Magnesium Overcast: The Story of the Convair B-36

by Dennis R. Jenkins

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Extensive research at various archives around the country have uncovered new and previously unpublished details about the B-36 and its derivatives.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.

Genres: Military History, Aviation

268 pages, Paperback

First published October 18, 2001

Reviews

[Robert Hepple · Rating 4 out of 5]

Published in 2001, 'Magnesium Overcast - The Story of the Convair B-36' tells the story of this massive USAF strategic bomber of the 1950s. The book concentrates on the technical aspects of the aircraft and its derivatives, supported by a incredible 550+ well captioned photographs plus many line drawings and excerpts from documentation. The technical detail imparted is quite extensive, and whilst I love that sort of thing I did struggle at times, so I can't fault the writer for dumbing it down in any way. Little information about the operational use of the aircraft is given, as the book has focussed so sharply on technical aspects, so look elsewhere if you want that sort of information, and enjoy this amazing book for what it does do.

[Rebecca · Rating 4 out of 5]

An encyclopedia for all things B-36. I must admit I read this purely for information about the use of B-36s in the nuclear powered airplane project. I was pleasantly surprised to find some great photos and information on the SM-64 Navaho missile, which was at one point envisioned to be carried and launched by a 36.

[Charles · Rating 5 out of 5]

Six turning and four burning, these ten engine bombers have always fascinated. There have been several B-36 books as late, but this is buy far the best. Mr. Jenkins has made a tour-De-force on how an aviation book should be written. Well illustrated and laid out, you will never need another book on the B-36, he has covered everything you need to know.

[David · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wow. If you are interested in the B-36, this book is a treasure trove. Besides the interesting text there are some really great photographs and the quality of the book binding and paper is excellent.

[Michael Brady · Rating 4 out of 5]

A gift from my undergrad college chum Tim, "Magnesium Overcast" by Dennis Jenkins celebrates our visit to the Pima Air Museum in November of 2014. The B-36 was an awesome bird!