The largest piston-powered airplane ever mass-produced, the Convair B-36 Peacemaker was also the worlds first thermonuclear bomber. The prototype B-36 flew in 1946, and was quickly upgraded as the need for a bomber with a large lifting capacity became paramount. Yet, when it entered active service in 1949, the aluminum overcast was already considered obselete. Nevertheless, nearly 400 B-36s were built and flew as strategic deterrents before the B-36 was retired in 1959. Originally printed by the U.S. Air Force, this Flight Operating Handbook is an authentic reprint of an original. Classified Restricted, the manual was declassified and is here reprinted in book form. This affordable facsimile has been slightly reformatted. Some color images appear in black and white. Care has been taken to preserve the integrity of the text.