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1955 USAF FICON GRB-36D Peacemaker Launches
RF-84K Parasite Jet Photo
From the Peter M. Bowers Archive, One of Only 9 BuiltDESCRIPTIONThis is an original vintage press photograph documenting one of the strangest and most secretive experiments of the early Cold War, a Convair GRB-36D Peacemaker bomber flying with a Republic RF-84K Thunderflash jet fighter tucked beneath its bomb bay on the launch trapeze.The image captures Project FICON (Fighter Conveyor), a mid 1950s Air Force program that turned the ten engine B-36 into a flying aircraft carrier, extending the range of a jet fighter thousands of miles by launching and retrieving it in mid air far from any airfield.The bomber pictured carries fuselage number 692 and tail number 92692, full serial 49-2692. This aircraft was one of only nine B-36s ever converted to the GRB-36D configuration for FICON.It flew with the 99th Strategic Reconnaissance Wing out of Fairchild Air Force Base in Washington State, paired with RF-84K parasite fighters of the 91st Strategic Reconnaissance Squadron based at nearby Larson Air Force Base. The checkerboard farmland visible below matches the wheat country of eastern Washington where these joint training flights were flown.The photo shows the RF-84K secured to the extended trapeze beneath the bomber's wing, caught in the exact maneuver that made FICON both remarkable and hazardous, a jet fighter changing hands mid flight with a six engine, ten thousand mile range bomber.Only 25 RF-84Ks were ever built for the program, and the entire concept was shelved within about a year of going operational once aerial refueling matured and made the parasite fighter idea unnecessary.The reverse carries the official credit stamp of the Peter M. Bowers Collection along with the archive notation "A.27610 GRB-36D/RF-84K" in period ink, tying this print directly to Bowers' own research files.Bowers was a career Boeing engineer and one of the most respected American aviation historians and photographers of the twentieth century, and photographs from his personal archive are actively sought after by Cold War and Strategic Air Command collectors.Photo measures approximately 5 3/8 x 3 3/8 inches including the white photographic border. The image area itself is approximately 5 1/8 x 3 1/8 inches.Images are scanned at 600dpi so you can review every detail before you buy.Every effort is made for fact checking and provenance including background research through news and historical archives. If any listing is incorrect in any way and you are unsatisfied with the item, please connect with me and I will make it right.Orders placed before Noon CDT will ship same day Ground Advantage with tracking so you know exactly when it will arrive. Returns accepted on all items exceeding $25 in cost. Rigid, professional packaging on all shipments, sealed and protected in acid free protectors. Shipping is free and already built into the price, so the BIN price is exactly what you pay, no surprise shipping costs at checkout.CONDITIONVintage gelatin silver print in excellent condition for its age. Sharp focus and strong contrast throughout, with the bomber, fighter, and farmland below all clearly rendered. A small crease is visible at the upper right corner of the white border, not affecting the photographic image area. Otherwise clean, with no tears, holes, stains, or writing on the front. The reverse is clean aside from the period Bowers Collection credit stamp and archive notation described above.
