Convair B-58A Hustler | |
| Land | Usa |
| Type | Supersonische straalbommenwerper |
| Eerste vlucht | 11 november 1956 |
| Gebouwd | 116 |
Fotogalerij van een Convair B-58A Hustler, The Convair B-58 Hustler was the first operational supersonic jet bomber capable of Mach 2 flight. The aircraft was designed by Convair engineer Robert H. Widmer and developed for the United States Air Force for service in the Strategic Air Command (SAC) during the 1960s. It used a delta wing, which was also employed by Convair fighters such as the F-102, with four General Electric J79 engines in pods under the wing. It carried five nuclear weapons; four on pylons under the wings, and one nuclear weapon and fuel in a combination bomb/fuel pod under the fuselage, rather than in an internal bomb bay.
| Convair B-58A Hustler | |
|---|---|
| Fotograaf | Vladimir Yakubov |
| Lokalisatie | Strategisch Lucht- en Ruimtevaartmuseum |
| Foto 's | 152 |
| Convair B-58A Hustler Walk Around | |
|---|---|
| Fotograaf | Cees Hendriks |
| Lokalisatie | Onbewust |
| Foto 's | 127 |
Koop een koffie voor mij| B-58 Hustler Walk Around | |
|---|---|
| Fotograaf | Fotios Rouch |
| Lokalisatie | Onbewust |
| Foto 's | 47 |
Zie ook:
The Needle in the Sky
De Convair B-58A Hustler was a masterpiece of Cold War engineering and arguably the most beautiful bomber ever built. Designed for the Strategic Air Command (SAC), it was the first bomber capable of sustained Mach 2 flight. It was built like a giant fighter jet: a sleek delta wing, four powerful J79 engines in individual pods, and a fuselage so narrow it lacked an internal bomb bay. Instead, it carried its fuel and nuclear weapons in a massive external “mission pod.” While it was a technological marvel, it was also notoriously difficult to fly and maintain, leading to its relatively short but legendary service life.
| Attribute | Technical Specification (B-58A) |
|---|---|
| Role | Supersonic Strategic Bomber |
| Bemanning | 3 (Pilot, Navigator/Bombardier, Defense Systems Operator) |
| First Flight | November 11, 1956 |
| Krachtbron | 4 × General Electric J79-GE-5 turbojets |
| Thrust | 15,600 lbf (69 kN) each with afterburner |
| Maximum Speed | 1,319 mph (Mach 2.0) at 40,000 ft |
| Service Ceiling | 63,400 ft (19,300 m) |
| Bewapening | 1 × 20mm M61 Vulcan tail cannon; External pod (Nuclear/Fuel) |
Design Engineering: Honeycomb and Heat
- Stainless Steel Honeycomb: At Mach 2, skin friction generates immense heat. To prevent the airframe from warping, Convair used a revolutionary “honeycomb sandwich” skin made of fiberglass and stainless steel bonded between aluminum layers.
- The Mission Pod: Because the fuselage was so thin to maintain a low cross-section, the B-58 carried its payload in a two-part external pod under the belly. The upper portion contained the nuclear weapon, while the lower portion contained fuel.
- Individual Ejection Capsules: Standard ejection seats were too dangerous at Mach 2. Each of the three crew members sat in an individual “clamshell” capsule. In an emergency, doors would snap shut around the crewman, providing a pressurized environment before firing them out of the plane.
- Area Rule “Coke Bottle” Shape: The fuselage was subtly pinched at the waist (the “Area Rule”) to reduce transonic drag, allowing the Hustler to slip through the sound barrier with ease.
A Brief, Radiant Career
- Record Breaker: The B-58 won nearly every speed trophy available in the early 60s, including the Bendix Trophy and the Thompson Trophy. In 1961, a Hustler flew from New York to Paris in just 3 hours and 19 minutes.
- The “B-58 Pilot”: Flying the Hustler was a high-stress job. The plane had a high landing speed and a tendency for “pitch-up” maneuvers. Only the highest-rated pilots in SAC were selected to fly it, and they were often considered the “elite of the elite.”
- Vulnerability to SAMs: The B-58 was designed for high-altitude, high-speed penetration. When Soviet Surface-to-Air Missiles (like the SA-2) made high-altitude flight suicidal, the B-58 was forced to fly at low levels where its delta wing was less efficient, significantly reducing its range.
- Retirement: The high cost of operation—it cost three times as much to maintain as a B-52—and the shift in strategy toward ICBMs led to the Hustler’s retirement in 1970 after only ten years of service.
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A new set of 127 photos of a Convair B-58A Hustler