magnificence in size and design.
One of my flight instructors was a crewman on Peacemakers.
I saw the exterior back when it was in Building One.
Years ago the museum opened it up once for a guided internal tour and to this day I kick myself for not taking part in that. :-/
Thank you for making this video. 👍🙂🇺🇸
Saving up to come over for a visit including your incredible museum from the UK. Thanks for sharing such interesting footage of your aircraft. The Peacemaker is such an iconic aircraft, always been amazed by it since my Dad bought me a kit of one when I was younger.
We are thrilled you are able to visit Paul!!!
i was extremely fortunate to get next to, & go inside a B-24 & B-17. i took a bunch of pics. it was so cool.
I've got to get back to the museum. This video was fantastic. The complexity of it. Astounding. It's amazing anything this large ever got off the ground.
Used to be a B-36 @ the old Amon Carter Airport between Dallas and Ft. Worth....don't know how times I visited this magnificent bomber, went inside the bomber a few times back then....
The B36 Peacemaker was first delivered to the USAF the day after I was born in 1953. I have always held a special reverence to the aircraft as an example of the height of propeller based military aircraft of that era. Every once in a while I take the Jimmy Stewart film out of mothballs and watch it to remind me of why we keep and need to keep a ready alert system in our arsenal of vigilance. I did have the privilege of serving in SAC from 1972 thru 1976 and I was fortunate enough to server almost all of my time at SAC HQ at Offutt AFB in Omaha Nebraska. While there I would often spend time admiring these and a lot of other older aircraft in the SAC museum which was just on the edge of the base. They had a B36 on display there and some years after I left Offutt I returned to the call of the museum to find our beloved B36 dissembled for transporting to the new The Strategic Air Command & Aerospace Museum down the highway in Ashland where many of our aircraft are on display safely indoors. I remember the awe of seeing the staggering height of the six turbine engines stacked on end, readying for shipment. It's been many years since I had the honor of seeing her and I thank you for the very detailed walk through of the Peacemaker. Thank you to all of my brothers and sisters who served with us back in the day when strategic deterrence was that terrible necessity that it was. Peace was our profession.
The six engines were piston engines ... not turbines (though supercharged).
I was there last Friday, August 20th for the open cockpit tour. I arrived at about 1:30pm but had to wait till 4pm for my turn. There was a time limit of 1 minute once I stepped into interior and only allowed to stand and look around. I am grateful for that opportunity,but was disappointed for the limited access and tjme allotted. I really wanted to see the Flight Engineer's panel/station but could not get far enough forward for a good look. This video does not show it either. We will take what we can bet I suppose.
Here in Wichita, we have a fully restored and flying B-29, Doc. It would be truly amazing to a B-36 restored to flying status. They had one on static display at Chanute when I lived there and it was sent to Castle AFB when Chanute closed. I think seeing one these flying overhead would be some you would never forget.
I think the restoration to flyable status and keeping it that way for the air show circuit would eat up Elon Musk's assets in about 17.3 minutes. And how about all the maintenance equipment that would have to be found or reproduced? (Need to watch Kamala's speech about 'the passage of time'.)
@@lawrencequave7361 I just think it would be great to see what it can be, unburden by what it has been.
That was great and thankyou for doing this video.
I saw a B-36 for the first time last year atvthe Pima Air & Space Museum. That plane captured my imagination when I first saw a picture of it as a teenager. Kind of nice that it never dropped bombs on people.
I remember pulling myself through the tube over the bomb bay between the front and rear fuselage sections back in about '56/57 at Travis AFB, CA. I also remember watching one come in for a landing at Travis missing its rudder!
i had a metal b-36 in 1964 when i was 11 and into models. being canadian, i had never seen one before and i loved it. so cool, the b-36.
I grew up in KY about 50 miles from Wright Patterson Air Force Base in Dayton, Oh. Started going there in the late 50’s. I remember seeing a big plane sitting outside in what looked like a junkyard. Had parts and all kinds of items under it.
The Air Force decided they wanted an Aviation Museum, so the process began. After many years, they finally moved that aircraft inside.
It puzzles me to see only 4 sets of gauges for the engines, as well as only 4 throttles…in one place, then overhead it shows the rest??
PS…I watched another A/C that was being delivered to Wright Pat. It was the Valkyrie XB-70. The only remaining XB-70 flew around the Greater Cincinnati area burning fuel so it could land. It also sat outside. After years the nose started drooping…had to prop it up!
I have seen this plane from the outside when I have visited the museum. The interior is just as impressive.
6 turning and 4 burning.
This plane is absolutely amazing. I was outside one day, 94-95 time frame, and heard an awesome sound overhead, I looked up, it was the liberty bell, b17 coming in for a landing at the nearby airstrip. (Yep, I went to see her and took plenty pics) The sound and vibration was incredible. I can't even imagine what this must have sounded like low overhead. I'm gonna have to go see her..these old war planes are just so cool..great video..
Strategic air command, keeping the peace is harder than starting a war superb line from the film 🎥 and a superb aircraft, love ❤️ from the uk 🇬🇧
I’m so glad the USAF kept this AC for future generations to see. Remarkable piece of post WWII equipment. B36s kept the peace during its short operational lifespan and is an important piece of Cold War history.
Overwhelming incredible ! Can you imagine all of the engineering drawings that were produced for this aircraft !….👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻
Fantastic detail and great camera work! Thanks for this rare treat!
Last time I was at the Air Force museum, there was only one main hanger for display and the XB-70 was parked outside. Nice to see some expansions since then.,
Man, that's hell of an airship. I don't know what else to say
It is mind-boggling that such a huge aircraft was so cramped and claustrophobic!
Always wanted to see inside one of these. Great video!!
If you ever have the occasion to re-do this already great video, I would love to hear some narration explaining what some of the gear is that is shown in the video. Some of it was obvious, but a lot of it wasn't.
Agreed. A sense or order to the production would help. Seems like this video jumps all over the place. Also, have the camera operator cut the caffeine. All the back-and-forth panning was highly annoying and detracted greatly from the content.
amazing how somebody and engineer that with all those wires and electronics simply amazing
Awesome. I felt just like Jimmy Stewart. "The Big Stick" has always been one of my favouites.
A camera can never do justice- B-36s are just HUGE!!
I went to Dayton in july 19 and honestly, this Museum is certainly the nicest I have visited in my lifetime . It was a real dream for me being in this place ! 🤩👍
that is a very serious piece of equipment. great photography esp the drone work. Nicely done
Thanks so very much!!!
You folks run a wonderful museum, can't wait to come again.
Sehr gute innenansichten der b 36 peacemaker hat mir echt gut gefallen das Video ich habe das Flugzeug als Modell im Maßstab 1 72 von Monogramm bei mir zuhause es ist eines der schönsten flugzeuge der US air force vielen dank nochmal
It needed the 4 burning to carry all the instrumentation,thank you for the video,it answered a lot of questions for while at the same time giving me goosebumps.🇺🇸🇦🇺👍
My grandfather helped build these when he worked at Comvair and when it was later bought out by General Dynamics.
Such a magnificent aircraft. I can vividly remember the first time I saw this aircraft for the first time. I was probably 8 or 10
Fantastic views of the B-36 interior. Would be helpful to add titles for each station shown so it would be clear what we're looking at.
My pop took my brother and I to Dayton when we were kids and at the time the B36 was in terrible shape and propped up outside on wooden crates and they hadn’t quite started the restoration yet. Inside they had just one of the gigantic landing gear struts and wheels on display. Even so, at the time I thought it was the biggest plane ever made. I’m glad to see it in its fully restored condition. I still hope to take my son and grandson there someday.
Gloriously well filmed. Thank you!!!!!
1970 was the last year my father was in the air force, he was posted at right paterson before retirement. Going to mad river jr. high scool we watched as they built the first building around it! It was fun going inside befor the general public, president Nixon dedicated the opening ceremony.
Yes Nixon flew in on SAM 26000 which is on display in our fourth building.
If I knew nothing about airplanes, jets and bombs I’d say that this must be the ultimate peacemaker. It is awesome!
I can only imagine the incredible weight of all the electronics equipment in there. I'm sure the vacuum tube tester machine would constantly get a workout! What an incredible time when radios were simpler to fix. Davies Moulding still make those radio knobs to this day!
Great interior video of the mighty B36!!
I know an old boy who flew these from 1954-57. As they began to retire the B-36, was transferred in 1958 to the B-52D and flew it for the rest of his career.
The days of vacuum tube tech. I'll be 75 in two months, and this beast (the first one) flew before I was even born.
I bet a lot of people won't realise that vacuum tubes were not all glass!