First Tactical B-58 Hustler

This selection "Aircraft #31," highlights delivery of the first tactical B-58 bomber, and is taken from the rocket.aero DVD "Hustler: The B-58 Bomber." For more information, visit: www.rocket.aero

[@delhenry9837]

1966-67 Nuclear Weapons 46250 Bunker Hill AFB (now Grissom AFB) great memories of loading this great aircraft.

[@gkprivate433]

always one of my favorite planes. I did a report on the B-58 while at US Air Force Squadron Officer School

[@josenighthawk]

Can you imagine this beautiful bomber re-designed with today's technology and micro-chips?

[@christiane.g.4142]

And redesigning those J-79 engines to be more blended into the wings

[@foxtrot312]

Still a gas hog

[@888ssss]

no. i mean yes. i dont know.

[@omahaL98]

Another great video of the B-58 Hustler

[@sski]

Makes me remember the one on static display on the grounds of Chanute AFB in Rantoul, IL. I used to play around as a kid. My dad was stationed there as an electronics tech. The base also had a B-36 on display there among other SAC/TAC/MAC machines. It was a great place to be a kid. That B-58 was a spaceship to me. The only cooler plane was the F-4.

[@kdcobra64]

i saw that B58 so Sweet

[@sski]

@@kdcobra64 I see it's in the museum hanger now. I gotta go down there at some point this summer to visit the place.

[@Sparkchaser1200]

sski The museum at Rantoul is closed.

[@sski]

@@Sparkchaser1200 What?! Why?

[@Sparkchaser1200]

sski Closed in 2015. Lack of money. The aircraft the air force owned were removed. The rest were scrapped on site. The B-58 and the B-36 shipped out to Castle Air Museum. The B-58 landing gear was damaged by museum staff while trying to move it. Not sure if it is being displayed.

[@gkprivate433]

used as a backdrop in parts of the classic movie "Fail safe" even though in that movie they had the pilot and co pilot sitting side by side versus how they really sit

[@karlheinzkoter6596]

Hallochen Die B-58 Hustler war zur Zeit des letzten kalten Krieges " Mit Abstand der beste Mittelstrecken Bomber der Welt. Ende der 5o er bis Ende der 60 er Jahre. Gruß Kalli.

[@francisebbecke2727]

Still think of the movie, "Fail Safe."

[@martinbahena3648]

It was a little ahead of it's time..... I love this aircraft and the x-15 ....

[@bosnmatecaddie]

What a beautiful machine!

[@josephhein2939]

Saw the static display @ ChanuteAFB. One beautiful aircraft. I was on the F-111 program.

[@gkprivate433]

you don't get to hear that many big turbojets anymore since so many are higher bypass designs like turbofans

[@georgeszaslavsky]

great video thanks for sharing

[@ThePaulv12]

I thoroughly enjoyed that.

[@allgood6760]

Awesome 👍

[@joehead1294]

John Denver's dad was a B-58 pilot.

[@karlheinzkoter6596]

Hallochen Habe noch was vergessen. Sie war schwer zu fliegen und zu beherrschen. Genau wie F-104 Starfighter. Beide waren ihrer Zeit vor raus. Aber wirksam.!! I

[@henrysanchez4810]

B-58 was an amazing plane...

[@generalkruger7071]

Beautiful airplane

[@Ardie1962]

Duly note, the original flight of Plane 31 never had the Star and Bar on the fuselage.

[@thetreblerebel]

The SAM systems the Soviets had pretty much ruined any chances this aircraft had of doing its mission.

[@krethmckee6726]

No, you don’t know what you are talking about.

[@gkprivate433]

the Sams took away the speed advantage the 58 had over many pursuit fighters, but the electronic counter measures were getting pretty good by then.

[@thetreblerebel]

I wonder how well the low level performance was because the F111 pretty much replaced it. A low level dedicated platform

[@TakeDeadAim]

The aircraft itself was very stable. My grandfather was a test pilot on both the B58 and F111(Convair then GD but basically the same company) and retired in 1971 during the early design stages of the F-16. He always said the B58 was very fast low level but had no real weapon system which could be used "downstairs". When he went to the F111 he said THAT was undoubtedly the fastest low level aircraft in the world for many years but because the technology was transitioning from tube to transistor to digital so quickly back then...it got a bad rap because it didn't integrate easily. Had it been designed even 5 years later he said it would have had most of those bugs worked out as it would have been an entire generation(in weapons/TFR) newer. Oh...and they would have "fixed" the wing box as well.

[@bobclifton8021]

Tactical?? It was a strategic bomber!

[@smark1180]

The word tactical has its roots in tactics related to combat operations. This B-58 was the first in operational service, hence it was the _first tactical B-58 bomber._

[@tinahaynes696]

Huge flair on landing

[@georgetaylor4719]

Of necessity. Because of the delta wing design's inherently high landing speeds, the pilot pitches up on final approach and uses the entire wing to reduce the approach speed, in much the same way wing flaps are used in a straight or swept-wing configuration. You've seen the Concorde land much the same way with it's cranked delta wing.

[@ryankm48]

I cant find any information on what kind of conventional weapons and how.

[@smark1180]

There weren't any.

[@josephhein2939]

I read that the Hustler was too fast for It,s own good. Would burn up with little or no warning,

[@smark1180]

No, you did not.

[@gkprivate433]

They used liquid oxygen to pull of Oxygen for breathing. Saved on space

[@bobclifton8021]

all Air Force planes have a LOX system and have had for decades.

[@jdl2444]

It's clear everyone died landing.

[@billpugh58]

Great looking, poor range, difficult to maintain and very very expensive. Nice looking though.

[@blakegwinn1902]

life was better when instant death was a possibility

[@bosnmatecaddie]

Blake, life is grand, Man! I believe M. A. D. is still in effect, hope that makes U feel better!

[@1Klooch]

Fear not, secret military technology and weapons are always decades ahead of what the public is allowed to know about. I'm sure they have something tucked away which will not disappoint.

[@bobclifton8021]

This life is all you have on this earth. Try making better use of it.

[@johnthompson7420]

not that great for napalming mud huts.

[@888ssss]

tax hustler....