Warplanes of the USA: Convair B-58 Hustler

Convair B-58 Hustler

(USGOV-PD Photo)

Convair XB-58 Hustler in flight (Serial No. 55-0660).

The Convair B-58 Hustler, designed and produced by American aircraft manufacturer Convair, was the first operational bomber capable of Mach 2 flight.The B-58 was developed during the 1950s for the United States Air Force (USAF) Strategic Air Command (SAC). To achieve the high speeds desired, Convair chose a delta wing design used by contemporary interceptors such as the Convair F-102. The bomber was powered by four General Electric J79 engines in underwing pods. It had no bomb bay; it carried a single nuclear weapon plus fuel in a combination bomb/fuel pod underneath the fuselage. Later, four external hardpoints were added, enabling it to carry up to five weapons.

The B-58 entered service in March 1960, and flew for a decade with two SAC bomb wings: the 43rd Bombardment Wing and the 305th Bombardment Wing. It was considered difficult to fly, imposing a high workload upon its three-man crews. Designed to replace the subsonic Boeing B-47 Stratojet strategic bomber, the B-58 became notorious for its sonic boom heard on the ground by the public as it passed overhead in supersonic flight.

The B-58 was designed to fly at high altitudes and supersonic speeds to avoid Soviet interceptors, but with the Soviet introduction of high-altitude surface-to-air missiles, the B-58 was forced to adopt a low-level penetration role that severely limited its range and strategic value. It was never used to deliver conventional bombs. The B-58 was substantially more expensive to operate than other bombers, such as the Boeing B-52 Stratofortress, and required more frequent aerial refueling. The B-58 also suffered from a high rate of accidental losses. These factors resulted in a relatively brief operational career of ten years. The B-58 was succeeded in its role by the smaller, swing-wing FB-111A. (Wikipedia)

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Convair RB-58A Hustler(Serial No. 58-1011), with a two-component pod.

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Convair YB-58A Hustler 3-4 front view (SN 55-0667) with a test installation of the two component pod (TCP).

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Convair B-58 Hustler in flight.

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Convair YB-58A-1-CF Hustler (Serial No. 55-0661), the second aircraft built. converted to NB-58A, then to TB-58A, 1956. To MASDC as BQ0063 1/9/70. Scrapped 13 July 1977.

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Convair XB-58 Hustler during takeoff.

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Convair XB-58 Hustler 3-4 front view (SN 55-0660), the first aircraft built.

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Convair XB-58 Hustler rotating (Serial No. 55-0660).

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Third B-58 (then still a YB-58) on display at Edwards AFB with GE J93 engine pod.

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Convair B-58A Hustler crew with aircraft B-58A-10-CF, SN 59-2447 -Rapid Rabbit.

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Convair B-58A Hustler, front view.

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Convair B-58 Hustler.

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Convair TB-58A Hustler (Serial No. 55-0662).

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Convair TB-58A Hustler (Serial No. 55-0668).

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Convair B-58A Hustler (Serial No. 59-2435), 1968.

Eight Convair B-58 Hustler bombers havebeen preserved in the USA

TB-58A

(Chris Light Photos)
55-0663 – Grissom Air Museum, Grissom Air Reserve Base (former Bunker Hill AFB/ former Grissom AFB), Peru, Indiana. This is the oldest remaining aircraft andthe fourth B-58 built.

(Triple-green Photo)
55-0668 – Little Rock Air Force Base in Jacksonville, Arkansas.

B-58A
55-0665 Snoopy – Edwards Air Force Base, California. Built as a YB-58A, later redesignated B-58A. This aircraft sits derelict as a photo target on Edwards AFB's photo range.

(kitmasterbloke Photo)
55-0666 – Built as a YB-58A, later redesignated B-58A. Castle Air Museum at the former Castle Air Force Base in Atwater, California. Previously on display at the Octave Chanute Aerospace Museum, Rantoul, Illinois.

(Author Photos)
59-2437 Firefly II – Lackland AFB/Kelly Field Annex (former Kelly Air Force Base), San Antonio, Texas.

(NMUSAF Photos)

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(Valder137 Photo)

(Clemens Vasters Photos)
59-2458 Cowtown Hustler – National Museum of the United States Air Force,Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Dayton, Ohio. This aircraft flew from LosAngeles to New York City and back on 5 March 1962, setting three separate speedrecords, and earning the crew the Bendix Trophy and the Mackay Trophy for 1962.The aircraft was flown to the Museum on 1 March 1969. The aircraft is ondisplay in the Museum's Cold War gallery.

(ZLEA Photo)

(Aaron Headly Photo)
61-2059 Greased Lightning – Strategic Air Command & Aerospace Museum nearAshland, Nebraska. It averaged 938 nmph flying 8,028 nmi. from Tokyo to Londonin 8 hours and 35 minutes in October 1963.

(Mike LaChance Photos)

(aaronx Photos)

(Clemens Vasters Photo)

(Eric Salard Photo)

(kitmasterbloke Photo)

(Frank Kovalchek Photo)
61-2080 – Pima Air & Space Museum, adjacent to Davis-Monthan Air ForceBase, in Tucson, Arizona. It was the last B-58 to be delivered.

(Anthony May Photo)

B-58 Hustler nuclear weapons and fuel external pod on display at Castle Air Museum in Atwater, California,