1946: The Convair XB-36 Peacemaker flew its first flight. The “Peacemaker” was a strategic bomber that was built by Convair and operated by the USAF from 1949 to 1959. The B-36 is the largest mass-produced piston-engine aircraft ever built. It had the widest wingspan of any combat aircraft ever built, at 230 feet. The B-36 was the first bomber capable of delivering any of the nuclear weapons in the U.S. arsenal from an internal bomb bay without aircraft modifications. With a range of 10,000 miles and a maximum payload of 87,200 lb., the B-36 was capable of intercontinental flight without refueling.
