The Convair B-58 Hustler, designed and produced by American aircraft manufacturer Convair, was the first operational bomber capable of Mach 2 flight.

The B-58 was developed during the 1950s for the United States Air Force (USAF) Strategic Air Command (SAC). To achieve the high speeds desired, Convair chose a delta wing design used by contemporary interceptors such as the Convair F-102. The bomber was powered by four General Electric J79 engines in underwing pods. It had no bomb bay; it carried a single nuclear weapon plus fuel in a combination bomb/fuel pod underneath the fuselage. Later, four external hardpoints were added, enabling it to carry up to five weapons such as one Mk 53 and four Mk 43 warheads.

The B-58 entered service in March 1960, and flew for a decade with two SAC bomb wings: the 43rd Bombardment Wing and the 305th Bombardment Wing. It was considered difficult to fly, imposing a high workload upon its three-man crews. Designed to replace the subsonic Boeing B-47 Stratojet strategic bomber, the B-58 became notorious for its sonic boom heard on the ground by the public as it passed overhead in supersonic flight.

The B-58 was designed to fly at high altitudes and supersonic speeds to avoid Soviet interceptors, but with the Soviet introduction of high-altitude surface-to-air missiles, the B-58 was forced to adopt a low-level penetration role that severely limited its range and strategic value. It was never used to deliver conventional bombs. The B-58 was substantially more expensive to operate than other bombers, such as the Boeing B-52 Stratofortress, and required more frequent aerial refueling. The B-58 also suffered from a high rate of accidental losses. These factors resulted in a relatively brief operational career of ten years. The B-58 was succeeded in its role by the smaller, swing-wing FB-111A.

Pictured here is a stunning 1:72 scale diecast replica of a USAF Convair B-58A Hustler strategic bomber that was known as "Greased Lightning" and awarded the Bendix Trophy in March 1962. The aircraft is now currently on display at the USAF Museum, in Dayton, Ohio. Pre-order! Forecast Ship Date: October 2025. May be delayed. One pre-order slot savailable.

Dimensions:
Wingspan: 9-1/2-inches
Length: 16-1/4-inches

Release Date: ?

Historical Account: "Greased Lightning" - The B-58 set 19 speed records, including cross-US, and the longest supersonic flight in history. In 1963 it flew from Tokyo to London (via Alaska), a distance of 8,028 miles (12,920 km), with five aerial re-fuelings in eight hours, 35 minutes, 20.4 seconds, averaging 938 mph (1,510 km/h). As of 2016, this record still stands. The aircraft was serving in an operational unit and had not been modified in any way besides being washed and waxed. One of the goals of the flight was to push the limit of its new honeycomb construction technique. The speed of the flight was limited only by the speed at which they believed the honeycomb panels would de-laminate, although one of the afterburners malfunctioned and the last hour of the flight was continued at subsonic speed. This reduced the average speed to roughly Mach 1.5, despite most of the flight being at Mach 2. This B-58 was called "Greased Lightning", which was the code name for the record attempt.

A B-58 set the FAI record for altitude with a 5000-kg payload: 26000 m.

Some of the record-winning aerospace trophies the B-58 won were the Bleriot Trophy, the Thompson Trophy, the Mackay Trophy, the Bendix Trophy, and the Harmon Trophy.