Convair B-58A Hustler
By 1950, the US Air Force had three superb bombers in its arsenal or about to get there: the B-36 Peacemaker, the B-47 Stratojet, and the B-52 Stratofortress. None of these aircraft were supersonic, however, and the increasing lethality of Soviet air defense fighters meant that the bombers might not make it to their targets. With this in mind, the USAF issued a requirement for a truly supersonic bomber. This presented a huge number of challenges, but after reviewing proposals, the USAF selected Convair’s MX-1964 design in 1952.
This was a radical design that used a delta wing, area ruling, and four turbojets (eventually the reliable J79) to achieve its maximum speed of Mach 2, twice as fast as the USAF requirement. Delta wings and area ruling were brand-new technology in 1952, and the prototype was appropriately named the XB-58 Hustler.
Because of its high speed, the B-58 had to have a number of unique design features. Its thin fuselage meant that a conventional bomb bay capable of carrying the large atomic bombs of the time was impossible; instead, the Hustler carried its payload in a large underfuselage pod, which carried both fuel and a single multi-megaton nuclear weapon. Once over the target, the B-58 would jettison the pod and then outrace the nuclear shockwave. The B-58 also was the first aircraft to use aural warnings from the flight computer: the USAF made the computer’s voice female (the voice belonged to actress Joan Elms, but the crews referred to her as “Sexy Sally”). Finally, given that an ejection at Mach 2 would be fatal in conventional ejection seats, each of the three B-58 crewmen had separate cockpits equipped with clamshells that would close around the crewmember on ejection, protect him from the high speed bailout, and serve as a liferaft if the crew should have to eject over water.
All of these innovations made the B-58 not only expensive to build, but maintenance intensive and expensive to operate. For the cost of one B-58, three B-52s could be built. Despite the high cost, the B-58 went into production in 1960 and immediately set a number of records, including the New York-to-Paris record that would not be broken until the SR-71 Blackbird went into service. Because the B-58 was a handful to fly, crews were handpicked and trained in F-102 fighters before going on to the Hustler.
After all the expense and trouble put into the Hustler’s development, it was to have a short lifespan: the advent of surface-to-air missiles was to doom the B-58 to early retirement. Believing that the B-58 would never survive at high altitudes, it was relegated to low altitude penetration; while the B-58 was still fast and responsive at low altitudes, it was now vulnerable to antiaircraft fire and MiG fighters. Citing its cost, lack of range and questionable survivalbility, Secretary of Defense Robert McNamara ordered the USAF to phase out the B-58 in favor of the F-111 by 1970. This was done on schedule, with the last B-58A retired in January 1970. Only 116 were produced, and of this number, a quarter were lost in accidents. Eight aircraft remain in museums.
Built as one of the YB-58A prototypes, 55-0666 would never enter service with a frontline USAF unit. Instead, it was used as a testbed, mainly for engine tests; it was the first aircraft to fly at Mach 2 for longer than 30 minutes, in 1958. It would later be modified as a RB-58A, able to carry a ventral reconnaissance pod rather than the bomb/fuel pod. In 1964, 55-0666's flying career ended, and it was used as a ground instruction trainer, first at Edwards AFB, California and then at Chanute AFB, Illinois. In 1967, it was donated to the Chanute AFB Museum, where it would remain until 2015, when the Chanute Museum closed. During its time there, it was painted as "Greased Lightning," the B-58 that flew from Tokyo to London in eight hours. (The real "Greased Lightning" is on display at the SAC Museum in Nebraska.)
After the closure of Chanute, other museums scrambled to save the aircraft there from scrapping. The Castle Air Museum was able to get 55-0666, and it was dismantled for transport across country in late 2017. Since then, the museum has been working on restoring the aircraft.
I therefore didn't see 55-0666 at its best in May 2021: only one of its engines is attached, and some wing components are missing. Castle is making progress on the aircraft, though, and it will be interesting to see how it's displayed when they're finished. I noticed that the inaccurate "Greased Lightning" markings have been painted out and the actual tail number added.
Convair B-58A Hustler
By 1950, the US Air Force had three superb bombers in its arsenal or about to get there: the B-36 Peacemaker, the B-47 Stratojet, and the B-52 Stratofortress. None of these aircraft were supersonic, however, and the increasing lethality of Soviet air defense fighters meant that the bombers might not make it to their targets. With this in mind, the USAF issued a requirement for a truly supersonic bomber. This presented a huge number of challenges, but after reviewing proposals, the USAF selected Convair’s MX-1964 design in 1952.
This was a radical design that used a delta wing, area ruling, and four turbojets (eventually the reliable J79) to achieve its maximum speed of Mach 2, twice as fast as the USAF requirement. Delta wings and area ruling were brand-new technology in 1952, and the prototype was appropriately named the XB-58 Hustler.
Because of its high speed, the B-58 had to have a number of unique design features. Its thin fuselage meant that a conventional bomb bay capable of carrying the large atomic bombs of the time was impossible; instead, the Hustler carried its payload in a large underfuselage pod, which carried both fuel and a single multi-megaton nuclear weapon. Once over the target, the B-58 would jettison the pod and then outrace the nuclear shockwave. The B-58 also was the first aircraft to use aural warnings from the flight computer: the USAF made the computer’s voice female (the voice belonged to actress Joan Elms, but the crews referred to her as “Sexy Sally”). Finally, given that an ejection at Mach 2 would be fatal in conventional ejection seats, each of the three B-58 crewmen had separate cockpits equipped with clamshells that would close around the crewmember on ejection, protect him from the high speed bailout, and serve as a liferaft if the crew should have to eject over water.
All of these innovations made the B-58 not only expensive to build, but maintenance intensive and expensive to operate. For the cost of one B-58, three B-52s could be built. Despite the high cost, the B-58 went into production in 1960 and immediately set a number of records, including the New York-to-Paris record that would not be broken until the SR-71 Blackbird went into service. Because the B-58 was a handful to fly, crews were handpicked and trained in F-102 fighters before going on to the Hustler.
After all the expense and trouble put into the Hustler’s development, it was to have a short lifespan: the advent of surface-to-air missiles was to doom the B-58 to early retirement. Believing that the B-58 would never survive at high altitudes, it was relegated to low altitude penetration; while the B-58 was still fast and responsive at low altitudes, it was now vulnerable to antiaircraft fire and MiG fighters. Citing its cost, lack of range and questionable survivalbility, Secretary of Defense Robert McNamara ordered the USAF to phase out the B-58 in favor of the F-111 by 1970. This was done on schedule, with the last B-58A retired in January 1970. Only 116 were produced, and of this number, a quarter were lost in accidents. Eight aircraft remain in museums.
Built as one of the YB-58A prototypes, 55-0666 would never enter service with a frontline USAF unit. Instead, it was used as a testbed, mainly for engine tests; it was the first aircraft to fly at Mach 2 for longer than 30 minutes, in 1958. It would later be modified as a RB-58A, able to carry a ventral reconnaissance pod rather than the bomb/fuel pod. In 1964, 55-0666's flying career ended, and it was used as a ground instruction trainer, first at Edwards AFB, California and then at Chanute AFB, Illinois. In 1967, it was donated to the Chanute AFB Museum, where it would remain until 2015, when the Chanute Museum closed. During its time there, it was painted as "Greased Lightning," the B-58 that flew from Tokyo to London in eight hours. (The real "Greased Lightning" is on display at the SAC Museum in Nebraska.)
After the closure of Chanute, other museums scrambled to save the aircraft there from scrapping. The Castle Air Museum was able to get 55-0666, and it was dismantled for transport across country in late 2017. Since then, the museum has been working on restoring the aircraft.
I therefore didn't see 55-0666 at its best in May 2021: only one of its engines is attached, and some wing components are missing. Castle is making progress on the aircraft, though, and it will be interesting to see how it's displayed when they're finished. I noticed that the inaccurate "Greased Lightning" markings have been painted out and the actual tail number added.