The Shortest Lived Mega Bomber You Never Heard Of - Convair YB-60

Video from the channel Dark Skies about Convair, linked on its Above Ten Thousand entry. Duration: 10:39. Language: English. Video type: Documentary.

History of the Convair YB-60, the jet-powered bomber derived from the B-36 Peacemaker that competed unsuccessfully against the Boeing B-52 Stratofortress in the early 1950s.

The B-36 served in the US Air Force between 1949 and 1959, but it was still a piston-engine aircraft. In August 1950 Convair proposed a jet-powered version, and on 15 March 1951 the Air Force authorized converting two B-36Fs into the future B-36G. As the changes became increasingly radical, that same year the model was renamed YB-60. It shared around 70% of its structure with the B-36, but had swept wings and eight J57 turbojets in four twin pods, the same engine planned for the B-52.

The first prototype flew on 18 April 1952, piloted by Beryl A. Erickson for 66 minutes, three days after the YB-52. It was about 100 miles per hour slower than the Boeing and had handling problems, although it could carry 72,000 pounds of bombs compared to 43,000. The second prototype, with more defensive armament and nine crew members, was never completed. After only two more flights and problems with buffeting, flutter, engines and the electrical system, the program was cancelled in August 1952. The Air Force accepted both prototypes in 1954, but they never flew again; development alone had cost $14.3 million.