The B-58 Hustler

[zorro9]

..fm props to turbines! The B-58 Hustler, Ft. Worth, TX c. Oct 1957. An aircraft ahead of its time! Photo via AEC.

[makin' boost]

That is one BAD A** aircraft, nuff said ...........................

[markboss]

Great Pic!!

[K5DH]

If it's possible for an aircraft to be truly sexy, that's the one!!!

[1/5_UC-78]

Yes, the Hustler is one sexy aircraft. Christi Brinkley in Vacation sexy

[mike furline]

More photos here, http://texashistory.unt.edu/explore/col ... t=fulltext

The pics are high-def, just click on thumbnail, when taken to the next page there is a "More sizes" link in the upper left of the photo. http://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/ ... xl/?q=b-58

Doing a search for B-24, B-32 or B-36 will also provide some great photos.

Last edited by mike furline on Wed Oct 23, 2013 9:41 am, edited 1 time in total.

[lmritger]

There have been a lot of really attractive aircraft built over the past century. And there have been a lot of mean-looking ones as well. But none have ever been so jaw-droppingly gorgeous yet unquestionably MEAN as the Hustler. Every single inch of that aircraft screams SPEED, and it's nose-down, tail-up stance on the ground only adds to the effect.

If money were no object (LOL), this is one aircraft I would love to see restored to airworthy status. And with the massive advances in electronics and control technology over the past 50 years, the cumbersome original setups could be minimized to a fraction of their size, making them easier to work on. Maybe instead of pissing away trillions of dollars on the piece of garbage F-35, the USAF should get the Hustler back into production...

Lynn

[zorro9]

B-58 Folks/Lynn:

Good day!

I was thinking the same thing..perhaps get NASA interested in some type of high speed project! They brought back to the air a B-57 Canberra awhile ago with minor problems. I help with the towing at DM & later work for NASA! -)

p.s There is a U-tube video link about their awesome 1st flight. c. Oct '56. No AB..it was not needed!! 10' 19''. Mark tks for the link. Superb job.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=pl ... aeejPWQTHw

[Mudge]

Don't know if I ever told this story before. If I have...too bad 'cause here it comes.

When I was stationed at Kirtland, we would track the B-58s doing supersonic and subsonic pod drops at Holloman. One day, one of them had a problem and had to land at Kirtland. The flight line folks scurried around to get it to the alert area at the east end of the base. They hurried to put up a 10' high curtain around it 'cause it was "secret". It just so happens that our barracks and about 6 others were on the high ground of the base at the east end. There were about 100 people in the parking lot looking down into the "secured" area. Everyone was taking pictures. Too bad mine were destroyed in a flooded basement in the 70s.

Mudge the ex-spy

[zorro9]

B-58 Folks/Mike:

There are just to many samples of fine photography of this superb aircraft. B-58A USAF 92456 is of of them. Photo USAF via Mark's link.
Tks!

Last edited by zorro9 on Thu Oct 24, 2013 7:03 am, edited 1 time in total.

[zorro9]

B-58 Folks!

...just one more. It looks just fine fm every angle!! Photo GD/USAF via Mark's link. c. 1960s.

[Tom Moungovan]

Thanks so much for showing that factory photo...I just checked my slides and I have at least one of 662 taken on Armed Forces Day, 1967 at Edwards. She was assigned to Systems Command as chase for the XB-70 and our egress shop supported that part of the project. So, I got to see her fly a flew times and also worked on her more than once. A real hot rod.

[andyman64]

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!

[Invader26]

A conventional bomber version was offered to the RAAF but rejected along with the B-47 [another good looker]. A friend flew them and said that on nuclear alert they would plan with tanker support to go into USSR somewhere but only have fuel to recover to Turkey! As he said it was four F-104's in close formation....

[PinecastleAAF]

The MITO footage on youtube for the B-58 is exciting.