Bombers representing the old U.S. Army Air Forces and the new USAF gather at Carlswell Air Force Base in Texas after receipt of the first Convair B-36 Peacemaker in 1948. Clockwise from top left are a Douglas B-18 Bolo, the B-36, a Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress and a Boeing B-29 Superfortress of the Strategic Air Command’s 7th Bombardment Wing. The gigantic B-36 provided a cornerstone of SAC’s role for nuclear deterrence. (U.S. Air Force)
U.S. Air Force