B-36J-II 1967

[SigfanUSAF]

Some more pics hanging until I'm done with the decals, then the matte clear coat will come in

[McColm]

Wow, what an impressive build!!

[kerick]

Make sure you have the decals secured properly so they don't come off when you dust that big boy.
Looks fantastic!

[Gondor]

Did you check the structural integrity of the ceiling before you hung it up?

Gondor

[Logan Hartke]

Given the same navigation equipment as Vietnam-era B-52Ds, they would have likely made superior bombers in the Arc Light CAS missions over South Vietnam, especially.  Unmodified, B-36s could carry more 500 lb bombs than even B-52Ds with Big Belly modifications and external bomb racks.  They'd also relieve some of the strain on KC-135s as they'd likely be able to perform the same missions as B-52s without the need to refuel.  You'd also keep the hours off of valuable B-52s that were otherwise valuable on SAC missions.

Now, you'd need a lot more avgas on Guam (or at bases Thailand), it would be a LOT slower, and as long as there was a SAM or MiG threat, you'd have to scrap the mission instantly.  Furthermore, it would be another aircraft type you'd have to support, another type on which to maintain proficiency, etc.

Still, it's very interesting and would have a lot of advantages over the improvised B-52D Big Belly and B-52F aircraft actually used on the Arc Light missions.  It would have taken a level of foresight by an Air Force that had totally abandoned the idea of a conventional war a decade earlier, however.

Cheers,

Logan

[NARSES2]

That does look good 

[sequoiaranger]

Nice job!

Growing up, I got to see some of these giants overflying San Diego (where Convair is).

[PR19_Kit]

Growing up, I got to see some of these giants overflying San Diego (where Convair is).

They used to drone over our house in Oxford on approach to Brize Norton in the 50s, amazingly huge they looked at low level too! 

[SigfanUSAF]

Thank you for the positive feedback! I haven't seen one in real life, I can only imagine one flying overhead! I saw plenty of C5s, 141s, and a few B52s overhead though.

[chrisonord]

WOW This is really nice, and it does make a great vietnam era bombtruck. 
Chris.

[PR19_Kit]

I almost hate to tell you this but I got into the cockpit of the B-36 in the USAF Museum. 

I was there doing a 2 day tour of the place with a buddy from Minneapolis and we were discussing the Stick while standing underneath it. This little and old guy comes along and says he's a Museum Guide and specialises in the B-36. What was more, he'd heard me say I'd seen them fly overhead when they were on TDY to Brize Norton, and it turns out he was a gunner on one and almost certainly flew over me many years before!

That got us onto the flight deck via a zillion ladders and it was AWESOME! When you look aft there's a MASSIVE control panel that has ten of everything on it as it's the flight engineer's station. We wanted to see if the little truck in the tube over the bomb bay still worked but that was off-limits. No matter, it was still a huge privilage and I'll not forget that in a hurry.

[SigfanUSAF]

Late night progress:
-Decals done
-Added landing gear and 9 38 special lead bullets in the nose.
-Some weathering done
-Cockpit interior & crew done

[Mike Wren]

love it, you never can have enough B-36s (space permitting, of course!) 

I've got a few 1/144 ones to do in various schemes some day (WWII, Korean War, RAF...) I did start a glossy sea blue US Navy maritime patroller a few years back, pic are probably still on the site. I've got an Anigrand B-60 with the swept wings & jets to do in similar Vietnam colours.

[PR19_Kit]

Yes, that's really looking the part now. 

[Go4fun]

A striking bomber. If faced with a intruder with all those bullets in the nose, if you threw it at them it would become[ very striking. 
"Yes Officer I decked him with the toy airplane. What don't you understand"?