I'm inclined to agree. The narrowing of the fuselage consistent with Whitcomb's Area Rule is very attractive and spawning the so called 'Coke bottle' era of design ques. My other fav of the era is the EE Lightning.
My father was in USAF for 29 years from WWII to 1970 retiring as Full Colonel. He was a project manager of the B-58 . He has a model with signatures all over it. I was a little kid at the time. I was facinated by all things airplanes, and why I became an enegineer in aircraft certification and later as Airline pilot.
I dont understand why people in america always lying claiming their relative or they parent became something that they actually not. Do you are not embarasing if someone find out that you are lying? In russian we dont do that because we was live in comunist society for us no point claiming someone to look cool because we threat everpeople with same level.
When touring the B-58 at the Pima Air Museum it took me a while to figure out how the front landing gear, so close to the external fuel tank, was still able to retract backwards. It was a unique and complicated landing gear, must like the whole plane itself. The funny thing was, at the close of the day at Pima I was accidently locked inside their museum. I guess the security guard didn't realize anyone was left inside. I took it as a great opportunity to examime some of the indoor displays up close, uniil, that is, when climbing over the security fence to the parking lot I realized I had dropped my car keys somewhere in their huge outdoor display area. Had to track down the secuity guard to call a locksmith, explaining to him the whole story. A nice guy. Fortunately, the next day someone had found my keys outside and turned them in. So a memoriable experience all around, and well worth a full day's visit if you're really into planes and history.
I’ve walked around the B-36 many times while it was in the two locations in and around Ft. Worth, Tx. from my childhood days through adulthood and taking my then 5 year old son with me on the last trip or two when it was outside the main front gate of the General Dynamics plant where it was built and then cosmetically restored before it went to Arizona.
Interesting side story on the B-58: In January 1961 Major Henry J. Deutschendorf, USAF, 43rd Bomb Wing, Strategic Air Command, flew from Carswell Air Force Base, Texas to Edwards Air Force Base, California with the B-58A-10-CF Hustler, 59-2442, "Untouchable". There, he flew two laps of a 1,000 kilometer circuit between Edwards and Yuma, establishing six new Fédération Aéronautique Internationale (FAI) speed records at an average of 1,708.82 kilometers per hour (1,061.81 miles per hour). He and his two crewmen, Captain Raymond R. Wagener, Defensive Systems Officer; Captain William L. Polhemus, Radar Navigator/Bombardier, were each awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross. As a side note, Major Henry Deutschendorf Sr. was the father of Henry J. Deutschendorf, Jr., better known by his stage name, “John Denver”. Henry Sr. would later teach Jr. how to fly, and John Denver became an avid pilot.
As a teenager in the 60's one of the best presents I ever received was a model of the B-58 Hustler, one of the greatest airplanes ever built al be it maintenance intensive, and using a very toxic, and rare fuel. I was in AZ on business and went to PIMA just to see the planes, especially the B 36 and B 50 which at the time were in restoration phases. I was knocked off my feet when lo and behold, I found myself standing right next to, and touching a B 58, my all time favorite military aircraft. What a magnificent beast, and what a beautiful bird too. Thanks.
@@smark1180 apparently you are correct. The B58 is my all time favorite military airplane. In the content of a documentary I watched recently it clearly stated that one of the reasons it was decommissioned was "the highly toxic and difficult to manage fuel". But on doing more research it appears the that GE turbines ran on plain old JP 4 . I'll have to find that documentary and see if there are citations for the fuel statement. Thanks
My absolute favorite bomber. A real testament to a brute force approach to overcoming engineering challenges. You can really see the influence of this aircraft in the nose of the B-1 lancer.
That's something I always noticed too, the similarities between the hull of the B-58 and the B-1. I wonder if the designers considered making the B-1 with a Delta wing?
@@chrisjuhl801 That's funny, I suspected as much ! I whitnessed an amazing sight in the early '90s while on base, a Kurnass-2000 (up-graded rebuilt Phantom) being chased by an F-15. Both jets being pushed to the limit. The sight and sound permenantly burned on my retina. I used to maintain F-4 Phantoms which flew the J-79 engines, same as on the Hustler.
I was stationed at Bunker Hill AFB at Peru Indiana in the early 60s. The B-58 had just become active and I spent a year at the Alert Barracks where the B-58s were on alert. There were only two SAC bases where the Hustler were based. I got to watch a lot of action from that alert facility including the coming and goings of the Hustler. Takeoff was very interesting as the afterburners came on softly and not with a big "bang" as some of the fighters stationed there did. After a year at the alert barracks I transferred to KC-135 flight simulator on the base and it was in the same building as the Hustler simulator. The tanker simulator was all analog computers (many vacuum tubes) and the B-58 simulator was all digital. The Hustler simulator was in 3 pieces, one each for the pilot, the Navigator/Bomber and the DSO. While I was at the base the hustler had two instances of accidently being tipped up on it's tail, destroying the tail gun. Maintenance personnel didn't attach a weight to the fuselage nose before transferring fuel out of the nose tank. Heads did roll and after the second time the Base Commander was gone. That duty was the most enjoyable job I had during my enlistment. I have visited the Pima air museum in Tucson and felt very sad to see the decay of this great airplane.
@@waynecoker8682 Thanks Wayne, I was in the 68 Air Refueling Squadron. They called the 305th a Bomb Wing when I was there (62-64). You must be an Old Sucker like I am (84).
It's nice to see this walkaround. I have found memories of being in Security at the 305th Bomb Wing Bunker Hill, In. Loved watching them fly and yes they were very loud.
I grew up in Kokomo, In, just south of Grissom AFB. There was a wing if B-58's stationed there abd we could always see them flying over head. Rgis was also baxk when they could go mach 1 over land and we costantly heard booms. Enjoyed going up to Grissom, then known as Bunker Hill, and watching them take off. Great memories.
The B-58on static display at Grissom AFB(formally Bunker Hill Naval Air Station) is the OLNY B-58 Trainer still around. It's tail #is 663. It was 1 of 10 original ordered by the USAF test aircraft.
Great video and very informative. Remember becoming a fan of that aircraft after its role in the 1964 movie "Fail Safe", it was called the "Vindicator" Bomber. Thank you for sharing your video!
I recall seeing that as well thinking what a beautiful aircraft which was made more sadly memorable by the doomed to fail heroic sacrifice made by the pilots and crew.
Another fantastic video! Always providing details that even a type specific fan never knew. Thank you again Mr. Stewart for being the most trustworthy source of aircraft presentations. You manage to summarize books about an airplane in minutes of video presentation.
Thank you for this lecture on the B-58. When I was a kid in the mid 60"s we were not far from Carswell AFB in Ft Worth and we got to see lots of planes flying low coming in and out from the base. All of the kids new the Hustler. It was very loud and muscular looking as it zoomed around like the badass that it was. I had no idea it was supersonic, though. 💪🇺🇸
A technological marvel for its time. That used notes on a string to communicate between the crew. Apparently, someone forgot that intercoms had been around for decades.
I remember as a kid in 1967 taking a boat tour of the locks at Sault St. Marie on the Great Lakes and as the guide was talking about submarine nets we heard a low flying jet. I looked up and there directly above us was a B-58 Hustler, that was the high point of the whole tour for me.
When they were stationed at Little Rock AFB from 64 to 70, while landing, they would cross highway 67 so low that I could see the pilot and his white helmet. They were kept under large open ended hangers on the North end of the runway and had a 45 degree entryway to the runway. Always AP and German Shepherds patrolling around them 24/7.
Another winner, Paul! When I was in 7th grade in South Suburban Chicago, we were used to hearing the "double-crack" of the sonic boom caused by B-58s operating out of what is now Grissom AFB in Indiana, making practice bombing runs against That Windy City (it always happened during my Social Studies class). It was those complaints by irritated folks that got supersonic flights over the land area of the USA banned. I might also mention a great book, "The B-58 Blunder, How The U.S. Abandoned Its Best Strategic Bomber" by Col. George Holt USAF (ret). Holt was a DSO on the Hustler, and, contrary to the title, his main job was to transfer fuel from one tank to another as the plane burned through its fuel, changing the CG continuously. If the DSO failed to do his job properly, the plane would go out of trim, and if the trim tabs were used to compensate, fuel consumption would actually DOUBLE! Col. Holt's take on the plane was obviously a bit biased, but he knows whereof he speaks, and I would give his opinion some weight. Thank you, Paul, for your excellent work.
Another really interesting video Paul! I really enjoy how you've followed (not in order ;) ) the whole history of American bombers from the B-17 until the B-2. I'd love to see a Liberator...etc but you've still done incredibly well.
For a cutting edge aircraft, such as this to have been developed, along with its remarkable crew capsule ejection systems, was incredible for over 65 years ago.
Thanks Paul. I have been enamored with the B-58 since I got a Monogram model of it in the 1970s. BTW, what I noticed is that the covers for the engines are from a different airplane with a lower serial number.
As a kid in the mid-60s, living on the Lemoore Naval Air Station, in California, where my father was stationed. I used to watch B58s coming in to use the 2 long runways on the base, for touch and go landing practice. I never learned where they were coming from, NAS Lemoore, was at least 100 miles from any Air Force base, but they were sure cool to watch.
Thanks Paul! So glad to see such a factual and loving spotlight for the Hustler. I love the details, especially how the engines were the same type used in other icons of that era.
In 1964-1968 USAF went to tech school on the B-47 and then to flight test at Edwards AFB 6515 OMS mechanic on the TB-58 that was chase for the XB-70. By the way those tires had to be changed out after every 7 landings as the new guy that was my job. The long fuel only center tank was used. This was the most fun I ever had in my life then a war came along and screwed everything up, went to MAC and crew chief on the C-141A.
Beautiful aircraft. I was fortunate to at what was then the Bunker Hill AFB, 305th. SAC base, now the Grissom Air Reserve Base, in 1964 or 65, on the tarmac during a red alert. B-58's were taking off at 20 second intervals. The ground shook, you could feel the rumble in your chest and the sky was black with exhaust from the planes. I'll never forget it. I also had to opportunity to see the B-58 flight training simulator and the ejection pod simulator. There was an accident at Bunker Hill with a B-58 carrying an atomic bomb. The bomb was damaged and radiation leaked from the bomb. Contaminated soil was excavated and removed, however there is still off limit areas on the base because of residual radiation to this day.
i always loved this plane because it looks cooler and faster than anything else- love the idea of having external stores so performance increases after they are expended (plane doesnt change size when internal tanks are empty)
You said at the end of your video that the B-58 was retired in 1970 and was replaced by the B-52. That was not the case. In 1970, FB-111A fighter-bombers started entering active service with the Strategic Air Command, first at Carswell AFB, Texas, then later at the 509th Bomb Wing at Pease AFB and the 380th Bomb Wing at Plattsburg AFB. The FB-111A was well suited for the low-level penetration role. The FB-111A could be loaded out with either B-43 or B-61 gravity bombs and the Short Range Attack Missile with a W-69 warhead, a weapon particularly well suited for an air defense suppression role during penetration into enemy territory. It was also an extremely accurate bombing platform. As an Aircraft Maintenance Officer at Pease AFB, I saw first hand the number of "shacks" (direct hits) our bombers scored during the flying portion of SAC Operational Readiness Inspections (ORI's). 509th BW and 380th BW flight crews were routine winners in the annual bombing competitions at Nellis AFB. SAC FB-111's proudly served for over 20 years until the end of the Cold War. Over 60 FB-111A's were deployed with SAC.
In Kansas at the TAC Museum they have one completely polished. I was lucky to take a look during my time in Canada/USA as Long Haul Driver. The Museum is at the Interstate 80 in Nebraska. They also have a flying Boxcar, which I did not saw in your Video-Collection. You can find in Nebraska a -SR71 hanging don from the roof -U2 hanging from the Roof -B52 -B36 -B17 -F117 Radar Model -Tanker -Boxcar -F4 -F101 -B27 I can not recall every plane. Its not very much, but they also show many Nuclear Rockets outside. Outside there is a B-1A Prototype, that one which can eject the Crew, but it is painted in green blue metallic, because the High School raised the money to paint it...
I climbed all over one of these in the desert at Edwards AFB. We poked our fingers thru the wing skin next to the “No Step” decal. And one of our group made the mistake of sliding down the nose cone… it was furred fiberglass and he was real red. All the fun stuff was removed and you could climb thru the fuselage and stick your head out the aft engine centerline exit.
I went to the UofA and had a chance to visit the museum. I’d recommend it for any aircraft enthusiast who visit Tucson. Going there and the Graveyard at Davis Monthan was really cool.
Another product of the "Nifty Fifties!" Great video as always...as the B-58 had such a short service life, not much is really out there about them, far as I know. Thanks!!
Wow, I had no idea the B-58 was this small! I always thought it's size was comparable to the Vulcan. Extremely interesting video! Thanks for sharing :)
I remember marvelling at the hustler in my first book of bombers when I was a kid. Iirc the write up claimed it cost more then its weight in gold. I had no idea how much gold cost at the time but it sounded and looked something special.
A gentleman I fly RC with was a Lt. Col in the Air Force and actually flew the B-58 that Pima Air and Space has on display. He said it was the wildest ride he ever had and loved flying the plane.
Still recall them 'sonic booming' as they came flying over Lake Michigan and the double thuds swept through Milwaukee. There were damage claims filed on many of the fly overs. In some area's it was just or more noisy then the drop forges. After a while they moved the flight paths to the UP of Michigan.
Another nice video! The B-58 is so dramatic, it was a favorite whenever my dad took us to the A.F. Museum at Wright Pat. AFB. And gosh, you include some clips of the very plane I saw as a kid. 😀
@@PaulStewartAviation The B-58! And, this is a confession, that was back in 1971, when the museum re--opened at it's current location. Back then there was only one building hanger, and the B-58 was located outside. It caught my eye immediately.
I loved the look of both the B-58 Hustler and the XB-70 Valkyrie, They may not have been practical for the time, but they have a strikingly beautiful design.
Yeah -- the B-58 was one of those planes that was better as setting records than performing its actual missions! I'll admit it was a neat-looking plane but the more I read and hear about, the more I'm convinced that LeMay was right in this instance!
It was the dawn of the era of the ICBM and jet aircraft development was by leaps and bounds. There were a whole lot of highly specialized high-performance aircraft that were barely in service for five years before becoming obsolete.
When I was a teenager living in East Texas, B-58s flying in to Barksdale AFB would often blast us with their double sonic booms, sometimes at 5:30 or 6 a.m. Also, It's a fact that the Air Force never got to test the top speed of the plane because those J-79s could push the plane well beyond its design limits. The aluminum skin would start to overheat at around Mach 2.6. It may have been able to hit Mach 3+. Remember, this was back in the early 1960s.
I always thought the B-58 was one of the sleekest and best looking aircraft ever built, just like another beauty,the SR-71. I haven't seen the movie in many years, but i do believe this is the bomber shown in that gripping movie " Fail Safe" with Henry Fonda and a host of other familiar actors at a younger age. That bomber mistakenly dropped a nuclear bomb on Russia. Very tense movie, scared me at the possibilities of what could happen. Great video with lots of info, thanks.
What most don't know is that the ejection seats go down when you eject, so if you have a compressor failure on takeoff and try to eject, you have to roll the aircraft over or it will eject you into the ground. It happened at Edwards AFB, killing all aboard!
The primary body style had practical attribute advantages. Just needed modern components of engine ability & versital missle holster of all types. Hardly see how the B-52 replaces it, when it's a mini B-1 super sonic style.
High rate of failure, high procurement cost, expensive to maintain, high fuel consumption rate, low range, low payload... It's not very hard to understand once you think in terms of dollars.
@@rolflandale2565 Payload is absolutely important for strategic bombers. A B-52 could eventually carry 20 nuclear tipped cruise missiles, which give it a much better stand off range and chance of getting warheads through compared to a few dumb bombs. Even in the 50s the USAAF knew that guided missiles were the future of nuclear attack.
@@frostedbutts4340 but the method of how they carry it matters, this craft was to attempt sonic, not related to a replacement. If the tactic isn't on the same level, it's like saying if a helicopter too small to take it over the mountains, we'll just take a truck, that's orange vs potato, NOTHING related. Different NOT substitute.( *speed* )
Lot's of interesting detail as usual eg the wheel well was airconditioned to help cool the tyres after a high speed takeoff or landing. Great video footage as well. Well done Paul.
Oh it seems like I wasn't clear in my explanation. The extreme heat actually happens at mach 2 because of the aerodynamic heating of the aircraft's skin. The heat generated during landing and takeoff would be much less.
the B58 was simply two decades ahead of its time. Modern avionics, engines, and structural materials might make such a design competitive today. A weapon system that can get somewhere fast, deliver ordnance, and get out fast is always a very useful system.
Nah, this is a beautiful aircraft but the whole 'high and fast' strategic bomber is dead for a reason. Stupidly expensive and you're not going to outrun a missile.
My all time favorite. The X-15, just below her. Fortunately she was not used for her end purpose, but she would still be viable today. Imagine her with updated engines. One of the "Sexiest" birds built by Man. 14? Records, some still standing? There seems to be no limit to what an inspired man can create. Most fortunate is that that kind of inspiration doesn't grow in Captivity.
@@PaulStewartAviation What happened to the X-15 in the Air & Space ? Was it removed from display ? I got to see it in '93, along with all the other wonderful flying machines.
I watched 3 fly by below me from a granite hilltop in northern Michigan before they were retired. They each had the pod and 4 of what looked like nuclear stores two under each wing. Last I saw of them they were almost at tree top level heading for the east tip of the Keweenaw peninsula.
The B-58 was one of the most beautiful aircraft ever built.
Completely agree. A bomber that looks like a fighter. Sounds like it was a terribly flyer though.
@@jerrodlarson8391 pp
Amen !
The B-58 was useless
I'm inclined to agree.
The narrowing of the fuselage consistent with Whitcomb's Area Rule is very attractive and spawning the so called 'Coke bottle' era of design ques.
My other fav of the era is the EE Lightning.
Despite its many shortcomings, the coolness factor of the B-58 is hard to beat. Thank you for another fun and highly informative video, Paul.
Glad you enjoyed it David!
My father was in USAF for 29 years from WWII to 1970 retiring as Full Colonel. He was a project manager of the B-58 . He has a model with signatures all over it. I was a little kid at the time. I was facinated by all things airplanes, and why I became an enegineer in aircraft certification and later as Airline pilot.
I dont understand why people in america always lying claiming their relative or they parent became something that they actually not. Do you are not embarasing if someone find out that you are lying? In russian we dont do that because we was live in comunist society for us no point claiming someone to look cool because we threat everpeople with same level.
When touring the B-58 at the Pima Air Museum it took me a while to figure out how the front landing gear, so close to the external fuel tank, was still able to retract backwards. It was a unique and complicated landing gear, must like the whole plane itself. The funny thing was, at the close of the day at Pima I was accidently locked inside their museum. I guess the security guard didn't realize anyone was left inside. I took it as a great opportunity to examime some of the indoor displays up close, uniil, that is, when climbing over the security fence to the parking lot I realized I had dropped my car keys somewhere in their huge outdoor display area. Had to track down the secuity guard to call a locksmith, explaining to him the whole story. A nice guy. Fortunately, the next day someone had found my keys outside and turned them in. So a memoriable experience all around, and well worth a full day's visit if you're really into planes and history.
A whole Museum to yourself! Sounds like a good time.
You shoulda camped out in one of the planes til the next day, that woulda been awesome!!
I’ve walked around the B-36 many times while it was in the two locations in and around Ft. Worth, Tx. from my childhood days through adulthood and taking my then 5 year old son with me on the last trip or two when it was outside the main front gate of the General Dynamics plant where it was built and then cosmetically restored before it went to Arizona.
Let this be a lesson to ya! Keep track of your keys, phone and wallet when travelling...
Been to many air museums and Pima is a FANTASTIC one!👍🏼
Interesting side story on the B-58: In January 1961 Major Henry J. Deutschendorf, USAF, 43rd Bomb Wing, Strategic Air Command, flew from Carswell Air Force Base, Texas to Edwards Air Force Base, California with the B-58A-10-CF Hustler, 59-2442, "Untouchable". There, he flew two laps of a 1,000 kilometer circuit between Edwards and Yuma, establishing six new Fédération Aéronautique Internationale (FAI) speed records at an average of 1,708.82 kilometers per hour (1,061.81 miles per hour). He and his two crewmen, Captain Raymond R. Wagener, Defensive Systems Officer; Captain William L. Polhemus, Radar Navigator/Bombardier, were each awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross. As a side note, Major Henry Deutschendorf Sr. was the father of Henry J. Deutschendorf, Jr., better known by his stage name, “John Denver”. Henry Sr. would later teach Jr. how to fly, and John Denver became an avid pilot.
Major Henry J. Deutschendorfs son was John Denver
As a teenager in the 60's one of the best presents I ever received was a model of the B-58 Hustler, one of the greatest airplanes ever built al be it maintenance intensive, and using a very toxic, and rare fuel. I was in AZ on business and went to PIMA just to see the planes, especially the B 36 and B 50 which at the time were in restoration phases. I was knocked off my feet when lo and behold, I found myself standing right next to, and touching a B 58, my all time favorite military aircraft. What a magnificent beast, and what a beautiful bird too. Thanks.
"using a very toxic, and rare fuel."
Nonsense. It used JP-4.
@@smark1180 apparently you are correct. The B58 is my all time favorite military airplane. In the content of a documentary I watched recently it clearly stated that one of the reasons it was decommissioned was "the highly toxic and difficult to manage fuel". But on doing more research it appears the that GE turbines ran on plain old JP 4 . I'll have to find that documentary and see if there are citations for the fuel statement. Thanks
My absolute favorite bomber. A real testament to a brute force approach to overcoming engineering challenges. You can really see the influence of this aircraft in the nose of the B-1 lancer.
That's something I always noticed too, the similarities between the hull of the B-58 and the B-1. I wonder if the designers considered making the B-1 with a Delta wing?
As a kid I saw a B58 flying through the Fjords of Norway. What a sight!
@Chris Juhi A stratigic nuclear bomber that thinks it's a figher jet.
I suspect that sight and sound was permenantly burned to memory !!
@@trespire like it happened yesterday
@@chrisjuhl801 That's funny, I suspected as much ! I whitnessed an amazing sight in the early '90s while on base, a Kurnass-2000 (up-graded rebuilt Phantom) being chased by an F-15. Both jets being pushed to the limit. The sight and sound permenantly burned on my retina.
I used to maintain F-4 Phantoms which flew the J-79 engines, same as on the Hustler.
Love it. I made a Revell model of this one when I was a kid. Hung it from the ceiling of my bedroom along with my other fav, the P38 Lightning
The B-58 at Pima Air Museum in Tucson, AZ is totally AWESOME!!!!🥇🎖️🥉🥈🧨🧨🧨🧨🧨
So is the entire Pima Air Museum.
I was stationed at Bunker Hill AFB at Peru Indiana in the early 60s. The B-58 had just become active and I spent a year at the Alert Barracks where the B-58s were on alert. There were only two SAC bases where the Hustler were based. I got to watch a lot of action from that alert facility including the coming and goings of the Hustler. Takeoff was very interesting as the afterburners came on softly and not with a big "bang" as some of the fighters stationed there did. After a year at the alert barracks I transferred to KC-135 flight simulator on the base and it was in the same building as the Hustler simulator. The tanker simulator was all analog computers (many vacuum tubes) and the B-58 simulator was all digital. The Hustler simulator was in 3 pieces, one each for the pilot, the Navigator/Bomber and the DSO. While I was at the base the hustler had two instances of accidently being tipped up on it's tail, destroying the tail gun. Maintenance personnel didn't attach a weight to the fuselage nose before transferring fuel out of the nose tank. Heads did roll and after the second time the Base Commander was gone. That duty was the most enjoyable job I had during my enlistment. I have visited the Pima air museum in Tucson and felt very sad to see the decay of this great airplane.
So was I, 305th CDS 63-67!
@@waynecoker8682 Thanks Wayne, I was in the 68 Air Refueling Squadron. They called the 305th a Bomb Wing when I was there (62-64). You must be an Old Sucker like I am (84).
Pima Air Museum and AMARG... one of my favorite places on earth
It's nice to see this walkaround. I have found memories of being in Security at the 305th Bomb Wing Bunker Hill, In. Loved watching them fly and yes they were very loud.
One of my three all time greats. B58, Avro Vulcan and Mirage IV.
I grew up in Kokomo, In, just south of Grissom AFB. There was a wing if B-58's stationed there abd we could always see them flying over head. Rgis was also baxk when they could go mach 1 over land and we costantly heard booms. Enjoyed going up to Grissom, then known as Bunker Hill, and watching them take off. Great memories.
awesome! had a kitset model of the hustler when i was a kid. always was fascinated by this machine!
One of best aviation museums in the world.
It is! I was filming there last week and hope to get those videos out in coming months :)
Many thanks for this video...the Hustler is a beautiful aircraft in spite of it's many technical & flight problems...one of my favorites...
Early computers were vacume tube power and usually required their own generator. Very heavy.
Gotta say the Octogear is very cute, like 8 little babies on each landing gear 🤗
The B-58on static display at Grissom AFB(formally Bunker Hill Naval Air Station) is the OLNY B-58 Trainer still around. It's tail #is 663. It was 1 of 10 original ordered by the USAF test aircraft.
Great video and very informative. Remember becoming a fan of that aircraft after its role in the 1964 movie "Fail Safe", it was called the "Vindicator" Bomber. Thank you for sharing your video!
I recall seeing that as well thinking what a beautiful aircraft which was made more sadly memorable by the doomed to fail heroic sacrifice made by the pilots and crew.
Another fantastic video! Always providing details that even a type specific fan never knew.
Thank you again Mr. Stewart for being the most trustworthy source of aircraft presentations. You manage to summarize books about an airplane in minutes of video presentation.
Thanks Paulo!
General Curtis LeMay. One of the greats.
Great video. Pity this museum doesn't have the money to bring such rare planes in side but such is life
i GREW UP IN Ft. W. I remember the sonic booms from the Hustler. Awesome aircraft.
Paul, always good to see a new video from you!! I 😀enjoyed it!
Thank you for this lecture on the B-58. When I was a kid in the mid 60"s we were not far from Carswell AFB in Ft Worth and we got to see lots of planes flying low coming in and out from the base. All of the kids new the Hustler. It was very loud and muscular looking as it zoomed around like the badass that it was. I had no idea it was supersonic, though.
💪🇺🇸
@Justice Wokeisuttrbs Not just supersonic, but mach-2.
This was a most wonderful high speed bomber. One of the pilots of the B-58 bombers was the farther of singer John Denver.
Sweet! The Hustler; my absolute All-Time favorite jet bomber of any nation! Cheers!
A technological marvel for its time. That used notes on a string to communicate between the crew.
Apparently, someone forgot that intercoms had been around for decades.
I remember as a kid in 1967 taking a boat tour of the locks at Sault St. Marie on the Great Lakes and as the guide was talking about submarine nets we heard a low flying jet. I looked up and there directly above us was a B-58 Hustler, that was the high point of the whole tour for me.
A few interesting details I was unaware of. Thank You.
Glad you enjoyed it
When they were stationed at Little Rock AFB from 64 to 70, while landing, they would cross highway 67 so low that I could see the pilot and his white helmet. They were kept under large open ended hangers on the North end of the runway and had a 45 degree entryway to the runway. Always AP and German Shepherds patrolling around them 24/7.
Another winner, Paul! When I was in 7th grade in South Suburban Chicago, we were used to hearing the "double-crack" of the sonic boom caused by B-58s operating out of what is now Grissom AFB in Indiana, making practice bombing runs against That Windy City (it always happened during my Social Studies class). It was those complaints by irritated folks that got supersonic flights over the land area of the USA banned.
I might also mention a great book, "The B-58 Blunder, How The U.S. Abandoned Its Best Strategic Bomber" by Col. George Holt USAF (ret). Holt was a DSO on the Hustler, and, contrary to the title, his main job was to transfer fuel from one tank to another as the plane burned through its fuel, changing the CG continuously. If the DSO failed to do his job properly, the plane would go out of trim, and if the trim tabs were used to compensate, fuel consumption would actually DOUBLE!
Col. Holt's take on the plane was obviously a bit biased, but he knows whereof he speaks, and I would give his opinion some weight.
Thank you, Paul, for your excellent work.
Huh - didn't realize the c.s. ejection system was used that early. Same was used in the XB70, but one jammed and failed. Thanks!
Another really interesting video Paul! I really enjoy how you've followed (not in order ;) ) the whole history of American bombers from the B-17 until the B-2. I'd love to see a Liberator...etc but you've still done incredibly well.
Glad you enjoyed it
For a cutting edge aircraft, such as this to have been developed, along with its remarkable crew capsule ejection systems, was incredible for over 65 years ago.
Spectacular, stunning aircraft! Great video!
My brother was a power plant technician on them. 1964-1966.. bunker Hill AFB 305th, Indiana
Thanks Paul. I have been enamored with the B-58 since I got a Monogram model of it in the 1970s. BTW, what I noticed is that the covers for the engines are from a different airplane with a lower serial number.
As a kid in the mid-60s, living on the Lemoore Naval Air Station, in California, where my father was stationed. I used to watch B58s coming in to use the 2 long runways on the base, for touch and go landing practice. I never learned where they were coming from, NAS Lemoore, was at least 100 miles from any Air Force base, but they were sure cool to watch.
Thanks Paul! So glad to see such a factual and loving spotlight for the Hustler.
I love the details, especially how the engines were the same type used in other icons of that era.
Glad you enjoyed it!
I met a really nice retired Air Force pilot here in Texas named Colonel Rose. He had been a B58 pilot. We used to talk about aviation stuff.
Great video Paul, wish I could of seen one fly😊
My favorite military jet from the 1950's, based on looks alone
My FAV plane actually
In 1964-1968 USAF went to tech school on the B-47 and then to flight test at Edwards AFB 6515 OMS mechanic on the TB-58 that was chase for the XB-70. By the way those tires had to be changed out after every 7 landings as the new guy that was my job. The long fuel only center tank was used. This was the most fun I ever had in my life then a war came along and screwed everything up, went to MAC and crew chief on the C-141A.
Awesome collection of interesting and informative videos
Glad you enjoy them! My Columbine III video is coming in a few days!
Beautiful aircraft. I was fortunate to at what was then the Bunker Hill AFB, 305th. SAC base, now the Grissom Air Reserve Base, in 1964 or 65, on the tarmac during a red alert. B-58's were taking off at 20 second intervals. The ground shook, you could feel the rumble in your chest and the sky was black with exhaust from the planes. I'll never forget it. I also had to opportunity to see the B-58 flight training simulator and the ejection pod simulator. There was an accident at Bunker Hill with a B-58 carrying an atomic bomb. The bomb was damaged and radiation leaked from the bomb. Contaminated soil was excavated and removed, however there is still off limit areas on the base because of residual radiation to this day.
The aircraft you referenced was in the hangers I was posted to that day. A day I will never forget.
Thank you very much, Paul, for another interesting documentary video with us. I enjoyed each second.
i always loved this plane because it looks cooler and faster than anything else- love the idea of having external stores so performance increases after they are expended (plane doesnt change size when internal tanks are empty)
You said at the end of your video that the B-58 was retired in 1970 and was replaced by the B-52. That was not the case. In 1970, FB-111A fighter-bombers started entering active service with the Strategic Air Command, first at Carswell AFB, Texas, then later at the 509th Bomb Wing at Pease AFB and the 380th Bomb Wing at Plattsburg AFB. The FB-111A was well suited for the low-level penetration role. The FB-111A could be loaded out with either B-43 or B-61 gravity bombs and the Short Range Attack Missile with a W-69 warhead, a weapon particularly well suited for an air defense suppression role during penetration into enemy territory. It was also an extremely accurate bombing platform. As an Aircraft Maintenance Officer at Pease AFB, I saw first hand the number of "shacks" (direct hits) our bombers scored during the flying portion of SAC Operational Readiness Inspections (ORI's). 509th BW and 380th BW flight crews were routine winners in the annual bombing competitions at Nellis AFB. SAC FB-111's proudly served for over 20 years until the end of the Cold War. Over 60 FB-111A's were deployed with SAC.
In Kansas at the TAC Museum they have one completely polished. I was lucky to take a look during my time in Canada/USA as Long Haul Driver. The Museum is at the Interstate 80 in Nebraska.
They also have a flying Boxcar, which I did not saw in your Video-Collection.
You can find in Nebraska a
-SR71 hanging don from the roof
-U2 hanging from the Roof
-B52
-B36
-B17
-F117 Radar Model
-Tanker
-Boxcar
-F4
-F101
-B27
I can not recall every plane. Its not very much, but they also show many Nuclear Rockets outside.
Outside there is a B-1A Prototype, that one which can eject the Crew, but it is painted in green blue metallic, because the High School raised the money to paint it...
I climbed all over one of these in the desert at Edwards AFB. We poked our fingers thru the wing skin next to the “No Step” decal. And one of our group made the mistake of sliding down the nose cone… it was furred fiberglass and he was real red. All the fun stuff was removed and you could climb thru the fuselage and stick your head out the aft engine centerline exit.
I went to the UofA and had a chance to visit the museum. I’d recommend it for any aircraft enthusiast who visit Tucson. Going there and the Graveyard at Davis Monthan was really cool.
Another product of the "Nifty Fifties!" Great video as always...as the B-58 had such a short service life, not much is really out there about them, far as I know. Thanks!!
Wow, I had no idea the B-58 was this small! I always thought it's size was comparable to the Vulcan.
Extremely interesting video! Thanks for sharing :)
Glad you enjoyed it
The tires on the landing gear are only about knee high or just a tad bit more.
I remember marvelling at the hustler in my first book of bombers when I was a kid. Iirc the write up claimed it cost more then its weight in gold. I had no idea how much gold cost at the time but it sounded and looked something special.
A gentleman I fly RC with was a Lt. Col in the Air Force and actually flew the B-58 that Pima Air and Space has on display. He said it was the wildest ride he ever had and loved flying the plane.
I love your detailed tours of these greats of aviation engineering.
Glad you enjoy them and more are coming :)
You never disappoint us with your videos
B-36 and B-58 are my favorite bombers before the B-52s and F111s or B-1s entered their service.
Fascinating video as always Paul. Keep them coming!
This plane was made famous in the 60's movie "Fail Safe".
Still recall them 'sonic booming' as they came flying over Lake Michigan and the double thuds swept through Milwaukee. There were damage claims filed on many of the fly overs. In some area's it was just or more noisy then the drop forges. After a while they moved the flight paths to the UP of Michigan.
Paul you gotta do the B66 right next door. It’s such a weird jet!
Next time maybe :)
The Pima Air Museum is southeast of Tucson Arizona, in the US, very near "the boneyard" at Davis -Monthan Air Force Base.
This thing just looks fast!!!
It's just so cool. This is what every kids jet toy looked like in the 70s!!!😂
Thanks for this ✈️🇳🇿
Another nice video! The B-58 is so dramatic, it was a favorite whenever my dad took us to the A.F. Museum at Wright Pat. AFB. And gosh, you include some clips of the very plane I saw as a kid. 😀
Glad you enjoyed it Sean! Which was the aircraft you saw a kid?
@@PaulStewartAviation The B-58! And, this is a confession, that was back in 1971, when the museum re--opened at it's current location. Back then there was only one building hanger, and the B-58 was located outside. It caught my eye immediately.
I saw 1 of these flying. It is a wicked looking machine.
Thanks Paul! ♥️
I loved the look of both the B-58 Hustler and the XB-70 Valkyrie, They may not have been practical for the time, but they have a strikingly beautiful design.
Looks more modern than some of the aircraft that are flying now
The General Electric J79 Engine was on a plethora of designs -- most notably, the F-4 Phantom II.
Back in that era when simple delta wings were popular in USAF designs.
It looks bad ass
My father worked on these along with the b-47 and b-52
Nice work.
Thanks!
Yeah --
the B-58 was one of those planes that was better as setting records than performing its actual missions!
I'll admit it was a neat-looking plane but the more I read and hear about, the more I'm convinced that LeMay was right in this instance!
It was the dawn of the era of the ICBM and jet aircraft development was by leaps and bounds.
There were a whole lot of highly specialized high-performance aircraft that were barely in service for five years before becoming obsolete.
When I was a teenager living in East Texas, B-58s flying in to Barksdale AFB would often blast us with their double sonic booms, sometimes at 5:30 or 6 a.m. Also, It's a fact that the Air Force never got to test the top speed of the plane because those J-79s could push the plane well beyond its design limits. The aluminum skin would start to overheat at around Mach 2.6. It may have been able to hit Mach 3+. Remember, this was back in the early 1960s.
Great vid again!
I always thought the B-58 was one of the sleekest and best looking aircraft ever built, just like another beauty,the SR-71. I haven't seen the movie in many years, but i do believe this is the bomber shown in that gripping movie " Fail Safe" with Henry Fonda and a host of other familiar actors at a younger age. That bomber mistakenly dropped a nuclear bomb on Russia. Very tense movie, scared me at the possibilities of what could happen. Great video with lots of info, thanks.
Good one Paul. She is a sleek and attractive beauty. Great looking aircraft. Thanks man ! ✈ 😯👍
Glad you enjoyed it
@@PaulStewartAviation Yes thanks
Paul as s as Leah’s a fantastic vlog
What most don't know is that the ejection seats go down when you eject, so if you have a compressor failure on takeoff and try to eject, you have to roll the aircraft over or it will eject you into the ground. It happened at Edwards AFB, killing all aboard!
Uh, no. All B-58 seats ejected straight up.
Stood under that machine in early 90s and it was still dripping fuel on the sand.
The primary body style had practical attribute advantages. Just needed modern components of engine ability & versital missle holster of all types. Hardly see how the B-52 replaces it, when it's a mini B-1 super sonic style.
The B52 outlasted this thing because it's cheaper to operate, and can carry far more stand off weapons.
High rate of failure, high procurement cost, expensive to maintain, high fuel consumption rate, low range, low payload...
It's not very hard to understand once you think in terms of dollars.
@@frostedbutts4340 well. A boat could carry more, if the goal was just to carry more things... .
@@rolflandale2565 Payload is absolutely important for strategic bombers.
A B-52 could eventually carry 20 nuclear tipped cruise missiles, which give it a much better stand off range and chance of getting warheads through compared to a few dumb bombs.
Even in the 50s the USAAF knew that guided missiles were the future of nuclear attack.
@@frostedbutts4340 but the method of how they carry it matters, this craft was to attempt sonic, not related to a replacement. If the tactic isn't on the same level, it's like saying if a helicopter too small to take it over the mountains, we'll just take a truck, that's orange vs potato, NOTHING related. Different NOT substitute.( *speed* )
Lot's of interesting detail as usual eg the wheel well was airconditioned to help cool the tyres after a high speed takeoff or landing. Great video footage as well. Well done Paul.
Oh it seems like I wasn't clear in my explanation. The extreme heat actually happens at mach 2 because of the aerodynamic heating of the aircraft's skin. The heat generated during landing and takeoff would be much less.
@@PaulStewartAviation Thanks for the clarification Paul!
the B58 was simply two decades ahead of its time. Modern avionics, engines, and structural materials might make such a design competitive today. A weapon system that can get somewhere fast, deliver ordnance, and get out fast is always a very useful system.
Nah, this is a beautiful aircraft but the whole 'high and fast' strategic bomber is dead for a reason. Stupidly expensive and you're not going to outrun a missile.
This design was futuristic for its time. It has a successful concept to have been developed over time.
When I see the B-58 it reminds me of a movie Fail Safe 1964 ! 🤔
I have seen the B-58 at the USAF Museum in Dayton, Ohio
A magnificent and beautiful aircraft. So far ahead of its time.
Coool looking plane!
Interesting video Paul!
The font you used on the thumbnail for HUSTLER matches the magazine's font
My all time favorite. The X-15, just below her. Fortunately she was not used for her end purpose, but she would still be viable today. Imagine her with updated engines. One of the "Sexiest" birds built by Man. 14? Records, some still standing? There seems to be no limit to what an inspired man can create. Most fortunate is that that kind of inspiration doesn't grow in Captivity.
Hopefully you've seen my X-15 tour video from Dayton. It's the only one currently on display anywhere in the world.
@@PaulStewartAviation What happened to the X-15 in the Air & Space ? Was it removed from display ?
I got to see it in '93, along with all the other wonderful flying machines.
I might have witnessed her in my youth far overhead, breaking the sound barrier. But that was 60's, not sure when they terminated her.
I watched 3 fly by below me from a granite hilltop in northern Michigan before they were retired. They each had the pod and 4 of what looked like nuclear stores two under each wing. Last I saw of them they were almost at tree top level heading for the east tip of the Keweenaw peninsula.
Didn't see the 58, but I did see B52s over Isle Royal in 1983 or so.