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Posted by Tom Kwiatkowski Sr. - 309C
on 10/31/2009, 6:36 pm
74.44.81.74
Convair B-58 Hustler
The delta-winged B-58 was designed as a supersonic replacement for the USAF's B-47, and the prototype's first flight took place on 11 November 1956. The aircraft went supersonic for the first tie on 30 December of that year. A total of 116 aircraft were built, including 30 test and pre-production, and the aircraft reached squadron service in 1960, becoming Strategic Air Command's and the world's first operational supersonic bomber.
The B-58 was first designed to meet an exacting requirement, and the design team had to make great advances to meet it. The aircraft had to fly at Mach 2 (the first bomber to do so) at high-altitude, carry and accurately drop nuclear weapons and be as small as possible to have the smallest possible radar signature. The aircraft, all of its equipment and weaponry were for the first time seen as an entire weapons system in USAF procurement, and Convair was responsible for making it all work together. This new approach required the breaking of much new ground, and did lead to delays.
There were many "firsts" associated with the B-58 Hustler. It was the first aircraft to have heat-resistant, stainless-steel honeycomb-sandwich skin panels in the wings and fuselage, and was the first bomber with a weapons pod to be jettisoned after bombing. The B-58 was the first supersonic bomber with engine pods mounted outboard of the thin delta wing, which had a 60-degree sweep.
Crew consisted of a pilot, navigator and defensive systems operator seated in tandem. Each crew member also had a unique escape ejection capsule - these were retrofitted when it was realized that simple ejection seats would not protect crews ejecting at supersonic speeds. To improve the crew's chances of surviving ejection, a high-speed, high-altitude ejection system was installed that would allow safe ejection at supersonic speeds up to an altitude of 70,000 feet.
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