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Magnesium Overcast: The Story of the Convair B-36 (Specialty Press) | 
 enlarge | Author: Dennis R. Jenkins
Publisher: Specialty Pr Pub & Wholesalers
Category: Book
List Price: $26.95
Buy New: $16.90
You Save: $10.05 (37%)
New (11) Used (5) from $16.90
Avg. Customer Rating:  17 reviews
Sales Rank: 50136
Media: Paperback
Number Of Items: 1
Pages: 230
Shipping Weight (lbs): 1.8
Dimensions (in): 9 x 8.9 x 0.8
ISBN: 1580071295
Dewey Decimal Number: 355
EAN: 9781580071291
ASIN: 1580071295
Publication Date: July 15, 2008
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
Shipping: International shipping available
Condition: Brand New, Perfect Condition, Please allow 4-14 business days for delivery. 100% Money Back Guarantee, Over 1,000,000 customers served.
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Product Description
The Convair B-36 Peacemaker was the ultimate statement of American air power at the beginning of the Cold War. An intriguing mix of proven World War II concepts and 1950s high-tech innovations, the aircraft would spark more controversy than any weapon system ever built until the ill-fated Star Wars system of the late 1980s.
Extensive research at various archives around the country have uncovered new and previously unpublished details about the B-36 and its derivatives. Among these are the first-ever photos of the never-flown second prototype YB-60 all-jet version, details about Convair s flying-boat version of the XC-99 cargo aircraft, and technical information of the stillborn Variable Discharge Turbine B-36C variant.
Includes extensive photographic coverage of the devastating 1952 Texas tornado that severally damaged and grounded a good portion of the B-36 fleet. A detailed serial number list covers each airplane and its final disposition, and a chapter covers the efforts to reclaim and scrap the aircraft as they were taken out of service.
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| Customer Reviews: Read 12 more reviews...
Magnesium Overcast: The Story of the Convair B-36 July 30, 2008
To those B-36 and SAC fans, this book is well worth it and fantastic. I find it hard to believe all those so fine pictures contained in this book. I am a man of short words, but the only disappointment for anyone is if they did not buy it. So take heed to my advice: do not put off buying it. In conclusion, do not make me say, "I told you so."
Absolutely the Best -- 5 Stars! March 10, 2008
"Uncle Sam's newest, biggest bomber -- the B-36 -- is a long, slim gal with a wiggle in her rear. She's a little on the skinny side, but she's beautiful", gushed the New York Daily News.
My earliest memory of her was Jimmie Stewart's arctic crash landing in the Hollywood epic, "Strategic Air Command." Later he falls in love with a younger, sexier plane -- the new B-47 Stratojet.
Looking back, we remember the B-36 as a colossal cold war relic, but the massive B-36 was originally conceived to fight another foe -- Adolph Hitler's 3rd Reich. Describing the Peacemaker, author Dennis R. Jenkins relates, "The story of the B-36 is unique in American history. The aircraft was an interesting blend of concepts proven during World War II combined with budding 1950s high tech systems."
Mr. Jenkins reveals, "The B-36, despite its seemingly conventional appearance, pushed 1950's state-of-the-art further than any other aircraft of its era. Its sheer size brought structural challenges, while its high-altitude capabilities brought engine cooling and other problems. Sophisticated gun and bombing systems presented development, maintenance, and operational headaches."
"Magnesium Overcast: The Story of the Convair B-36" is a high quality, glossy, format book with a jackpot of intriguing photographs (many in color), instructive drawings and tables. Many of the wonderful interior photographs, diagrams and engineering drawings were taken from U.S. Air Force technical manuals. The graphics alone make this one of the finest aircraft books I have ever seen. Mr. Jenkins had done a superior job of presenting all the modification programs in great detail with a clear, concise style. He has meticulously researched and presented the life cycle of the B-36 from conception through scrapping out.
To meet the extreme requirements of its mission, several outlandish design features were tried -- bunks for the off-duty crewmen and a gallery complete with oven to prepare hot meals --- a complex system of 8 retractable remote control dual 20mm gun turrets -- various parasite fighter planes that could be launched from aboard the B-36 when needed -- a nuclear reactor to power greatly modified turbojet engines.
Nuclear powered aircraft theoretically could stay airborne for years. Unfortunately, very heavy radiation shielding was imperative for crew protection.
Thankfully the B-47 Stratojet and the B-52 Buff became operational and finally put an end to the expensive Frankenstein experiments with the outmoded B-36.
B-36 Peacemaker December 10, 2007
A great long range bomber that served in SAC to perform as a bridge between the "prop" planes and the pure jet. This book is throughly
researched and easy to read. Many photos.
THE airplane book April 26, 2007
3 out of 3 found this review helpful
"Magnesium Overcast" is just what an "airplane book" should be: large, attractive, detailed, with a wealth of superior illustrations, many in color. I'd hazard a guess that there are more than 300 high-quality photos and drawings, including a rare chart of the Convair production line.
In any case, it's all here: something for "rivet counters" and "number crunchers" alike. The authors deserve full credit for the thoroughness of their work and the obvious care they lavished on this project. Kudos also go to Specialty Press for producing this significant volume in such lavish style at a reasonable price.
 Needs more meat January 1, 2007
The photos in the book are worth the price of admission, so it shouldn't be a surprise that the accompanying text is so flat. The book focuses almost entirely on the technical side of the aircraft and completely ignores the political, military, and economic forces that shaped the B-36. There are no crew accounts of 30 hour missions. There are few indications of how the B-36 was used (or more importantly, why it wasn't used). In fact, one gets the impression that upon leaving the factory each plane was just rotated back to the factory for an endless series of upgrades.
Still, the detail here is marvelous. Photos and diagrams are provided for nearly every important part. Changes are often detailed down to individual planes. While the book does have a tendency to get bogged down in model numbers and lingo, it still manages to impart a sense of the majesty of this huge and innovative airplane.
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