The B-58 Hustler

Cvairwerks · **Posted:** Sat Oct 26, 2013 8:14 am

andyman64 wrote:

theres a pic on that site that shows a b58 on the ground with these strange covers over the main gear wheels was just wondering what they where btw this is my fave of the hair dryers i mostly like my planes with big round motors!

Andy: Those are maintenance stands for wheel well access. It's about 9 feet up to the bottom of the well from the ground. The platforms give the ground crew easy access without having to hang off ladders.

tom d. friedman · **Posted:** Sat Oct 26, 2013 12:28 pm

extremely sexy, & before it's time. very claustrophobic for the crew. I know of 1 use for the clam shell escape module, & saw 1 at the usaf museum. what I never understood is where were the bombs held/ dropped?? especially w/ that big belly pod??

Cvairwerks · **Posted:** Sat Oct 26, 2013 12:40 pm

Tom: It was a split service pod. One section was fuel and the other was weapon. There were a number of different pod designs, bu tI think only two were produced in quantity. One carried a single large nuke and fuel, while the other carried two smaller nukes and fuel. One design was set up as a man rated capsule that would allow insertion of a team and their gear behind enemy lines.

Cking · **Posted:** Sat Oct 26, 2013 1:24 pm

It's a great looking aircraft but it's no Vulcan!!!!!!

Cking

tom d. friedman · **Posted:** Sat Oct 26, 2013 2:43 pm

Cvairwerks wrote:

Tom: It was a split service pod. One section was fuel and the other was weapon. There were a number of different pod designs, bu tI think only two were produced in quantity. One carried a single large nuke and fuel, while the other carried two smaller nukes and fuel. One design was set up as a man rated capsule that would allow insertion of a team and their gear behind enemy lines.

so the pod had compartments & doors for bombs / armaments / ordinance?? if this is the case it only makes sense as the fuselage was pretty slender to sling all that stuff in it's body.

tom d. friedman · **Posted:** Sat Oct 26, 2013 2:45 pm

Cvairwerks wrote:

Tom: It was a split service pod. One section was fuel and the other was weapon. There were a number of different pod designs, bu tI think only two were produced in quantity. One carried a single large nuke and fuel, while the other carried two smaller nukes and fuel. One design was set up as a man rated capsule that would allow insertion of a team and their gear behind enemy lines.

so the pod had compartments & doors for bombs / armaments / ordinance?? if this is the case it only makes sense as the fuselage was pretty slender to sling all that stuff in it's body.

tom d. friedman · **Posted:** Sat Oct 26, 2013 2:45 pm

Cvairwerks wrote:

Tom: It was a split service pod. One section was fuel and the other was weapon. There were a number of different pod designs, bu tI think only two were produced in quantity. One carried a single large nuke and fuel, while the other carried two smaller nukes and fuel. One design was set up as a man rated capsule that would allow insertion of a team and their gear behind enemy lines.

so the pod had compartments & doors for bombs / armaments / ordinance?? if this is the case it only makes sense as the fuselage was pretty slender to sling all that stuff in it's body.

Tiger Tim · **Posted:** Sat Oct 26, 2013 3:01 pm

Cvairwerks wrote:

Tom: It was a split service pod. One section was fuel and the other was weapon. There were a number of different pod designs, bu tI think only two were produced in quantity. One carried a single large nuke and fuel, while the other carried two smaller nukes and fuel. One design was set up as a man rated capsule that would allow insertion of a team and their gear behind enemy lines.

Kind of makes you wonder how they got to that point of having to put everything in a pod.

Air Force: "Nice new bomber you guys have there, looks fast but where do you put the bombs?"
Convair: "Ummmmm..... Wellll..... It IS fast, and about those bombs..... Maybe just give us a bit longer to find a spot for them."

-Tim

andyman64 · **Posted:** Sat Oct 26, 2013 3:55 pm

actually the concept was two fly into russia using the fuel in the pod drop your ordinance then drop the pod and get the hell out at maximum speed as they were much faster without the pod they broke alot of transcontinental records when they first came online one of the best looking jets ever!!!!

markboss · **Joined:** Thu Apr 19, 2012 11:14 am **Posts:** 60

As much as I like the Vulcan, the Hustler was in a class by itself...

Clifford Bossie · **Posted:** Sat Oct 26, 2013 6:29 pm

tom d. friedman wrote:

Cvairwerks wrote:

Tom: It was a split service pod. One section was fuel and the other was weapon. There were a number of different pod designs, bu tI think only two were produced in quantity. One carried a single large nuke and fuel, while the other carried two smaller nukes and fuel. One design was set up as a man rated capsule that would allow insertion of a team and their gear behind enemy lines.

so the pod had compartments & doors for bombs / armaments / ordinance?? if this is the case it only makes sense as the fuselage was pretty slender to sling all that stuff in it's body.

Tom, The pod was in two sections. IIRC the larger bottom portion was fuel and the upper portion contained a war head, usually a W-53 like this:

The pod was dumped along with the warhead, it's all gonna get blowed up anyway!

The B-58 could also had four external stations, which generally carried of four B43 "devices". Those are the white shapes under the fuselage in this photo:

zorro9 · **Joined:** Fri Aug 09, 2013 10:11 pm **Posts:** 671

B-58 Folks:

Good day!

Another nice shot of the "Hustler" in the clean configuration. USAF #5664. Place Ft. Worth, TX. c. 1958. Photo USAF/GD via Mark's link.

Tks!

markboss · **Joined:** Thu Apr 19, 2012 11:14 am **Posts:** 60

Several years ago, at the USAF museum, I met Joe Cotton, program director, for the B58....xb70 pilot.
He was with William Campbell, SR71 pilot, retired vice commander of SAC...
They told a few great stories, and were really nice guys!!

Cvairwerks · **Posted:** Sun Oct 27, 2013 11:16 am

Zorro: Fort Worth, Plant 4, southeast of Bay 8, just east of Run Station 45.

Dan Jones · **Posted:** Sun Oct 27, 2013 11:41 am

Does anyone have any pics of the B-58 supposedly still on the range at Edwards?

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The B-58 Hustler

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