Talk:B-58 Hustler

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

This article is within the scope of the following WikiProjects:

Contents

[edit] B-58 Hustler in Little Rock, Arkansas, USA

Around 1965, third grade to fifth grade to me, my dad was a navigator on the B-58 aircraft at the Stategic Air Command (SAC) Little Rock (Arkansas) Air force Base (AFB). His main reason for switching from the B-52 he says was the ability to survive a crash (the ejection system). They held ping-pong tournaments. (I guess eye hand coordination was a factor.) I fished to help supply food, as my mother always complained there wasn't enough money for us five kids. I remember having a picnic lunch with us kids, my mother, and my father in his flight suit (including helmet with oxygen supply) with the B-58s in sight on the other side of a barbed wire fence on the flight line; with nuclear bombs that my father was to use to kill millions of people if he was ordered to do so. People that don't understand the cold war was a real war just don't understand. 4.250.138.177 01:09, 25 May 2005 (UTC)

Just adding a few more memories of this same era: In 1967-1969 (my first & second grade) my dad was a B-58 pilot stationed at LRAFB, and also was selected out of B-52 service (he couldn't fit in the cockpit of a U-2). I recall the same picnics at the Alert Facility described above. We initially lived on-base, where the engine tests were rumored to be timed to coincide with Gunsmoke, and where we always had to stand outside and watch the columns of black smoke and wonder whose aircraft didn't make it. One of the B-58's many unique features was its four engines with afterburners, used on takeoff for dramatic climb-outs and acceleration once at altitude. Afterburners are literally groundshaking. We moved to Squaw Island (probably now renamed), in North Little Rock prior to Nixon cancelling the B-58 program for good. It was a popular new subdivision for B-58 crews: I recall that my dad's DSO (defensive systems operator) lived three houses up the street, and the base commander lived a block or so away. Early one morning, my dad had to fly, and had been razzed the previous night for leaving the base commander's party early... at about 0700 hrs, he commenced to delay the full afterburner climb-out until he was directly over the subdivision. Twice. Quite the exciting morning in our neighborhood. I have to agree with the author above - the cold-war was a real war, and my dad fought it. He flew the Cuban Missile Crisis and three tours in Southeast Asia. His favorite aircraft during his career in the USAF was the B-58. Horseheaven 07:30, 10 January 2007 (UTC)H. Lippold

[edit] B-58 at Dyass AFB

I am certain that there was a B-58 Hustler at Dyass AFB air museum.—The preceding unsigned comment was added by 70.189.252.111 (talk • contribs).

[edit] Name origins

An IP user claimed:

The B-58 was named "the Hustler" because of the recorded female voice used to warn crew members of trouble. The box that contained the recordings was called "the Bitch Box."

Color me skeptical. Can someone provide a credible reference for this? - Emt147 Burninate! 21:13, 28 April 2006 (UTC)

Agreed unlikely -- the name came from Convair engineering (most of whom wouldn't have heard the recorded voice) before the plane went into service, and "hustle" just means "to hurry". Kaleja 21:41, 26 July 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Dead link

During several automated bot runs the following external link was found to be unavailable. Please check if the link is in fact down and fix or remove it in that case!

maru (talk) contribs 02:57, 14 June 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Range

It was during its introduction that the surface-to-air missile became a viable and dangerous weapon system, one the Soviet Union extensively deployed.
Yet the article states that the plane only has a 1500-mile combat radius. How could it have done anything useful in a strategic attack against the USSR? The Russians had almost no defensive systems within 1500 miles of North America, even when you count Siberia. -Rolypolyman 18:48, 16 September 2007 (UTC)

With refuelling, and use of cruise/dash sprints profiles, the B-58 would be capable of intercontinental missions. FWIW Bzuk 20:55, 16 September 2007 (UTC).
The B-58 was originally designed for a high-high-high mission profile, giving it a 3,500 nm range, extending this to 4,000 nm in the B model. This was not terribly useful for CONUS based strategic missions, but was extremely useful for missions based out of existing B-47 bases in Spain and England (the B-47 had similar or shorter range). When the mission profile changed to high-low-low the range dropped with it to 1,500 nm. With the exception of Turkey, this rendered all of the FOB sites out of useful range.
So they got creative. Since the only way the Hustler could reach the strategic targets was with in-flight refueling, they re-jiggered the missions to demand it all the way. Using high-altitude cruise they would meet up with tankers over northern Canada and Alaska, and/or ones based out of Europe (there were nations that allowed tankers that didn't allow combat aircraft). From then on it was a low-level penetration, but even with the last top-up many targets were too far to get to a friendly base. In these cases the crew had to eject and walk out. Great plan eh? I've always been curious how many Hustlers they projected to lose due to missed tanking on the way in.
Its interesting to see how all of this worked out historically. SAC originally had the B-47/B-52, considering both of them to be outdated by the late 1950s. They intended to replace these with the B-58/B-70 in basically the same "split" by the mid-60s. However, the missiles came into the picture, forcing low-level penetration profiles. This made the B-58 basically useless, and so dramatically reduced the B-70's effectiveness that it too ended up being cancelled. So then the idea was a true penetrator aircraft, the FB-111 for the medium range and B-1 for long range roles. Although the FB-111 "made it" the B-1 was so delayed technology had overrun it again, and everyone was pinning their hopes on the F-117/B-2. And throughout it all, the Buff just keeps on going! Maury 21:51, 23 September 2007 (UTC)
I've read somewhere, and I can't remember if it was a reliable source, that the B-58 was only intended to fly one-way missions in the event of a nuclear war, with the aircrew bailing out if they managed to make it out of the USSR. Given that they wouldn't have had bases to return to anyway this makes a certain kind of sense. --Nick Dowling 10:34, 9 October 2007 (UTC)
Great discussion... I enjoyed the comments! -Rolypolyman 03:11, 21 October 2007 (UTC)

USAF doctrine said that any aircraft capable of hitting targets in the USSR could be launched even if they would not have the fuel to return. In case of war the risk to the pilot was considered subordinate to the survival of the USA. USAF training documents include how pilots downed in the target zone would minimize radiation effects by digging holes and covering the hole for a given amount of time before trying to move. Those capable of aerial refueling could hope that their would be tankers available to them. Pilots were given emergency landing, or ejection locations outside the USSR that they might reach if not able to return to a US base. Bases in Turkey and Iran could be used to stage and refuel bombers if they were launched before being struck by the USSR. Saltysailor (talk) 01:58, 6 May 2008 (UTC)

[edit] Operational History

I removed the nickname "Aardvark" from the link to the FB-111. While the F-111 varients were indeed called the Aardvark, the FB-111 was essentially a different aircraft and had no official name. It even says so in the Wikipedia article on the F-111. Hildenja (talk) 20:46, 17 November 2007 (UTC)

[edit] surviving at Edwards

There is a Hustler at Edwards AFB that was abandoned after an emergency landing near the south edge of the base. Is this "Snoopy" referred to in the article? The abandoned Hustler has engines missing and most items striped, leaving the airframe. Saltysailor (talk) 07:48, 3 May 2008 (UTC)

[edit] cockpit arrangement

My recolection of being in two B-58 crew compartments was that one could move along the left side between the seats. Saltysailor (talk) 02:13, 6 May 2008 (UTC)


[edit] B-58 vs F-12

I was told by a USAF Colonel that the B-58 was considered for the interceptor role that the YF-12A was to fulfill. Although the B-58 could not fly as fast, the belly pod could carry many more missiles to shoot down incoming bombers and a conversion of the bombers would be cheaper than a new plane. Saltysailor (talk) 02:32, 6 May 2008 (UTC)


[edit] another reason for ending service

The B-58 was designed to carry the very large fusion bomb. By time they were deployed the size of the bombs were shrunken considerably. I was told by Convair Employees at the time that this was a major reason that the USAF decided to withdraw the Hustler from service. The USAF expected that it could get another bomber quickly. As time went on the majority of generals in the USAF were fighter pilots who favored spending on fighters. See the history section on the B-1 Lancer. Saltysailor (talk) 02:32, 6 May 2008 (UTC)