Convair B-58 Hustler

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The Convair B-58 Hustler is a supersonic strategic bomber, the first capable of Mach 2 flight. Designed and produced by American aircraft manufacturer Convair, a division of General Dynamics, the B-58 was developed during the 1950s for the United States Air Force (USAF) Strategic Air Command (SAC). To achieve the high speeds desired, Convair chose a delta-wing design used by contemporary interceptors such as the Convair F-102. The bomber was powered by four General Electric J79 engines in underwing pods. It had no bomb bay; it carried a single nuclear weapon plus fuel in a combination bomb/fuel pod underneath the fuselage. Later, four external hardpoints were added, enabling it to carry up to five weapons such as one Mk 53 and four Mk 43 warheads. The B-58 entered service in March 1960 and flew for a decade with two SAC bomb wings, the 43rd Bombardment Wing and the 305th Bombardment Wing. It was considered difficult to fly, imposing a high workload upon its three-man crews. Designed to...

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