The Convair B-58 Hustler, designed and produced by American aircraft manufacturer Convair, was the first operational bomber capable of Mach 2 flight. [1] The B-58 was developed during the 1950s for the United States Air Force (USAF) Strategic Air Command (SAC).

Nov 11, 2024 · Convair XB-58 Hustler 55-0660. (U.S. Air Force) The B-58A was powered by four General Electric J79-GE-5 axial-flow afterburning turbojet engines, suspended under the wings from pylons.

With thirty tons of thrust, the Convair/General Dynamics XB-58 Hustler launched into the air with little delay. The crackling, deep-throated rumble of a Hustler taking wing was shocking to hear and equally dramatic to see; something not to be forgotten.

Convair built 116 B-58s: 30 test and pre-production aircraft and 86 for operational service. Hustlers flew in the Strategic Air Command between 1960 and 1970. Setting 19 world speed and altitude records, B-58s also won five different aviation trophies.

11 November 1956: At Fort Worth, Texas, Convair’s Chief Test Pilot, Beryl Arthur Erickson, takes the first prototype XB-58, serial number 55-0660, on its first flight. “Pilot B.A. Erickson is interviewed by NBC after a flight as part of a B-58 Press Show Demonstration.

Nov 11, 2024 · Convair XB-58 Hustler 55-0660 rotates during a high-speed taxi test. (Code One) The bomber had a cruise speed of 544 knots (626 miles per hour/1,007 kilometers per hour) and a maximum speed of 1,147 knots (1,320 miles per hour/2,124 kilometers per hour) at 67,000 feet (20,422 meters).

May 2, 2021 · The USAF’s delta-winged Convair B-58 Hustler was the first supersonic bomber to enter service, in the summer of 1960, but only 116 were built, 30 for development and 86 for combat duty. Nevertheless, it remains a significant aircraft.

Mar 17, 2012 · Following the first flight of the XB-58 prototype, the aircraft soon began setting a number of speed records. These milestones included the first bomber to exceed Mach 1, 1,000-km and 2,000-km closed-circuit speed records, and winning the Bleriot trophy by becoming the first aircraft to exceed 2,000 km/h (1,245 mph) for 30 minutes.

The Convair B-58 Hustler is the first operational jet bomber capable of Mach 2 flight. The aircraft was designed by Convair and developed for the United States Air Force (USAF) for service in the Strategic Air Command (SAC) during the 1960s.

Early on, however, there were plans to follow the B-58 with a much more capable supersonic bomber, the "B-70 Valkyrie", but only two XB-70 prototypes were built. This document describes the rise and fall of the B-58 and XB-70. A list of illustrations credits is included at the end.