One of those rare airplanes is one of the most amazing pieces of human engineering; however, a funny anecdote regarding the military ambitions is the Convair B-58 Hustler. Being the first of its kind, this record-breaking speedster was not merely one of the fastest aircraft, but also the most unheard-of, as securing the United States’ strategic forces was never its destiny.
The B-58 and the whole story of its achievements and limitations are akin to those Cold War confrontations that took place in the 1950s. The Hustler was a challenge thrown to the Soviet Union, which soon became air world history. It was the first heavy bomber design that could accelerate and hold at supersonic speed.
Rapidly fasten the whole air world buzzed with pilots “who want one…why?” The first supersonic bomber was much touted by military and practical people alike. Its injection was suggestive: a lightning delta-wing, a slim ‘wasp-waist’ fuselage, and even a discontinued honeycomb skin that got the temperature silicone and even faster the skin was expected to withstand.
It was a good old rocket ride: four General Electric J79-GE-5A afterburning turbojets, each providing 15,000 pounds of thrust, pushed the bomber to a maximum speed of 1,319 mph. The B-58 carried advanced inertial navigation and bombing loadings, and it was very precise for those times. It could also drop nuclear bombs, and a tail-mounted 20mm canon ensured its security. Overall, it had a total weight of 19,450 lbs.
Motorway time, the B-58 was one of its best. The lynch referred to 19 world records and was crowned with several prestigious awards in the field of aviation. In 1962, the “Cowtown Hustler” completed a round-trip from Los Angeles to New York in record time, secured both the Bendix and Mackay trophies. Moreover, “Greased Lightning” crossed the distance from Tokyo to London in easy 8 hours and 10 minutes with an average speed of over 1080 mph, validating the remarkable performance of the aircraft.
However, it was not only the speed that kept its future secure. When surface-to-air missiles (SAMs) arrived with new technology, a riddle that seemed difficult to solve was unveiled: The Hustler was still a risk if it had to rely on speed, and suddenly it could still be shot down by the more advanced missiles. David Cenciotti, the aviation analyst, said that “with the game being changed by the introduction of those new missile systems, sheer velocity no longer guarantees survivability.”
Aside from the mentioned misfortunes, the airplane’s dilemma was also summed up with the maintenance requirements and the high accident rate. The Air Force found out that, in terms of cost, it was more economical to operate six wings of B-52 bombers than two wings of Hustlers, which became a reason for the program to be discontinued.
Some even more extraordinary ideas were taken into account. At one moment, it was thought that the Hustler could be converted to a carrier for Minuteman ICBMs- a supersonic” flying missile silo”. But the modifications, such as the fuselage extension, wing reinforcements, and tailgun removal, were too expensive and complicated to solve the problem caused by the warhead that weighed 68,000 pounds and exceeded the aircraft’s design limits. Facets like this ended the plans for the bomber to launch the satellites; issues of payload also played a role.
Even though it never engaged in battle, the B-58 much owed its long-lasting imprint on aviation history. The production run of the B-58 was limited to 116 units, and there are only 8 leftwhich are on display in museums around the world.
The “Cowtown Hustler” is exhibited at the National Museum of the U.S. Air Force, the first surviving TB-58A trainer is at Grissom Air Museum, and the last Hustler that was ever produced can be found at the Pima Air & Space Museum.
The B-58 Hustler was the very embodiment of Cold War grandiosity and unceasing aerospace innovation. It was not a long service aircraft, an ephemeral, stunning, and fascinating chapter in flight history – a bomber that ran like fire across the firmament at unimaginable velocities and then just vanished silently from active service. Its memory is still alive, but not in the battle it fought and lost, rather in the awe it still gives to the people who learn about its transient, amazing career.
