Pima's B-36 Peacemaker Restoration Update

[upbeat music] Much to my horror, it's been more than 18 years since we got the B-36 out on display initially, right?

Welcome to the Aviation Show, brought to you in association with the Pima Air & Space Museum.

Yeah.

Scott Marchand, CEO of Pima Air & Space Museum, Arizona Aerospace Foundation.

How the devil are you, sir?

Well, a little, uh, sweaty and warm, Matt, to be honest with you.

It's, uh, you know, it's, uh, high monsoon season out here in late July in Arizona, and, uh, much as I welcome the rain, uh, we're not accustomed to humidity.

[chuckles] Yeah, I can imagine.

Yeah.

And yes, for the record, it was your idea to do this from the cockpit of the B-36.

It wasn't my suggestion.

I have n- I have no recollection of that conversation whatsoever, Matt.

[chuckles]

But you know, anything for the shots.

Yeah.

Fantastic.

Yeah.

Well, the big news was that after many years out in the sun, your B-30-- Convair B-36 Peacemaker has trundled over to your restoration area to get a bit of TLC.

But before we talk about that, do you wanna tell us about why your particular B-36 is rather special?

Hmm.

Um, well, I mean, as much as a B-36 can be special, this one is special 'cause it's the, the last one off the assembly line at, uh, at, uh, uh, at the factory in, my God, memory serves 1958-ish, that type of, type of timeframe.

Uh-huh.

And, uh, it was one of the last ones to retire into, uh, Fort Worth in 1962.

So, um, as we all know, B-36s accomplished nothing much other than burning an awful lot of gasoline.

[chuckles] And starring in Jimmy Stewart and John Wayne movies.