The B-36 Peacemaker was more than just another bomber in a long line of bombers. It was conceived to fight an enemy—the Nazis—that had collapsed by the time the bombers were built.

The B-36 was a flying leviathan. It had a wingspan of 230 feet and was designed to be the largest mass-produced piston-engine aircraft ever built. Combining six Pratt & Whitney R-4360 Wasp Major ...