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).

Surviving B-58 Hustlers Between 1956 and 1962, Convair built a total of 116 B-58 Husters of all types. Today, only eight aircraft survive.

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.

On August 1, 1960, the USAF finally formally assumed B-58 operations responsibility and began Category III testing. 59-2436, the first fully-operational Hustler equipped with all tactical systems, was delivered to the 43rd. Two weeks later, the first TB-58A was delivered to Carswell AFB.

The Convair B-58 was the first supersonic bomber built in the West. The Boeing B-47 and its bigger brother, the B-52 Stratofortress, developed in the early years after World War II, …

2025年3月9日 · The Convair B-58 Hustler supersonic strategic bomber became largely obsolete with the introduction of the Soviet SA-2 Guideline (S-75 Dvina) surface-to-air missile system.

History of the Convair B-58 Hustler of the U.S. Air Force, including design, development, specifications, photographs from air museums, and surviving aircraft.

The Convair B-58 Hustler was 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.

The Convair B-58 Hustler was the first operational supersonic strategic bomber capable of Mach 2 flight built by Convair, introduced in March 1960. Development commenced in the 1950s to be in service with the United States Air Force’s Strategic Air Command (SAC).

3 天之前 · Thus was the genesis of the B-58 project. The plan called for hauling a single atomic bomb to the heart of the Soviet Union, and return to a friendly airbase. The power to do this was available in the GE J79 engine. To haul the bomb, the plane would need to be about 60 feet wide and 90 feet long.