B58 hustler cockpit

Powered by four General Electric J79 engines in underwing pods and designed around a large delta wing, the Convair B Hustler was the first operational bomber capable of flying at Mach 2. Air Force, made its first flight on Nov. Virgil I. The first supersonic bomber had a thin fuselage that prevedented the carrying of bombs internally. According to the U. The aircraft was also equipped with an escape module: on Mar.

The Convair B Hustler , designed and produced by American aircraft manufacturer Convair , was the first operational bomber capable of Mach 2 flight. To achieve the high speeds desired, Convair chose a delta wing design used by contemporary fighters such as the Convair F The bomber was powered by four General Electric J79 engines in underwing pods. Later, four external hardpoints were added, enabling it to carry up to five weapons. Designed to replace the subsonic Boeing B Stratojet strategic bomber, the B became notorious for its sonic boom heard on the ground by the public as it passed overhead in supersonic flight. The B 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 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.

Edited by David Barth 9 July Convair BA Hustler in flight on June 29, Reversing the trend towards ever-larger bombers, the world's first supersonic bomber, the B, was ordered by the Air Force in This was also the final year of the production of the huge Convair B

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