Convair B-36 Peacemaker
By Chris Banyai-Riepl
Warpaint Series No. 102
Author: Kev Darling
Publisher: Warpaint Books
Binding: Softcover
Pages: 48
When Germany swept across Europe during the opening months of the Second World War, worries that England would fall as well shifted thoughts to long range bombers attacking Germany from the American mainland. The result of that was the Convair B-36 Peacemaker, an enormous 6-engined (later 10-engined) strategic bomber capable of carrying a hefty payload thousands of miles. Its long development cycle kept it from serving during the Second World War, but the B-36 saw extensive service in the opening years of the Cold War.
This latest title in the Warpaint series takes a solid look at the Convair B-36 Peacemaker, from its development to its operational history as a strategic bomber and later as a reconnaissance aircraft. As with other Warpaint titles, this one is packed with photos that show why this plane was given the nickname 'aluminum overcast'. Complementing the photos are nearly two dozen color profiles, including a four-view of one. Missing from this book, though, are the usual scale drawings, which are missed as there are many subtle differences between the variants that drawings would have helped clarify.
For those looking for a good single-point reference on the B-36, is this a solid title that answers that need, despite the lack of scale drawings. My thanks to Warpaint Books for the review copy.