B-58 Hustler

B-58 Hustler
Name	B-58 Hustler
Caption	A B-58A in flight
Type	Supersonic strategic bomber
National origin	United States
Manufacturer	Convair
First flight	11 November 1956
Introduction	15 March 1960
Retired	31 January 1970
Primary user	United States Air Force
Number built	116
Status	Retired

B-58 Hustler. The Convair B-58 Hustler was the first operational supersonic strategic bomber and the first bomber capable of Mach 2 flight. Developed for the United States Air Force during the Cold War, it was a revolutionary but complex Delta wing aircraft designed for high-altitude penetration of Soviet air defenses. Its distinctive design featured a thin, area-ruled fuselage and utilized a unique external weapons pod system, but its high operational costs and the advent of surface-to-air missiles led to a relatively short service life.

Development and design

The B-58 originated from a 1949 General Operational Requirement issued by the United States Air Force seeking a new strategic bomber to replace the Boeing B-47 Stratojet. The Convair design, selected over proposals from Boeing and North American Aviation, was heavily influenced by the work of German aeronautical engineers on Delta wing configurations. A key innovation was the use of a detachable external pod beneath the fuselage, which contained a nuclear weapon, fuel, and other equipment. The airframe incorporated advanced area ruling, known as the "Coke-bottle" shape, to reduce transonic drag, and was constructed primarily from aluminum and honeycomb sandwich panels. Power was provided by four General Electric J79 turbojet engines mounted in individual nacelles under the wings, making it the first American bomber with an all-turbojet powerplant. The three-man crew—pilot, navigator-bombardier, and defensive systems operator—sat in tandem, ejectable capsules.

Operational history

Entering service with the Strategic Air Command's 43rd Bombardment Wing at Carswell Air Force Base, the B-58 set numerous speed and altitude records, including winning the prestigious Bendix Trophy in 1962. Its primary mission was high-altitude penetration with a nuclear payload, but the development of effective Soviet surface-to-air missiles like the S-75 Dvina forced a shift to low-altitude, high-speed ingress tactics, for which it was less optimized. The aircraft proved extremely demanding to maintain and operate, with a high accident rate; 26 of the 116 built were lost in crashes. Despite its impressive performance, its high cost, limited payload flexibility, and the emergence of the more versatile and survivable Boeing B-52 Stratofortress and North American XB-70 Valkyrie programs led to its early retirement. The entire fleet was withdrawn from service by January 1970 and quickly scrapped.

Variants

The primary production version was the **B-58A**, with 86 built for operational use. Two **TB-58A** trainer variants were converted from B-58A airframes, featuring a second cockpit for an instructor. Several advanced proposals were studied but never built, including the **B-58B**, with improved J79 engines and underwing hardpoints, and the **B-58C**, a proposed interceptor variant with Pratt & Whitney J58 engines (as used on the Lockheed SR-71 Blackbird). A dedicated reconnaissance model, the **RB-58**, was also proposed but not produced.

Operators

The sole operator of the B-58 Hustler was the United States Air Force, specifically the Strategic Air Command. The only unit equipped with the type was the **43rd Bombardment Wing**, which was based at Carswell Air Force Base in Texas and later at Little Rock Air Force Base in Arkansas. Two squadrons, the **63rd Bombardment Squadron** and the **659th Bombardment Squadron**, flew the aircraft operationally.

Specifications (B-58A)

* **Crew:** 3 (pilot, navigator/bombardier, defensive systems operator) * **Length:** 96 ft 9 in (29.49 m) * **Wingspan:** 56 ft 9 in (17.30 m) * **Height:** 29 ft 11 in (9.12 m) * **Empty weight:** 55,560 lb (25,200 kg) * **Max takeoff weight:** 176,890 lb (80,240 kg) * **Powerplant:** 4 × General Electric J79-GE-5A afterburning turbojets * **Maximum speed:** Mach 2.0 (1,325 mph, 2,132 km/h) at 40,000 ft (12,000 m) * **Combat range:** 4,400 mi (7,100 km) * **Service ceiling:** 63,400 ft (19,300 m) * **Armament:** 1 × B53 or B61 nuclear bomb in a centerline pod; 4 × M61 20mm cannon in a remote-controlled tail turret (never operationally fitted)

Aircraft on display

Given the wholesale scrapping of the fleet, very few B-58s survive. Examples are on public display at the National Museum of the United States Air Force at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base in Ohio, the Strategic Air Command & Aerospace Museum in Ashland, Nebraska, the Pima Air & Space Museum in Tucson, Arizona, and the Lone Star Flight Museum in Houston, Texas. Another is mounted on a pylon at the former Grissom Air Reserve Base in Indiana.

Category:United States bomber aircraft 1950–1959 Category:Delta-wing aircraft Category:Convair aircraft Category:Supersonic aircraft Category:Cold War strategic bombers of the United States