Magnesium Overcast
The Story of the Convair B-36

by Dennis R. Jenkins

Specialty Press

Reviewed by Rodger Kelly

HyperScale is proudly supported by Squadron.com

This book is amongst the round of recent releases from Speciality Press.  It tells the story of the B-36, the huge piston-engined strategic bomber built by Consolidated Vultee Aircraft Corporation (Convair) for the aircraft United States Air Force (USAF).

I am usually impressed when I get a hold of a new book from Speciality Press and this one is no exception. 

The book provides complete coverage of the B-36 and is logically laid out.   It follows the life of the bird from its initial concept as an “intercontinental bomber” in 1941 and preliminary designs, its near cancellation on many occasions, its initial production and flight testing, and production, and employment by the USAF.  As well as this, the book also covers the never-flown second prototype YB-60 all-jet version the XC-99 cargo version (and its flying-boat version) the NB-36H Nuclear Test aircraft, and the stillborn Variable Discharge Turbine B36C variant.

You get 12 chapters as well as eight appendices in all for your money.

The photographic coverage is extensive (many previously unpublished) and it includes the 1952 Texas tornado that severely damaged and grounded a good portion of the B-36 fleet.

The book is soft bound, measures 9 x 9", comprises 230 pages with 300 black and white and 50 colour images.

As far as I am concerned, this is the B-36 book.  It provides you with exhaustive information on the B-36 and tells you its whole story from inception to scrapping.

Worthy of a place on the shelves of both modellers and armchair historians.

Thanks to Specialty Press for the review sample