B-58 HUSTLER and her variants

[USAFSS-ColdWarrior]

I stumbled upon this article earlier today...

http://www.thedrive.com/the-war-zon...st-rider-reenters-active-service-at-minot-afb

And soon also found this video.....

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=euwVmg8b7Xk

A YouTube search also yielded these links....

https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=corsair+B-58+hustler

 

[rosco]

Very interesting. I used to work with a Guy that flew those. He was involved in some of the speed trials. Seems like one of the records involved flying it to France. He was one of the pilots & showed a portrait in front of the plane showing him and another with all the paint burned off the skin of the plane. Apparently it would do considerably more then Mach 11.

 

[swbradley1]

Apparently it would do considerably more then Mach 11.

Say what? Mach 11.

Not with GE J79 engines.

 

[jasonjc]

The SR-71 only does what mach 3???

 

[pjwest03]

The design speed was 1325 mph, approx Mach 2 (depending on altitude). The real limit is the skin temperature. The design value was 115C. B58's have engaged in extended flights above 1400 mph based upon the engineering opinion that a skin temp of 125C was workable.

There was a planned "C" version with a max speed of Mach 3. No B58C's were produced however.

 

[M813rc]

I imagine he meant Mach II rather than 11, give him a break!

Cheers

 

[swbradley1]

I did Rory.






I'm surprised the smokin J79s would make it above the speed limit on an Interstate highway, let alone set speed records.

 

[M813rc]

Well, there were four of them!

Cheers

 

[swbradley1]

The best thing about a J79 is they produce their own smoke screen to protect you from the enemy or was that to give ground forces a trail to follow so they could fire at what was at the end of the it... I can never remember which.

 

[Scar59]

The B 58 Hustler was the second plastic model I assembled as a kid, the first was the X-15. As for the GE J-79, if you were out break the sound barrier in the early days, you installed a J-79 in the airframe. Heck,
two J-79s propelled the F-4 Phantom (lead sled) past Mach 2. In the early 60's Art Arfons installed a surplused (scrap) J-79 into the Green Monster (car), I saw it demonstrated at US 30 Drag Strip, IN. it was an awesome demo, it looked a huge Bic Lighter w/ four wheels.

 

[simp5782]

Very nice footage given the years when it happened.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AaefWGzae8k

 

[tobyS]

I grew up under the flight path for landing them at Grissom AFB (was Bunker Hill). The early ones had 8 jet engines that were very noisy and extremely bad at fuel consumption. On approach, sometimes they were going so slow it seemed they would just stall and fall from the air. I remember seeing details of the underside extremely close at about 4 miles out. Thank heavens the take off went 95% to the SW and not over our house. The later ones used a different engine, 4 of them I believe, which was better on fuel and not near as noisy. They were most impressive. Of course an entire refueling wing went with them. Too bad GP won't put a surplus yard at the Grissom (reserve) base , it would a be perfect place.

 

[Tracer]

First picture is of the original B-58 configuration with 4 engines in 2 nacelles, and with a much different pod design. Second & third pics are of ship 1 with the Convair factory paint scheme. The B-58 was with out a doubt one of the most beautiful aircraft ever built.

 

[tobyS]

I thought there was an 8 (four pairs) engine one also, but can't find any pictures. I must be mistaken.

 

[simp5782]

What I think is amazing is that it could climb 17,000ft per minute at full payload. and 46,000ft a minute at without payload. That is amazing. Right up there with a fighters rate of climb.