| NB-36H | |
|---|---|
 | |
| The Convair NB-36 in flight, with a B-50. | |
| Role | Bomber |
| Manufacturer | Convair |
| Status | Cancelled |
| Primary user | United States Air Force |
| Number built | 1 |
| Developed from | Convair B-36 |
| Developed into | Convair X-6 |
The Convair NB-36H was a bomber that carried a nuclear reactor. It was also known as the "Crusader".[1] It was created for the Aircraft Nuclear Propulsion program, or the ANP, to show the feasibility of a nuclear-powered bomber. Its development ended with the cancellation of the ANP program.
Design and development[]
The NB-36H was converted from a B-36H that had been damaged by a tornado. The original crew and avionics cabin was replaced by a massive lead and rubber lined 11 ton crew section for a pilot, copilot, flight engineer and two nuclear engineers. Even the small windows had 10-12 inch thick lead glass.[1][2][3][4] Unlike the planned Convair X-6, the three-megawatt air-cooled reactor in the NB-36H did not power any of the aircraft's systems, nor did it provide propulsion, but was placed on the NB-36H to measure the effectiveness of the shielding.[1]
Flight events[]
An underside view of the plane.
The NB-36H completed 47 test flights and 215 hours of flight time (during 89 of which the reactor was operated) between September 17, 1955, and March 1957[5] over New Mexico and Texas. Although it was never needed, there was a direct hotline to the President's office set up in case of a nuclear accident on board the aircraft.
Operators[]
Specifications[]
The NB-36H in flight. Note the 2 pods; each was mounted near the wingtips of the aircraft and both carried two GE J47 jet engines each.
General characteristics
- Crew: 5
- Length: 49.38m (162 ft 1in)
- Wingspan: 70.10m (230 ft)
- Height: 14.23m (46 ft 8in)
- Wing area: 4,770 ft² (443.3 m²)
- Loaded weight: 162,305 kg (357,500Ib)
- Powerplant:
- 4 × General Electric J47 turbojets, 5,200 Ib (23.1 kN) each
- 6 × Pratt & Whitney R-4360-53 water-cooled radials, 3,800 hp (2,830 kW) each
Performance
- Maximum speed: 676 km/h (420 mph)
- Cruise speed: 270 mph
- Service ceiling: 40,000 ft (12,200 m)
See also[]
Related Development
Comparable Aircraft
References[]
- Citations
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 "Convair NB-36H "The Crusader"". National Museum of the US Air Force. 2009-06-26. http://www.nationalmuseum.af.mil/factsheets/factsheet.asp?id=2556. Retrieved 2012-01-24.
- ↑ "Convair NB-36: Bomber Aircraft with an Internal Nuclear Reactor". Avia Time. 25 March 2013. http://www.aviatime.com/en/did-you-know/7057-convair-nb-36-bomber-aircraft-with-an-internal-nuclear-reactor. Retrieved 5 April 2014.
- ↑ "Converted B-36 bomber (NB-36H)". The U.S. Nuclear Weapons Cost Study Project. Brookings Institution. http://www.brookings.edu/about/projects/archive/nucweapons/anp. Retrieved 5 April 2014.
- ↑ Colon, Raul (2007-08-06). "Flying on Nuclear, The American Effort to Built a Nuclear Powered Bomber". The Aviation History Online Museum. http://www.aviation-history.com/articles/nuke-american.htm. Retrieved 2012-01-24.
- ↑ Atomic Energy Commission and Department of Defense (February 1963). Report to the Congress of the United States – Review of manned aircraft nuclear propulsion program. The Comptroller General of the United States. p. 141. http://www.fas.org/nuke/space/anp-gao1963.pdf. Retrieved 2012-01-24.
- Bibliography
- Winchester, Jim. Concept Aircraft: Prototypes, X-Planes, and Experimental Aircraft. Thunder Bay Press, 2005. ISBN 978-1592234806
External links[]
The original article can be found at Convair NB-36H and the edit history here.