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Convair B-58A 'Hustler'

Description
  Manufacturer:Convair
  Base model:B-58
  Designation:B-58
  Version:A
  Nickname:Hustler
  Designation System:U.S. Air Force
  Designation Period:1924-Present
  Basic role:Bomber
  First Flew:1956/11/11

Specifications
  Length: 96' 9" 29.4 m
  Height:51' 5" 15.6 m
  Wingspan: 56' 10" 17.3 m
  Wingarea: 7,542.0 sq ft 700.6 sq m
  Empty Weight: 55,560 lb 25,197 kg
  Gross Weight: 163,000 lb 73,922 kg

Propulsion
  No. of Engines: 4
  Powerplant: General Electric J79-GE-5B
  Thrust (each):15,600 lb 7,074 kg

Performance
  Range: 5,028 miles 8,096 km
  Cruise Speed: 700 mph 1,127 km/h 609 kt
  Max Speed: 1,385 mph 2,230 km/h 1,205 kt
  Climb: 17,830 ft/min 5,434 m/min
  Ceiling: 63,400 ft 19,323 m

History
DateSubjectEvent
1960/08/01United States Air Force,
The Convair B-58A Huster, the USAF's first supersonic bomber, entered service with the 43rd Bomb Wing at Carxwell AFB, TX.
1961/05/10United States Air Force,
A USAF Convair B-58A Hustler set a new speed record of 1,302 mph, and was awarded the Bleriot Trophy.
Photo
1962/03/05United States Air Force,
The USAF set a new world speed record over a recognized course (Unlimited) for a flight from Los angeles to New York in a Convair B-58A (Sn 59-2458), averaging 1,214.65 mph. This flight earned the USAF the Bendix troph
Photo

Known serial numbers
59-2428 / 59-2463, 60-1110 / 60-1129, 61-2051 / 61-2080

Examples of this type may be found at
MuseumCityState
Air Force Flight Test Center MuseumEdwards AFBCalifornia
Kelly Field Heritage MuseumKelly AFBTexas
Pima Air & Space MuseumTucsonArizona
Strategic Air Command MuseumAshlandNebraska
United States Air Force MuseumWright-PattersonOhio

B-58A on display

Air Force Flight Test Center Museum

Kelly Field Heritage Museum

Pima Air & Space Museum

Strategic Air Command Museum

United States Air Force Museum
    


 

Recent comments by our visitors
 Bill Heisler
 , SC
Served in 43rd OMS as Acft. Maint. Officer from 1964-1969. B-58 was nightmare to maintain but beautiful to watch during T/O, especially at night. Had great NCOs and maintenance crews that made my job easy.
01/04/2013 @ 15:02 [ref: 67476]
 Dickie Bishop
 , AR
I was stationed at LRAFB from Jan '67 till Jan '70. Worked on 436 and 021 for Henry Stephens. I was Crew Chief on 458 and sent it to the Museum.
03/08/2011 @ 14:15 [ref: 36559]
 B2Boy
 , MO
This is for jack Gilbert; there is a B58 at Wright-Patterson Air Museum. I believe it won the Collier Trophy.
03/26/2010 @ 08:53 [ref: 25926]
 Tom Smith
 Rancho Palos Verdes, CA
I worked at Edwards AFB from 1959 through 1963 as a mathematician. My first job was to do the computer programming for the B58 escape capsule testing. In 1961 (I think) I did the data processing for the B58 Bleriot Trophy speed record - I was told it was pulling about 8 Gs in a 90 degree bank all the way around the course which exceeded the aircraft approved design limits. I have a Zippo lighter commemorating the flight. I heard that about two weeks later the crew was killed rolling another B58 at the Paris air show. I also watched Major (at the time) Fitzhugh Fulton make an emergency landing after blowing 7 tires on his B58. He had to fly around to burn off fuel and drop the weapons pod. We climbed on top of a building near the flight line to watch. There were lots of sparks as pieces of the right landing gear wheels disintegrated and went through the wing. A few weeks later some of us went to the M&M (maintenance & modification) hangar to look at it. We there told that they had milled the wing down while on the plane, filled it with epoxy, then milled it flush - they said it was better than new.
08/08/2009 @ 12:23 [ref: 24333]
 Jack Gilbert
 rRio Rancho, NM
I believe there is a B-58 on display at Little Rock AFB, AR.
02/26/2009 @ 06:52 [ref: 23811]
 Patrick J. Conklin USN/SS Ret.
 Kingsland, GA
Have loved this plane since I was a kid. Had the Revell model and was more caught up with the plane then the storyline from the movie "FAILSAFE" the first couple of times I watched it. Ended up doing a career serving on submarines with no regrets. My wife this christmas got me a beautiful desktop display of a B-58 from scalecraft.com named "THE PULASKI HUSTLER" (The Pulaski SSBN-633(G) was my first boat.) I would very much like to contact any of the surving crew to see if they would like to sign the display stand. Can anyone help?
THANKS and have a GREAT New Year!
01/06/2009 @ 20:45 [ref: 23429]
 r cooper
 , OK
Was stationed at LRAFB 43rd fms as a jet engine mech J-57, J-79. 64-67. The B58 was(is) the greatest.
11/14/2008 @ 14:23 [ref: 23068]
 Bob Gay
 , TN
I was stationed at LRAFB from Sept. 1966 thru Sept. 1967.
I was a ground crew member (Launch and Recovery). I worked on Team 2. Team 2's Team Chief was MSGT. Harrision, the Crew Chief I worked for was TSGT.Calldwell. I rember some names that were on Team 2. SSGT Todd, AFC. Hibbits.
I worked on AC 57-0021.
I would like to know if anyone remerbers these people and If anyone remembers Cripple 4.
Bob Gay
keyhole2@comcast.net
09/04/2008 @ 09:44 [ref: 22611]
 Topgun10
 tyler, TX
if anybody has any helpful pics of a B-58 paint scheme please email it to lennkv@sbcglobal.net,thank you very much.
01/29/2008 @ 17:36 [ref: 19468]
 Howard Keck, TSgt, USAF, (RET)
 St. Augustine, FL
I was stationed at Carswell AFB, Tex. from '59 to '64. Was acft. mech. on B-58's, 43rd OMS. Org. moved to Little Rock AFB, Ark. in '64, Assigned as Crew Chief on B-58 Ser. No. 59-2445 for about 3 yrs. Also worked in Job Cont. and Maint. Debriefing. Stayed with the 43rd BW till de-activation of the B-58. Like to hear from guys who worked on this fantastic, ahead of it's time, aircraft. Later was assigned to 319th BW, Grand Forks ND, 6 mo. TDY to Guam, worked Job Cont. (B-52G's) Later spent a tour at Kadena AB, Okinawa in Job Cont. on KC-135's. Retired in Aug. '76
12/22/2007 @ 15:21 [ref: 19014]

 

Recent photos uploaded by our visitors