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).

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.

Jun 11, 2016 · Launched from U.S. bases and supported by a ring of KC-135 tankers, the B-58 would penetrate Soviet airspace at high speed and high altitude, evading Soviet interceptor and delivering its nuclear...

The Convair B-58 Hustler was the first operational supersonic jet bomber capable of Mach 2 flight.[2] The aircraft was designed by Convair engineer Robert H. Widmer and developed for the United States Air Force for service in the Strategic Air Command (SAC) during the 1960s.[3]

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.

The first combat-ready production aircraft (B-58 number 31, 59-2428) was ready in the spring of 1959. In the meantime, the B-58 program was once again in jeopardy. On July 14, 1959, General Thomas Power was informed by the Pentagon that there …

Jul 21, 2022 · When it comes to awards and accolades, the Convair B-58 Hustler is truly unrivaled. The first bomber to ever reach Mach 2, its speed is what set the B-58 apart from the rest – but this also came with its own consequences.

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, represented the application of jet power to conventional bombing concepts of the day.

The B-58 was a four engine, delta wing bomber, capable of speeds in excess of Mach 2 (twice the speed of sound). It carried a crew of three: pilot, navigator/bombardier, and defensive systems operator, each sitting in tandem in individual escape capsules.

Welcome to B-58.com, The B-58 Hustler Page. The purpose of this website is to honor the service and sacrifices of B-58 veterans and their families, and to document the remarkable history of the first supersonic bomber, the Convair/General Dynamics B-58 Hustler.