The B-58 Hustler was the first bomber in history to be built with supersonic speeds maintained throughout the mission profile
The beautiful picture in this article, which was taken on February 15, 1958, shows the first Convair B-58 Hustler (55-665) arriving at Edwards Air Force Base (AFB) Flight Test Center for Phase IV testing after completing a combined delivery and test flight (the center was renamed the Air Force Test Center on July 13, 2012).
It is noteworthy that this aircraft is currently being stored and is a part of the collection at the U.S. Air Force (USAF) Flight Test Museum.
The four-engine delta-winged aircraft, which made its first flight on November 11, 1956, was the first bomber in history built to maintain supersonic speeds throughout its mission profile. The Hustler stood out for its sophisticated inertial guidance navigation and bombing system, slim “wasp-waist” fuselage, and significant use of heat-resistant honeycomb sandwich skin panels in the wings and fuselage in addition to its delta wing design. A droppable, two-component pod beneath the fuselage held a nuclear warhead along with extra fuel, reconnaissance equipment, or other specialized gear because the thin fuselage disallowed carrying explosives internally.
A pilot, navigator/bombardier, and defensive systems operator made up the B-58 crew. Convair produced 116 B-58s, including 30 test and prototype models and 86 operational aircraft. Between 1960 and 1970, hustlers flew with the Strategic Air Command (SAC). B-58s set 19 world records for speed and altitude while also taking home five separate aviation medals.
Source: U.S. Air Force; Photo by Edwards History Office file photo / U.S. Air Force Base
