B-36H serial number 51-5712 was modified as a nuclear-reactor testbed. The object of this particular conversion was to test the effects of nuclear reactor radiation on instruments, equipment, and airframe and to study shielding methods. A nuclear reactor (which did not actually power the aircraft) was mounted in the aft bomb bay. The crew was housed entirely in a modified compartment in the fuselage nose section. The compartment was composed of lead and rubber, and entirely surrounded the crew. The aircraft was redesignated NB-36H. It bore the name Crusader on the fuselage side. Its first flight was made on September 17, 1955. Flying alongside the NB-36H on every one of its flights was a C-97 transport carrying a platoon of armed Marines ready to parachute down and surround the test aircraft in case it crashed. A total of 47 flights were made up to March of 1957.
Be very happy that it never saw action.
Originally posted by Vulcan