The B-36 Peacemaker was noted for several strange conversions during its lifespan. So heavy was the aircraft that Convair tested tracked landing gear in an effort to reduce its ground pressure, before switching to multi-wheel landing gear.
Project FICON was an attempt to design a parasite fighter that could be carried into enemy airspace and then used to protect its parent ship. The McDonnell XF-85 was the first attempt at this, quickly replaced by the Repiblic F-84E Thunderstreak. FICON only involved a single fighter.
Project Tom-Tom was the fitting of a wingtip hook-up that allowed the B-36 to carry two F-84Es, later replaced by two RF-84Fs. This never worked well in testing.
Perhaps the oddest B-36 conversion happend to TailNo 15712 which was converted into the platform for the first airborne nuclear reactor. This was the platform to test if the Air Force could make the conversion into nuclear-propelled aircraft This first airborne reactor never powered the aircraft, but was used to test radiation effects on the NB-36H itself. The crew was carried in the front of the aircraft, in a shielded compartment that featured leaded glass windows, 12-inches thick. Forty-seven flights were completed between 9/17/1955 to 03/28/1957.
Source "B-36 in Action"
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The reason that the American Army does so well in wartime, is that war is chaos, and the American Army practices chaos on a daily basis.
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