b-58 hustler bomber's belly pod

[tom d. friedman]

can anybody explain the inner workings of the b-58 hustler's belly pod?? the thing was huge!! how did it accomodate fuel, munitions, & counter measures?? would it eventually be dropped for access to the fuselage bomb bay?? i'm assuming the pod was sectioned off with access panels & cells for the various needed components??? would it eventually be dropped?? or did the hustler always return with it??? i've read numerous articles on the bomber, but nobody ever goes into depth regarding the pod!! best, tom

[aerovin]

I've looked at the thing closely and can't figure out how the nose gear retracted.

[skymstr02]

There is no internal bomb bay on a Hustler. The thermal nuclear device is in the pod. It was designed to deliver its ordinance at 2.0 mach, and doors would be ripped off.

On the nose gear, the upper portion slid aft, there are sway braces mid way that causes the lower portion to retract vertically, so it looks like an arc when it retracts around the nose of the pod.

[TimAPNY]

Here is a close up of the Weapon pod and the fuel tank of the B-58 (At the SAC Museum). My understanding is that the fuel tank would be used first (leaving internal tanks full) and then dropped when empty leaving only the weapon pod.

Is that correct? It's getting harder and harder to trust what I have read and committed to memory

[tom d. friedman]

now were making a little sense out of it!!! tim cracked my 1st question with the great pic & explanation.... the exterior fuel tank what ever fit in a graduated way to the main pod. did the pod have an opening that would drop the nuke?? the bomb bay doors ripping off makes sense, look at the crew escape pods w/ the clam shell doors!!! what i'm asking now is the following.... was their an opening to drop the ordinance from the pod minus doors?? yikes!! i'm getting a headache!!

[tom d. friedman]

1 more thing......did the mission usually conclude with the return of the pod to home base?? or was it jettisoned???

[HELLDIVERS]

THE POD WOULD BE DROPPED BEFORE THE NUKE AS IT WOULD HAVE NO VISIBLE MEANS OF SUPPORT WITH OUT THE BOMB TO WHICH IT WAS ATTACHED THANKS MIKE

[tom d. friedman]

ok... this is what is confusing... the pod is dropped before the bomb.... as somebody said it had no bomb bay..... was it in the same configuration as tim's picture?? once the pod was dropped there would be no counter measures for protection other than sheer balls out speed, which the b-58 sure did not lack!!! or was there a back up system?? regards, tom

[Matt Gunsch]

lets see if this works, the nose gear has 2 pivot points so when down it looks like this
I
I
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when it starts to retract, it looks kind of like this
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/
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when up, like this
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not very detailed, but you should get the idea

[David_Aiken]

Aloha All,
My late father worked on the B-58 program...according to the company literature I filed after dad's passing...

The B-58 would come in LOW to the target, pitch up vertical and jettison the pod as the plane reached the proper altitude...and while the pod continues vertical, the B-58 would go over on its back...do a roll to vertical and depart ASAP in the direction from whence it came.

Did I say everything so that you understand?
Cheers,
David

[Warbirdnerd]

The current issue of Air & Space has an article on the Hustler.
I have not read my copy yet, but I thought you might want to check this out. Looks like Pima's B-58 was spruced up for the cover shot....
http://www.airandspacemagazine.com/ASM/ ... /B-58.html

[GrumpE]

I watched a discovery wings ch special on the B-58 a few months ago and I seem to recall the Air Force developed a passenger compartment for the pod so as to allow non aircrew personell to experience the flight envelope of this beast.

They ran into a few problems such as not many were willing to ride in it. Go figure. I would think the "brass" would line up in droves to ride in a fuel tank/nuclear weapon delivery system hanging off the bottom of a speed demon at mach+ speeds.

Will dig out my recording of the show and check my memory tonight. I am going to the SAC museum later in Dec to guide a cubscout tour. If you want I can get pics of pretty much any portion of their B 58 except the top or cockpit (no access at this time).

Eric

[GrumpE]

Your answer is.....

"The pod or pods carried beneath the aircraft are also largely filled with fuel. The single 57-foot-long MB pod contains mostly fuel. The 54-foot-long lower element of the two-part TC pod, designed to be dropped before run-in to the target, is filled entirely with fuel, while the 35-foot-long upper pod contains at least 2,450 Ib. of fuel as well as a warhead."

Per:
http://www.aviation-history.com/convair/b58.html

Eric

[Cking]

Thanks for the discription of the nose gear retractin sequence Matt that one had puzzled me for a while. Now has anybody gat a video of it?!!
A fine looking aircraft the B-58, almost as good looking as the Vulcan!

Rgds Cking

[Cvairwerks]

There are several commercially available videos that show the retract sequence out there. Check around the various outlets.