Convair’s legendary B-58 Hustler was first flown on 11 November 11 1956. The delta-winged bomber would go on to serve with Strategic Air Command (SAC) for only about ten years, but those ten years, between 1960 and 1970, were some of the most perilous in the country’s history.
Designed for a high-altitude penetration mission that was essentially rendered invalid due to improvements made by the Soviets to their surface-to-air missiles (SAMs), the iconic B-58 nonetheless became legendary for its exceptional performance and the advanced technology it incorporated.
The following video was uploaded to YouTube by Gung Ho Vids:
Colonel Chuck Jones Relives His B-58 Days
Retired United States Air Force (USAF) Colonel Chuck Jones narrates this look at the B-58 and its historic deeds. Jones, a former Hustler crew dog himself, also served as deputy commander of McConnell Air Force Base (AFB) in Kansas and commanded Thule Air Base in Greenland, Blytheville AFB in Arkansas, and Carswell AFB in Texas. He has been a volunteer at the National Museum of the United States Air Force in Dayton, Ohio, since 2003. His insights into the B-58 are told as only one who experienced the B-58 can tell them.
Hustler Trivia Time
Jones also crewed in the B-58A that resides at the Air Force Museum today, B-58A Air Force SN 59-2458, known as the Cowtown Hustler. Based at Carswell AFB, 59-2458 flew from Los Angeles to New York City and back on 5 March 1962, setting three separate speed records along the way.
The crew, Air Force Captains Robert G. Sowers, Robert MacDonald, and John T. Walton (no relation), earned both the 1962 Bendix Trophy and the 1962 Mackay Trophy for their achievement. The bomber was flown to the Museum on 1 March 1969.
