Hustler House

B-58 Hustler

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Welcome to the West Coast Hustler House with information and images concerning the B-58 Hustler.

THE B-58 “HUSTLER”

No bomber made so definite a break with the past as the B-58. The world’s first supersonic bomber, the Hustler was ordered by the Air Force in 1954, the same year that Fort Worth produced the last B-36. From the beginning of its operational career, the Hustler set a string of performance records that may never be matched by another military bomber.

Alone in its class, the B-58 could fly faster than twice the speed of sound, pinpoint targets from an altitude of 60,000 feet, and avoid radar in low-level near-supersonic flight at 500 feet and below. At altitude, the B-58 could cruise at higher speeds than any other bomber in the free world. The Hustler was powered by four General Electric J-79 engines, each delivering 15,000 pounds of thrust in afterburner. The B-58 could fly more than 4,500 miles without refueling. With aerial refueling, the aircraft was a true intercontinental bomber. Its electronic bombing and navigation system was ten times more precise than its predecessors, required only two-thirds the space, and weighed just half as much as earlier systems.

The B-58 dramatically reversed the trend toward ever larger bomber aircraft. Helping to minimize the size was a jettisonable pod under the fuselage that held both the payload, which varied according to the mission, and extra fuel. To reduce drag, the “area rule” principle was applied to the design of the B-58 fuselage, giving it a sleek shape. Strong honeycomb skin material reduced aircraft weight and allowed the bomber to withstand the high temperatures caused by wind friction. The unique structure also lessened the susceptibility of material failures due to sonic fatigue.

On December 1, 1959, the first production Hustler left the division and was taken across the runway to Carswell AFB. B-58 production ended two years later, after 116 planes had been built (including eight TB-58 pilot trainers). The Air Force retired the B-58 in January 1970. The Hustler was built by Convair which later became General Dynamics.

This site operated by Darrell R. Schmidt, a former B-58 pilot. To respond or offer suggestions, click on the envelope icon at the bottom of this page.

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ADDITIONAL PAGES

More B-58 Pictures Annex

MORE B-58 PICTURES ANNEX IS 3 PAGES

OF B-58 PICTURES AND TEXT

High Flight

Wild Blue Yonder

B-58 Accident List

B-58 Accident (3 pages)

BOTH THE NEW AND OLD GUESTBOOKS HAVE MUCH BACKGROUND
DATA ABOUT THE B-58 HUSTLER-DON'T MISS VIEWING THEM!

"HIGH FLIGHT" IS THE POEM PLUS TWO MORE HUSTLER PICTURES

WILD BLUE YONDER PROVIDES WORDS AND MUSIC

FOR BAWDY OLD AIR FORCE SONGS

HUSTLER ARMAMENT IS SHOWN IN THIS PICTURE
4 "small" nukes fit under the wings, 2 in tandem on each side
very near the fuselage.
The Large red/white nuke sits inside the larger pod which holds fuel.
The resultant 2-component pod is carried under the belly of the Hustler.

b58_full cockpit.jpg

Pilot’s Cockpit

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