B-58

If you want to see and read more about the Hustler, click on
the link to my B-58 web site, below.
Don't forget to sign the guest book. The More B-58 Pictures Annex link
takes you to 3 more pages of pictures and text.

--

Darrell R. Schmidt
B-58 Hustler History: (see below)
http://members.cox.net/dschmidt1/

Darrell S wrote:
If you want to see and read more about the Hustler, click on
the link to my B-58 web site, below.
Don't forget to sign the guest book. The More B-58 Pictures Annex link
takes you to 3 more pages of pictures and text.

--

Darrell R. Schmidt
B-58 Hustler History: (see below)
http://members.cox.net/dschmidt1/

The Lippisch connection and F-102/F-106 delta predecessors aside, the
B-58 is a great a/c. My USAF neighbor worked on the machine and he
still loves that plane above all other US postwar bombers.

Despite my constant German rhetoric I love the B-52 Stratofortress,
especially the D-model from Vietnam with the bullet nose and tall tail.

Hey, at least Dan can't complain about that!

Good luck with your site Herr Schmidt.

Rob

Hi Darrel

Darrell S wrote:
If you want to see and read more about the Hustler, click on
the link to my B-58 web site, below.
Don't forget to sign the guest book. The More B-58 Pictures Annex link
takes you to 3 more pages of pictures and text.
Darrell R. Schmidt
B-58 Hustler History: (see below)
http://members.cox.net/dschmidt1/

Here's another interesting link,
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/B-58_Hustler

As I understand it, the B58 was a high
speed - high altitude bomber that entered
service about Mar/15/1960, with nil stealth
capability. Gary Power's U2 was shot down
May/1/1960, and had some stealth paint,
that the Ruskies managed to circumvent.
So 2 months after entering service, the
B58 became a *low altitude penetration*
bomber, with enough range for a one
way trip into the USSR, effectively
rendering it a kamikaze bomber.
I think the crews knew that and it's their
courage that helped keep us safe during
the transition to ICBM's.

IMO it was as sexy as anything that flew
but it was not a good warplane because
it was difficult to adapt, while the B52
could carry stand-off weapons and make
it home, though in hindsight, it filled a
vital deterrence gap in the early 1960's,
that was equivalent to the B52 swarm,
depending on gravity bombs.
Regards
Ken

wrote:
Hi Darrel

Darrell S wrote:
If you want to see and read more about the Hustler, click on
the link to my B-58 web site, below.
Don't forget to sign the guest book. The More B-58 Pictures Annex link
takes you to 3 more pages of pictures and text.
Darrell R. Schmidt
B-58 Hustler History: (see below)
http://members.cox.net/dschmidt1/

Here's another interesting link,
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/B-58_Hustler

As I understand it, the B58 was a high
speed - high altitude bomber that entered
service about Mar/15/1960, with nil stealth
capability. Gary Power's U2 was shot down
May/1/1960, and had some stealth paint,
that the Ruskies managed to circumvent.
So 2 months after entering service, the
B58 became a *low altitude penetration*
bomber, with enough range for a one
way trip into the USSR, effectively
rendering it a kamikaze bomber.
I think the crews knew that and it's their
courage that helped keep us safe during
the transition to ICBM's.

IMO it was as sexy as anything that flew
but it was not a good warplane because
it was difficult to adapt, while the B52
could carry stand-off weapons and make
it home, though in hindsight, it filled a
vital deterrence gap in the early 1960's,
that was equivalent to the B52 swarm,
depending on gravity bombs.
Regards
Ken\


Wasn't it the fastest postwar bomber until the XB-70 came along???

Rob

Rob Arndt wrote:
wrote:
Hi Darrel

Darrell S wrote:
If you want to see and read more about the Hustler, click on
the link to my B-58 web site, below.
Don't forget to sign the guest book. The More B-58 Pictures Annex link
takes you to 3 more pages of pictures and text.
Darrell R. Schmidt
B-58 Hustler History: (see below)
http://members.cox.net/dschmidt1/

Here's another interesting link,
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/B-58_Hustler

As I understand it, the B58 was a high
speed - high altitude bomber that entered
service about Mar/15/1960, with nil stealth
capability. Gary Power's U2 was shot down
May/1/1960, and had some stealth paint,
that the Ruskies managed to circumvent.
So 2 months after entering service, the
B58 became a *low altitude penetration*
bomber, with enough range for a one
way trip into the USSR, effectively
rendering it a kamikaze bomber.
I think the crews knew that and it's their
courage that helped keep us safe during
the transition to ICBM's.

IMO it was as sexy as anything that flew
but it was not a good warplane because
it was difficult to adapt, while the B52
could carry stand-off weapons and make
it home, though in hindsight, it filled a
vital deterrence gap in the early 1960's,
that was equivalent to the B52 swarm,
depending on gravity bombs.
Regards
Ken\

Wasn't it the fastest postwar bomber until the XB-70 came along???
Rob

Well the XB-70 was a class above the B58,
but the Ruskies may have had something
better. The A-12 (Blackbird) was considered
for a strike bomber, with a pair of tactical
nukes...that would have been a highly effective
system, but the triad deterrence (sub, b52+
stand-off, ICBM) had matured by 1965 that
rendered the A-12 redundant in the McNamara
MAD doctrine, which in hindsight looks good.
Regards
Ken

Wasn't it the fastest postwar bomber until the XB-70 came along???

Well the XB-70 was a class above the B58

A B-58 was one of the chase planes for the XB-70.

john smith wrote:
Wasn't it the fastest postwar bomber until the XB-70 came along???

Well the XB-70 was a class above the B58

A B-58 was one of the chase planes for the XB-70.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/XB-70

With the petal to the metal, the B58 is a
dimishing artifact in the rear view mirror of
an XB70.
I don't know, but think an XB-70 could blow
the SR-71 away for many technical reasons,
like ballistic coefficient and thermal cooling.
Ken

Rob Arndt wrote:
snip


Wasn't it the fastest postwar bomber until the XB-70 came along???

Rob


You could have omitted "postwar" since it beat anything before for
speed.

Dan, U.S. Air Force, retired

Well the XB-70 was a class above the B58,
but the Ruskies may have had something
better.

Ken

What a/c are you referring to? The Tu-128 Fiddler interceptor or the
Tu-22 Blinder bomber (both based on the failed Tu-98 Backfin)?

Tysbin had its own design based on the NM-1- the RSR:

http://vif2ne.ru/nvi/stuff/Bask/mode...ybin_rsr_2.jpg

Rob

You are correct. By the time the B-58 became operational the Russian radar
and missile defense systems improved to the point that high altitude, mach
2, attacks would have been suicide. The operational tactics changed to high
subsonic low altitude attack which made the mach 2 capability of the B-58
relatively unusable for combat. All the design features necessary for mach
2 flight such as the narrow fuselage made it impractical to add terrain
avoidance radar for IFR low altitude.

We practiced our low altitude high speed tactics in Oil Burner routes (now
Olive Branch) at 600 knots on the deck. Great sport.

--

Darrell R. Schmidt
B-58 Hustler History: (see below)
http://members.cox.net/dschmidt1/


wrote in message
ups.com...
Hi Darrel

Darrell S wrote:
If you want to see and read more about the Hustler, click on
the link to my B-58 web site, below.
Don't forget to sign the guest book. The More B-58 Pictures Annex link
takes you to 3 more pages of pictures and text.
Darrell R. Schmidt
B-58 Hustler History: (see below)
http://members.cox.net/dschmidt1/

Here's another interesting link,
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/B-58_Hustler

As I understand it, the B58 was a high
speed - high altitude bomber that entered
service about Mar/15/1960, with nil stealth
capability. Gary Power's U2 was shot down
May/1/1960, and had some stealth paint,
that the Ruskies managed to circumvent.
So 2 months after entering service, the
B58 became a *low altitude penetration*
bomber, with enough range for a one
way trip into the USSR, effectively
rendering it a kamikaze bomber.
I think the crews knew that and it's their
courage that helped keep us safe during
the transition to ICBM's.

IMO it was as sexy as anything that flew
but it was not a good warplane because
it was difficult to adapt, while the B52
could carry stand-off weapons and make
it home, though in hindsight, it filled a
vital deterrence gap in the early 1960's,
that was equivalent to the B52 swarm,
depending on gravity bombs.
Regards
Ken