Let s take a look at the bomber that may have been ahead of its time - the B58 Hustler!
The Convair B58 Hustler was the world s first operational Mach 2 bomber.
Designed to fly high and fast to quickly penetrate the soviet union and deliver its nuclear payload,
The B58 served for nearly a decade from March of 1960 until January of 1970.
Everything about the B58 was designed for speed: its narrow fuselage with the three
crew members sitting in tandem, a delta wing, and surprisingly the lack of a bomb bay.
Ordinance was carried in an external streamlined pod which housed bombs and additional fuel.
Almost as soon as it was introduced, the Soviets had developed high altitude surface to air
missiles to counter the Hustler.
This caused the B58 to adapt and employ low level air defense penetration techniques,
which both limited its range and strategic value.
Despite this the B58 remains an iconic and memorable aircraft, having set some 19 world
records, some of which still stand today.
Here are some quick specifications for the B-58 Hustler:
Length: 96 FT 10 IN (29.51 M) Height: 29 FT 11 IN (9.12 M)
Wingspan: 56 FT 9 IN (17.30 M)
Maximum speed: Mach 2.0 1,146 KN (1,319 MPH, 2,122 KM/H) AT 40,000 FT (12,000 M)
Empty weight: 55,560 LB (25,202 KG)
Max.
takeoff weight: 176,890 LB (80,236 KG)
RANGE: 4,100 NMI (4,700 MI, 7,600 KM)
ENGINES EACH GENERAL ELECTRIC J79-GE-5A AFTERBURNING
TURBOJET, PRODUCES 10,400 LBF (46 KN) THRUST DRY, OR 15,000 LBF
(67 KN) OF THRUST WITH AFTERBURNER
Like many bombers of the era, the B-58 made use of a tail gun to defend against fighters.
In this case, the B-58 was armed with a single General Electric T-171E3 Vulcan 20 mm rotary
cannon.
The cannon was remotely controlled and only required the defensive systems officer to
lock a target and then fire the gun.
The fire control system would then compute aiming, range, and velocity and engage the
target.
The B58 s main armament was of course nuclear bombs.
The Hustler could carry a single Mark 39 or B53 nuclear bomb.
To navigate to the target the B58 used a sophisticated internal navigation system along with the
KS-39 Star tracker, which was an astro-inertial navigation system.
To calculate the bomb release point, a doppler radar, search radar, and a radar altimeter
were used.
Later versions of the B58 employed subpylons on either side of the centerline pod, allowing
the Hustler to take four B43s or B61s bringing the total payload to 5 nuclear bombs.
The maximum weapons load was 19,450 pounds, and while the B58 never carried conventional
bombs, it did equip a photo reconnaissance pod and the High Virgo air launched ballistic
missile.
The B58 carried out four test launches of the High Virgo to determine anti-satellite
and ballistic missile systems capabilities.
The need for a supersonic bomber arose as the Cold War was just beginning, in 1949 the
Air Research And Development Command at Wright Patterson Air Force Base issued the Generalized
Bomber Study or GEBO II.
Incredibly this requirement for a supersonic bomber came just two years after the sound
barrier was broken by Chuck Yeager in the X-1.
In spite of the challenges several companies submitted proposals including Convair, Boeing,
Curtiss, Douglas, North American, and Martin.
Most of the initial proposals made use of a delta wing design.
This was for several reasons, namely a delta wing offered more internal volume for fuel
and support systems, while also providing low wing loading and permitting supersonic
flight in the 50 to 70,000 foot altitude range.
The competition was trimmed down to two finalists, Boeing s MX-1712 and Convair s MX-1626.
And while Boeing s submission was viewed as just as good as Convair's, the Air Force ultimately
went with the Convair design as Boeing had just begun producing the B-52.
Some felt that it was better to diversify the production of strategic bombers to several
manufactures rather than just one company.
Still, Convair had experience with delta winged aircraft such as the XF-92A which would lead
to the F-102 and F-106 fighters.
In February of 1953 the contract for the Convair Design was issued, with the bomber being designated
as the B-58.
The initial contract was modified to include a couple of XB-58 prototypes, along with 11
YB58A pre production models and some 31 mission pods which included a rocket propelled controllable
bomb pod, a free fall bomb pod, and an electronic reconnaissance pod.
On 11 November 1956, the B58 took its first flight after being assembled under a veil
of secrecy.
In fact, the project was so secret that no unauthorized personnel had knowledge of its
basic configuration or shape.
On 30 December 1956 the B58 exceeded Mach 1.
The B58 pushed the technology of its time to the limit, the flight tests and evaluation
programs ultimately involved some 30 aircraft and would run through April of 1959.
The B58 s Mach 2 Speeds were made possible by it s delta wing which had a leading edge
sweep of 60 degrees.
At these high speeds, significant amounts of heat is generated.
To counteract this, the Hustler s crew compartment, wheel wells, and electronics were all pressurized
and air conditioned.
Additionally, the B58 made use of one of the first extensive applications of aluminum honeycomb
panels, a process which bonds the outer and inner aluminum skins to a honeycomb of fiberglass
or aluminum.
The engine nacelles were unlike any found on aircraft of the time, and the engine inlets
used moving conical spikes which were fully aft on the ground and would be driven forward
at high speeds.
These movements were automatically controlled.
The three man crew consisting of pilot, bombardier/navigator, and defensive systems operator sat in tandem
in separate cockpits.
Later versions of the hustler added an ejection capsule for each crew member, which allowed
for ejections as high as 70,000 feet and speeds up to Mach 2.
The capsule would enclose the cremember in a protective clamshell and could be used as
a life raft.
The electronic systems and controls were advanced for its time, and even featured a first of
its kind automatic message and warning system using tape.
During the era of all male flight crews, research showed that a woman s voice could gain the
attention of young men in distracting or stressful situations.
The B58 crews dubbed the voice Sexy Sally a far cry from the current voice warning systems
of today, which have been referred to as Bitching Betty or Nagging Nora.
Just 9 months after the first B58 was delivered to the Air Force, the Hustler was declared
operational in August of 1960.
A month later, a lone B58 participated in the annual Strategic Air Command or SAC Competition,
and proved to be superior to the B-47 and B-52 winning first place in both the high
and low altitude bombing exercises.
Despite its incredible performance, the B58 proved to be a difficult aircraft to fly.
In fact, new Hustler pilots trained on the Convair F102 delta dagger before graduating
to the TB58A trainer.
Two SAC bomb wings would operate the B58 during its Operational service: the 43rd and 305th
Bombardment Wings.
The 305th also operated the B58 s combat crew training school.
After overcoming some early problems and internal resistance from some general officers, the
B58 s standing had solidified within SAC.
However with the Soviet s introduction of the SA-2 Guideline Surface to Air Missile,the
B58s Tactics were changed to fly at low altitude.
Due to the denser air at low altitudes, the B58 could not fly supersonic and its range
was reduced, negating its designed advantages.
As a result, Secretary of Defense Robert McNamara decided that the B58 was not a viable weapons
system In 1965 McNamara ordered the retirement of the B58, citing the principal reason being
the high sustainment costs of the Hustler fleet.
The last B58s were retired in January of 1970, just under 10 years after entering service.
The remaining fleet survived intact until 1977, when most were sold to Southwestern
Alloys for scrap.
Today there are 8 remaining B58s on display at several museums.
The B-58 was replaced by the FB-111A which was designed for low level attack and was
less expensive to maintain.
During its brief operational life, several variants of the B58 were built and proposed.
The examples that were built include 2 of the prototype XB58, 11 of the YB58A pre production
aircraft, the production B58A of which 86 were built.
The trainer version TB58A of which 8 were converted to from the B58A, the NB58A which
was a YB58A used to test the GE J93 engine which was intended for the XB70 Valkyrie,
the RB58A reconnaissance version of which 17 were built.
The remaining variants were unbuilt concept aircraft including the: B58B which was to
be larger and faster than the B58A, the B version included upgraded J79-GE-9 engines,
canards, extra fuel, and the ability to carry conventional weapons.
The B58B was also intended to carry a parasite aircraft known as the FISH or First Invisible
Super Hustler, which was a Mach 4 aircraft launched from the B58B
The B58C was a proposed less expensive alternative to the XB70 and would have used the same engines
as the SR71, the J58s.
Two and four engined versions of the B58C.
Estimates had the C version attaining Mach 3 speeds and supercruising at Mach 2.
The B58D was a proposed interceptor version of the Hustler
The B58 E was to be a multimission variant, and armed with multiple Air launched Ballistic
Missiles or ALBMs And finally the Convair Model 58-9 was a proposed
supersonic transport.
Designed to carry 58 passengers at Mach 2+ speeds, the aircraft represented convaits
entry in the National SuperSonic transport program.
Legacy The B58 was a revolutionary aircraft and maybe
ahead of its time.
During the course of its service, the Hustler set 19 world records, which included the longest
supersonic flight in history: from Tokyo to London in just over 8 hours and 35 minutes.
The aircraft used for this flight was part of an operational unit, and received no modifications
aside from being washed and waxed.
The operation and aircraft were dubbed Greased Lightning and averaged 938 miles per hour
despite 15 air to air refuelings and one of the afterburners malfunctioning for the last
hour of the flight.
The Hustler also won the Bendix, Blair e oh, Harmon, Macaky, and Thompson aerospace Trophies.
Still the B58 also had a disproportionately high accident rate.
Some 26 B58s were lost in accidents, representing just over 22% of total production.
This along with the high cost to maintain did not help the Hustler s chances for long
term service.
What do you think?
Was the B58 ahead of its time?
Was it a misunderstood platform?
Could the B58 have served longer with advancements in electronics and composites?
Let me know in the comments below.
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