Aircraft, Awful and Awesome: Not really a Peacemaker …
Immediately after its formation, the United States Air Force faced the challenge of establishing a credible global nuclear attack capability in accordance with national defense policy. The World War II B-29 and its follow on, the B-50, were obsolete and had neither the capability to carry large thermonuclear weapons nor the intercontinental range to deliver from bases in the United States. Fortunately, even before the Air Force became an independent service, an aircraft that could fulfill the mission was under development








