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My grandfather was one of the lead electronic engineers on both the B58 and the F111 at Convair/GD. Even he said while the B58 was a great testbed for then "advanced" technology, that it was an aircraft which was a one trick pony. Although it was probably his favorite aircraft to be a part of, he said it's time on active duty was appropriately limited due to rapid advancement in technology. I still have B58 tie tacks/cuff links, pens and even some manuals which I found after he died. Cool memorabilia!
So the B-58 was becoming out-dated due to a "advancement in technology?" But the B-52, which was a 1940's design and first flew in 1952 was not being left behind? The B-52 was a whole aircraft generation older than the Hustler, in aerodynamics, engines, avionics, escape systems, etc.
The metallurgy and tech weren't up to the design and speed of this aircraft . Hustlers were a bad ass design , it was the maintenance cost that ended them , that being said we could produce these limit pushing design today and have a very effective combat aircraft !
As a young ‘teenager’ in very early 1960s I saw a Revell model construction kit of the Hustler. It was my dream to make that model fly… it looked so aerodynamic! So futuristic, particularly compared with the uk available WW2 style prop driven historical models. It looked the future in miniature.
My Basic Training Assistant Training Instructor was a Crew Chief on the B-58. We had to go to KP at Kelly Field and the TI had the bus driver go out past the flightline where the last four B-58's were being prepped to fly to the Davis-Montham AFB boneyard. He had the bus driver stop, and we sat there for about five minutes as he told us some great stories about his time on the Hustler. He said it was bitter-sweet for him, he loved the airplane, but said the particular front landing gear on his airplane was a royal pain in the ass.
What year was this?I was stationed at Davis Monthan in 1979 working on drone catching H-3's. I went to the Pima Air Museum when they were still just a tiny tin shack. Near the front door was an escape pod from a 58 on a pallet with a hand written cardboard sign describing the piece. Out front, down the dead end semi crumbling public roadway was an unguarded B-58 sitting on the side of the road. It didn't have the belly pod installed. The entrance gate to the business at the end of the road said it was a scrap operator. Perhaps they (eventually?) donated it to the museum. Perhaps it was there ready to be towed to the museum...it was certainly pointed in the correct direction.
That front landing gear looks impossible because it's like 2 inches in front of the tip of the center line fuel tank. They had to make it fold forward, fold in half, then backwards, or something like that. Plus the tiny wheels scrubbed into rags, all to save space and weight.
I was 2nd lieutenant in the USMC doing a cross-country training flight and had landed at Bunker Hill AFB in an F-4B to refuel. After refueling and taxiing for TO, I was told to hold short for a departing plane. It turned out to be a B-58. What a sight! Big and shiny and with 4 J-79s under its wings. My plane had two so I knew how powerful they were. The Hustler pushed all four up to TO power and it was a glorious sound! Then they went to AB on all four and I was awestruck. However, they didn't move for a few seconds doing an engine check. In the F-4, if you went into AB while the parking brake was on, the plane would move while dragging the nonmoving wheels. That's how powerful the engines were and for that plane not to move with four ABs running told me what a heavy plane it was. It was a beauty and has always been one of my favorites along with the F105 and of course the Phantom.
Arguably the most beutifull aircraft of the cold war era. Sleek lines, looks like its going mach 2, parked, A real modern work of art. Escorted by F-104 starfighters, what a sight !
I remember as a kid, going to the open houses they had for the public at Bunker Hill AFB. My biggest thrill was sitting in the pilot's seat in the B-58 they had on display. Grew up in Kokomo just South of Bunker Hill and I remember the house ratteling every time there was a sonic boom. The B-58 was and still is my favorite aircraft of all times.
I have always considered the B-58 the finest example of ambition made real. The one in Dayton is polished to mirror finish and looks like liquid metal.
My dad, working for the Wright-Patt Transportation Squadron as a civilian employee was the driver of an Air Force International towed the B-58 Hustler from the old Air Force Museum in Fairborn, Ohio down State Route 444 to the new (current) Museum in Riverside, Ohio (8 miles away) back in 1970/71.
Those who are fans of the B-58 'Hustler' as I am, should watch the movie 'Fail Safe'. 1964, starring Henry Fonda and Larry Hagman. Truly one of the favorite movies of my youth. Brilliant and well written story of the 'Cold War era'. Can't say enough good things about it! (Edit: Peace out)!
@1badjesus401 I'm going to have to educate myself and see that version! I did not know that a remake was released. Thank you for the update. Peace out...
Great interview. I grew up with the B58 at Carswell AFB then Little Rock AFB untill they phased it out. My father was a maintainer and also crew chief for a period before he transitioned to the B52 in the 70s. From a young kids perspective the B58 was like the Starship Enterprise, so futuristic. When it took off with full afterburner all of base housing would rattle.
The B-58 was a sexy aircraft. The sleekness....delta wing....those slung engines and the unpainted hull all made for an aircraft that belonged in the Atomic Age era aesthetic.
While at. Little Rock AFB, a crewmember told me that after going supersonic,, 1500 hours of maintenance was required to make it airworthiness. A plane that was pushing the leading edge of technology.
@@RogerStout-fh8ev I read 150hrs per flight hour. This seems about right since in WW2 a Sherman tank required similar maintenance, so building a machine around similar maintenance requirements wasn't out of the question for the time and probably was considered acceptable for military use. Ultimately you could be spot on right however. Whatever the truth, who cares? The fact it was designed, flown, operated, the J-79 engine developed is amazing considering it was only 50 years since Kitty Hawk. Really since about 1960 not much more has been discovered aerodynamically compared to the 15 years from 1945 - 1960. Advances since then have been mostly in design, turbofan engines driven by fuel efficiency and operating costs, construction techniques with a bit of metallurgy. J-79 engines still in use today with new parts available. Not bad for an engine getting on for 70 years old.
As a young kid of that era, that was my dream plane. Later replaced by the Black Bird. My father (a teacher) was a member of the CAP in Detroit, occasionally flying in to Wright Paterson. On one of those trips, he was given a ride in the third seat to Texas and back at supersonic speed. It was only later when i was older that this was when he bought me the model kit.
My respect to the men who spent hours in a claustrophobic environment, working very hard to stay ahead of an aircraft covering 30 miles in a minute, using vacuum tube technology.
Our local museum made really interesting decision on placing B-58 right next to F-102 so you can clearly see that the wing is quite similar on these planes. Also seeing it live I actually never expected that it is quite small even compared to B-47.
@alexx86hater what local aircraft museum would that be. I'd love to look it up and get that photo down loaded or copied. I am retired Air Force and currently am in Tucson Az. The Bone Yard, Pima Air and Space Museum, Titan missle sites. I feel Air nation and as a people qe were safer and closer(more like a family always ready to win a fight and to fight for each other back in the time after WW-II leading up to Nam
@@arizonahillbilly5961 Thank you for your service. This is the Strategic Air Command & Aerospace Museum (Ashland, NE) The collection is quite impressive on the "big bird" type of the planes: TB-29, B-36 (and XF-85 right next to it), early B-52, B-47, B-1A (4th prototype), B-58, Vulcan B.2(currently under restoration) and right where you buy tickets you are greeted by SR-71 in a flight mode under the glass dome. And many other fun things. At the museum parking they have Atlas, Thor and Snark. There is also quite a bit of space stuff. So yeah, if you ever in the area that's a great
The one and only B58 I ever got to see in person was on static display at Chaute AFB in fall of 1984 as young 18 year old airman. I was so amazed by this aircraft that when phase allowed I went to library to find out more a out more a out this aircraft. This was before internet access.
I can't thank you enough for making this interview with Col Holt. I never bought the 'hype' about it being dangerous and expensive to fly. Because our generals had to play politics, they stopped the best weapon the US ever had! It proves that the upper-level air force leadership is one-sided and are narrow-minded politicians in uniform. I was stationed at little Rock AFB where we had B-47's & KC-135's - boring stuff. Then one day she - the B 58 Hustler - showed up and there was never a boring day or night. Fell in love with her on first sight. And after seeing her perform, I was totally hooked. She was all I could think of! Upon hearing that she was being removed from service, I couldn't believe it. Who in their mind would make such a blunder??
There's no getting around the fact that maintenance costs per hour were 50% greater than the B-52 and the accident and attrition rates were equivalent to a Century Series fighter.
@@dukeford I totally disagree. Even the Col spoke about that very same thing - how inaccurate was their evaluation. All of the pros greatly out weighted the cons. The B-58 is the best bomber/ fighter the US ever had. And quite frankly, the B-58 would still hold its' own today up against all of the so call tech planes & weapons. Letting her go was the biggest mistake the US military made!
I was in my early teens when the B-58 was flying out of Carswell AFB in Fort Worth. I got to see several take-offs and landings. The main runway ran parallel to the access road to the General Dynamics assembly building. My most exciting view of a B-58 takeoff came as my mom was driving southbound. A B-58 rotated just as it passed us. It was incredibly noisy but that just added to the excitement. That was beautiful and a very memorable moment.
I loved hearing this interview. I was also stationed at BHAFB 1963-64 (weapons loading crew). Those were the "vacuum tube days" with their reliability problems. I didn't know the bomb/nav was upgraded to solid state electronics in the later years. It was a very potent weapon system with its high-yield armament. I expect the Russians lost lots of sleep figuring out how to combat it. I thought its early retirement was a big mistake. I went on to fly corporate aircraft (25 years in jets) after the service. I can appreciate the exceptional skill, training and planning to fly such a high-performance aircraft. The same goes for all the B-58 crew members, the BEST of the best. I'll get a copy of Col. Holt's book for my aviation library.
I can't thank you enough for making this interview happen. There is comparatively little to read about this aircraft. Infuriatingly, so much of the stuff you can read up on concerning the Hustler is the same content, recycled and rehashed, so that it becomes increasingly hard to find new information. What we need is testimony from those that flew her and operated her; I grant you that many of the aircrew are no longer with us now, so it becomes ever more important to ensure stuff like this is put on record. Thank you again.
Great video! I lived a couple of miles from Carswell during the 60's. It was a wonderful place to be. Between the BUFFs, the Hustlers, the Aardvarks, etc. , there was always something to see and/or hear. Thanks for the wonderful stories.
Glad to hear about the true nature of this aircraft from a man who flew her. I remember back in the early '60s building a Revelle model of this plane. Thanks.
I was fortunate enough to have maintained both the B-52(D) 1966/1967 Glasgow AFB Montana and the B-58 1968/1969 Little Rock AFB. Both were unique. The B-52 was a truck while the B-58 was a sports car. The B-58, because of its potential speed had to deal with excessive heat especially at the leading edge of the wings, where the designers had installed hydraulic lines. This required both expansion fittings in the hydraulic lines but a specific high temp hydraulic fluid.
Assigned to Little Rock AFB with wing of B 58 in 65 and 66, very exciting time as a young airman, Exciting aircraft, wing commander was Col. Fry and Brig. Gen. Bywater 825 th Aerospace Squadron.
Excellent video, thank you and Col Holt for getting the story out about my favorite airplane. Sad to think that politician and media dishonesty to achieve a result has not changed from then. Great to hear and look forward to the next chapter. Cheers mate.
I had a big, beautiful framed print of the B-58 flying though the clouds that had to have been hanging in some USAF office many decades ago. I picked it up at a flea market for a few bucks. Sadly it was lost during my last move
Purchasing my copy NOW. The 58 was always an absolute favorite of mine. I really enjoyed Col. Holt’s input. I too had a problem reconciling what I saw in the 58 as compered to the chattering class. So happy Col. Holt validated what in my mind was one of the most fantastic bird to ever fly.
I remember the bomb runs into Chicago from Bunker Hill AFB (now Grissom AFB) back in '64. I was in social studies class, and we would clearly hear the double crack of the sonic boom when they went by. The Sound of Freedom! Grissom AFB is still open (a refueling wing operates out of there these days) and they have an excellent museum there. Well worth the trip! I have read Col. Holt's book. A great read!
I grew up an hour north of Grissom and their yearly open house was something we never missed. One of my fondest childhood memories is getting to sit in the front seat of a Hustler at one of those open houses.
The B-58 was assigned to only 2 airbases, one was Bunker Hill Indiana (now Grissom ARB) which is close to me. They had a "Broken Arrow" incident with the B-58 and lost 2 Nukes when the aircraft burned up in a fire.
Great interview, nice to know some trusty opinions about why and how it was cancelled. Weird that pentagon does dive politics. I almost assume some one was payed to lobby for that b52. Twice I walked under the b58 one was perked at David Wayne hooks airport and at Pima. I felt very humbled looking at that majestic plane.
I live 10 mi from bunker hill now known as grissom, when the B58s would take off from runway 23 my town was strait off the end they would use our town to make the turn back for touch and go's it was a beautiful aircraft in the air but regardless what he said about it being a quiet aircraft it was very loud on the ground in fact you could hear it very well when it took off from inside the house from 10mi away we knew it was coming and would run outside and wait on it awesome aircraft.
I was maybe 10 years old when I saw the Thunderbirds perform at Dyess AFB flying the F-4E, using the same J-79s. They were icepicks in the ears-the most excruciating sound I have ever heard!
ya the F4 is an other good looking plane the mag (marine air group) flew them at marine air station Kaneohe HI. where i was stationed for 3 yrs.@@patrickunderwood5662
I drove wrecker at BHAFB, and would watch B 58s stage for takeoff whenever the opportunity arose ( maybe twice a month) the full afterburner blast shook the 2 1/2 ton wrecker and with the windows closed, was intolerable to my young ears.....it doesnt surprise me at all that it was heard from Bunker Hill...
Great interview. One question I wish that was asked was about a conventional role. Were there any contingency plans to give the B-58 a conventional capability?
Given the SAC deployment with the other heavies being used in SE Asia, it what held in the nuclear response role, which didn't allow for much transitioning. It would have needed a fair about of work due to th enature of the weapons pod.
My father was a Pilot during his life though was a Flight Engineer WW2. We would always go to Air Shows and also have picture books on Military Aircraft. Design was important. THANK YOU COLONEL. What a beautiful design B58
I served at Grissom AFB, IN. Sadly it was after the B-58 was long gone. I was there 1977-1980 and was part of the 1915th Comm Sqdn. I would have loved to have seen the B-58 kept there through the 1970s as originally forecast.
Thanks for the Heart. A B-58 story for you. Brigadier General James Stewart (Yes, the actor), was to be given a B-58 ride to qualify for his Mach 2 patch. His first reaction on take off was, "My Gawd, this thing is a rocket!" Once at altitude where they had clearance for supersonic flight, one of the afterburners wouldn't light. The pilot asked BG Stewart, how bad do you want this? BG Stewart told him to find a way. So the Hustler pilot pointed the nose to the ground and they broke Mach 2 going close to straight down! I thought you would enjoy this.
This airplane was made famous (to me) in the 60's thriller "Fail safe" with Henry Fonda. With the big improvements to SAM's during production, it became vulnerable. I saw one displayed in the Galveston air museum 15 years ago.
I'd venture to say that the Soviets feared the B-58 over the B-52. The Hustler was a true " interdiction bomber " that had a much higher probability of reaching its target.
Served at K.I. Sawyer AFB in the mid 60s. Had a number of B58s land for maintenance. They had a C123 fly parts and maintainers up to fix them. I was a blast to hear them take off. ( I also almost nocked Gen. Ryan on his but going down a hallway when he was visiting) (3 finger Jack)
I enjoyed your interview with Col. Holt. The B-58 was an amazing aircraft, especially for the time it was created. I don't have Col. Holt's book but he did not mention in the interview some key differences between the B-58 & B-52. The B-58 was a nuclear strike weapon with almost no use as a conventional bomber, were the B-52 coluld deliver up to 70,000 lbs of conventional weapons and the 1st generation crusie missles. In the late 60s budgets were tighening and an aircraft with a single purpose was less desirable than one with multiple roles. Also, the F-111 was becoming operational in the late 60s and it could do the low level high speed strike mission with both conventional and nuclear weapons.
Hi Scott, thanks for watching! The point George is making is effort and appropriation, I think. Which, to a large degree he does have one. There is a case for the B-58 to have been made multirole capable, given the nature of the weapons pod and the increasingly smaller avionics. The F-111 took a long while to come good on most of its promises too.
I understand your point of view. I am not sure the cost of converting the B-58 to convention strike operations would have justified it's limited conventional weapons load because of its design. The B-58 was a great plane that served its purpose, though, for fewer years than some people would have liked.
@@scottgrimwood8868 What I wrote isn't a "point of view." When the B-58 was retired, there weren't enough bombers for the SIOP war plan because the FB-111 wasn't able to replace them until later. I have no idea how your comment about conventional strike operations is relevant to that.
@smark1180 I apologize for misinterpreting your reply. It is obvious that you have greater knowledge than me on the subject. I appreciate you correcting the faulty portion of my statement. Have a good day.
When I lived in Indiana, I used to drive past Grissom AFB on US31 quite often. There was a B58 parked within sight of the highway at the museum. Of course I took the time one day to stop and ogle that beautiful bird and go through the museum. That picture at 36:02. The J-93 designation on the pod underneath the fuselage wouldn't happen to be a J-93 engine installed for flight testing, would it? Presumably that would have been in support of the B-70 bomber program going on in the 1960's.
One of our check airmen at continental airlines was a b-58 instructor 1964-68. He always said it has to be flown by the numbers. Air crews got in trouble during critical phases of flight (takeoff, landing, refueling) if they deviated from the approved profiles. In aviation, we say "stay a minimum of two steps ahead of the airplane.." in the case of the B-58, two steps ahead was clearly asking for trouble.
The last service of the B 58 fleet to the nation was as a bargaining chip in the Strategic Arms Limitations negotiations of the early 1970s. Noble ending to a decade of keeping the peace. Hand Salute.
A couple of details that would add to this story: The Hustler, like all delta wing fast jets, had a very high stall speed and thus a very high landing speed leaving very little room for error. I would like to hear how much fuel a J79 burns at low altitude. The range at low altitude must have been on the low side.
The planes that have long service lives typically have the most utility. …DC3, C-130, and B52. The B58 was a really great plane, but not suitable as a dumb iron bomb truck.
Reasonably well. When I get back to Pima I'm going to do a further video with the capsule they have in their restoration shed. But, given the complexities of it, a good old fashioned 'bang-seat' has been the norm since.
I was at the station once, reading my Air & Space magazine covering the B-58. We had a non sworn lady that was kind of a liaison between the department and the mobile carriers that had a small office there. She casually asked me what I was reading and I told her , "A Hustler magazine." And then I flashed the cover at her and she flinched until she realized it was a top down view of, well, a hustler. She glowered at my scaring her and I was highly amused.
A long time ago I was on a granite hill top in Northern Michigan I watched a flight of 3 Hustler fly by below me then heading north towards the tip of the Keweenaw Peninsula then Canada low level penetration training. Load pod plus 4 external stores.
I know it's off-topic. But it's a very important point. All branches of the military have all but stopped promoting enlisted to the officers Corp. We are missing out on some very talented people because we have stopped doing this. Yes, it's still possible, and it happens from time to time. It wouldn't matter that much if we didn't have these odd requirements that some jobs must only be held by a commissioned officer. My grandfather went to Germany in a P51 Mustang as an airman. He shot down 17 Bombers and 57 fighters. Then he went to the Pacific, where he said he dropped enough steel on ships to rebuild Detroit. When he got back home, he was a Sr airman. Today, the requirements to fly are insane. And you can't say it's because of technology. Most get a degree in political science and have never seen a real cockpit until the graduate OCS. Also, it was much harder to fly a plain in the 40s than it is today. The computers do 90% of the work.
I don't know about the other services, but in the USAF commissioning enlisted personnel was never easy or particularly commonplace. It is probably easier for a person to get commissioned right out of college.
Andrew Boehly, Head of Collections, Pima Air Museum, said the Sikorsky Dragonfly has a “Pratt & Whitney R-98” (20:37). He shoulda said “R-985”, the Wasp Junior. This engine, along with a constant-speed propeller, became a popular choice for repowering Stearman biplanes.
@@damcasterspod True.....but it worked for the script writers. ;) I can tell you that the scenes depicted are VERY true to life. I got to go on incentive rides in my B-52 and during war time the crews would be JUST as ate-up as depicted in the movie. MORE SO.
The 97th Bomb Wing at Blytheville AFB in the 1980’s had one Col. Charles “Chuck” Quinn. Col Quinn as a Radar Navigator served on the B-36, B-47, several models of the B-52, and the B-58. He was the fountain of knowledge on bombing & navigation, with a Texas drawl and a great sense of humor.
Can't gop wrong with a Mossie. Have you seen our video with Rowland White about his new book on Operation Carthage? th-cam.com/video/vh6CvgY-qyU/w-d-xo.html
Very interesting & yes when I Googled the B 58 it was indicated as being phased out due to being more expensive to operate than the other platforms. By the way, excellent video or pod cast, I had to subscribe....
I had a co-worker who had been a B-47 pilot who transitioned to B-58. He liked the B-47 better because he said you could fly it like a fighter, fling it around. He also said the B-47 was a sweet flyer like all Boeings before the 737MAX. You had to fly the B-58 onto the runway, the B-47 did flare and stall as most planes do. Apparently a result of the delta wing.
A delta takes a different style to fly and, like all things, practice and the right aptituide. I do like the B-47 though. One of the reasons I return to films like Strategic Air Command more often than my wife would like.
I've seen the Hustler at the Strategic Air and Space museum near Omaha. I was immediately struck by how small of a plane it is. From photos with the tall landing gear you'd think it was bigger than it is but when you see it parked next to a Phantom and Aaardvarf, it is really just a slightly biggee three-seat Phantom. I've never seen pictures of a Hustler next to a Thud but I'd imagine they would have a similar size difference as between a Silverado and Colorado pickup.
I first heard of the ejection pod when I saw a similar system described on the B-70. One of the pictures showed an ejected crewman in his pod on the water... paddling away. Was a paddle for each pod standard equipment on the B-58? 😆
This is a very interesting story. I'm only about half-way through so far but just wanted to stress that B-52 used EIGHT older J-57 engines and had a SIX-MAN crew compared to the B-58's THREE-MAN CREW and FOUR newer J-79 engines, so as the Colonel said, costs were lower for the B-58. In the B-52, the bottom two crew members were unlikely to survive a low altitude injection. Also, the B-52 was a massive radar reflector whose large size also made it easier to spot visually than the Hustler. The of course, the speed difference and "speed is life."
That jet was far ahead of its time with on board electronic warfare, supersonic bomb delivery, and the escape capsules. When I started my aerospace career, I worked with several old timers who had experience with the B-58. I have pics of the very last B-58s taking off from Grissom AFB to the boneyard at Davis Monthan AFB.
A very similar role was intended for both aircraft which gave both a similar look. Check out our two-part chat with Ken Katz about the development of the B-1 (it was one of our first podcasts).
The J79's in my F4E Phantom developed approx. 18,000 lbs Thrust each on full burner. You said 15,000 on the B-58's J79's. Why the lower thrust? Didn't the Hustler get upgrades?
It was certainly a consideration. Plus the fact it was on constant nuclear readiness, it never had a convential conversation which may have prolonged it.
My first airplane model build was a B58A. I recall the box called it the "Hustler". I won a trivia contest where the answer was "B58 was called the Hustler".
I saw it yesterday, rented it for 4 bucks. Your righr! I noticed the sa.e thing, the a B58 has single seating. In 1964 when this movie was made, B52s flew the Fail Safe mission, it was called operation Chrome Dome. I think they made the movie and put the aircraft footage in later. The American fighters were F106s, then in a later depiction they were F104s. Also B58s do not carry 2 H bombs, only one. The sound of the embassidor phone melting was dramatic,but also inaccurate. The electro Magnetic Pulse of 2 20 megaton bombs detonation would render any communications In Moscow and 100 miles from Moscow, useless.
I wonder if the onset of the Hounddog missile and the introduction of the cruise missile requirig a solid launch platform, would have possibly played a role in the termination of the B-58 program.
It is likely. The modification to the centreline weapons stations on the B-58 would have been tricky, plus the added issues around the potential speed etc
A B-58 was more "solid" than a B-52, so I don't see what you mean by "a solid launch platform." The B-58 was a spectacular airplane, designed for a mission profile that became untenable due to SAMs. But to fully understand why it was considered no longer cost-effective we would also have to look at the targets it was intended for. We can speculate that it was meant to get in ahead of B-52s and take out time-critical counterforce targets, and perhaps air defense targets in order to open up the path for the B-52s. As the Air Force stood more and more ICBMs up on alert, they probably took over many counterforce targets that had been assigned to the B-58, and perhaps air defense assets as well. Nothing could get to them faster than an ICBM. A B-58 could bomb more accurately than an ICBM, which would still make it valuable for hardened targets that the CEP of an ICBM made it less likely to destroy. But if a silo is empty when the B-58 gets there its bomb has a Pk of zero. Once the B-58 had to penetrate on the deck due to SAMs its range suffered, and it probably couldn't reach many targets that an ICBM could. Another fact often overlooked is that the B-58 could not reliably penetrate on the deck at night or in bad weather. The airplane that replaced it, the FB-111, was designed to do that very thing. The FB-111 could also carry multiple SRAMs, the replacement for the Hound Dog. I'm sure the B-58 could have carried SRAMs on its wing root pylons, but again, it was not an all-weather low-level penetrator.
@@damcasterspod That's about what I thought. I think that might have been a reason to ditch the Hustler in favor of those six extra BUFF squadrons. The BUFF would go on to another 50 years of dropping conventional bombs in real world wars, and with Minuteman online, Poseidon and then Trident going operational nuclear weapons delivery was a mission that got shifted to missiles. Not to mention, the B-58 could not carry a load of SRAMS to kick the door down and do a home invasion of Soviet airspace like the BUFF would soon be able to do. That said, but gawsh, they were doing F-15 style unrestricted takeoffs with a freaking bomber!
A fabulous interview. Congratulations Col. Holt. The Canadian Air Force had the Avro Arrow. The U.S. Air Force had the Convair B-58 Hustler. Which by the way bears a striking resemblance to the Arrow. In my opinion, the two best fighters ever made, yes, even to this day. Both abandoned. Why? Politics.
I was a kid in Chicago when B-58s were doing those bomb runs. The only sonic booms I've ever heard. (I remember those missile sites along the lake front)
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My grandfather was one of the lead electronic engineers on both the B58 and the F111 at Convair/GD. Even he said while the B58 was a great testbed for then "advanced" technology, that it was an aircraft which was a one trick pony. Although it was probably his favorite aircraft to be a part of, he said it's time on active duty was appropriately limited due to rapid advancement in technology. I still have B58 tie tacks/cuff links, pens and even some manuals which I found after he died. Cool memorabilia!
B-58 cufflinks you say? :)
My dad worked on the 58 at Convair. Avionics and fire control systems.
So the B-58 was becoming out-dated due to a "advancement in technology?" But the B-52, which was a 1940's design and first flew in 1952 was not being left behind? The B-52 was a whole aircraft generation older than the Hustler, in aerodynamics, engines, avionics, escape systems, etc.
@@michaeldelaney7271 Form follows function as they say. The function of the B-52 in this case dictating the form.
Sometimes it happens like this.
The metallurgy and tech weren't up to the design and speed of this aircraft . Hustlers were a bad ass design , it was the maintenance cost that ended them , that being said we could produce these limit pushing design today and have a very effective combat aircraft !
As a young ‘teenager’ in very early 1960s I saw a Revell model construction kit of the Hustler. It was my dream to make that model fly… it looked so aerodynamic! So futuristic, particularly compared with the uk available WW2 style prop driven historical models. It looked the future in miniature.
After a ride gen LeMay: "toosmall..
Too expensive."
My Basic Training Assistant Training Instructor was a Crew Chief on the B-58. We had to go to KP at Kelly Field and the TI had the bus driver go out past the flightline where the last four B-58's were being prepped to fly to the Davis-Montham AFB boneyard. He had the bus driver stop, and we sat there for about five minutes as he told us some great stories about his time on the Hustler. He said it was bitter-sweet for him, he loved the airplane, but said the particular front landing gear on his airplane was a royal pain in the ass.
Fab! Thanks for sharing.
What year was this?I was stationed at Davis Monthan in 1979 working on drone catching H-3's. I went to the Pima Air Museum when they were still just a tiny tin shack. Near the front door was an escape pod from a 58 on a pallet with a hand written cardboard sign describing the piece. Out front, down the dead end semi crumbling public roadway was an unguarded B-58 sitting on the side of the road. It didn't have the belly pod installed. The entrance gate to the business at the end of the road said it was a scrap operator. Perhaps they (eventually?) donated it to the museum. Perhaps it was there ready to be towed to the museum...it was certainly pointed in the correct direction.
That front landing gear looks impossible because it's like 2 inches in front of the tip of the center line fuel tank. They had to make it fold forward, fold in half, then backwards, or something like that. Plus the tiny wheels scrubbed into rags, all to save space and weight.
I was 2nd lieutenant in the USMC doing a cross-country training flight and had landed at Bunker Hill AFB in an F-4B to refuel. After refueling and taxiing for TO, I was told to hold short for a departing plane. It turned out to be a B-58. What a sight! Big and shiny and with 4 J-79s under its wings. My plane had two so I knew how powerful they were. The Hustler pushed all four up to TO power and it was a glorious sound! Then they went to AB on all four and I was awestruck. However, they didn't move for a few seconds doing an engine check. In the F-4, if you went into AB while the parking brake was on, the plane would move while dragging the nonmoving wheels. That's how powerful the engines were and for that plane not to move with four ABs running told me what a heavy plane it was. It was a beauty and has always been one of my favorites along with the F105 and of course the Phantom.
Arguably the most beutifull aircraft of the cold war era. Sleek lines, looks like its going mach 2, parked, A real modern work of art. Escorted by F-104 starfighters, what a sight !
I remember as a kid, going to the open houses they had for the public at Bunker Hill AFB. My biggest thrill was sitting in the pilot's seat in the B-58 they had on display. Grew up in Kokomo just South of Bunker Hill and I remember the house ratteling every time there was a sonic boom. The B-58 was and still is my favorite aircraft of all times.
I have always considered the B-58 the finest example of ambition made real. The one in Dayton is polished to mirror finish and looks like liquid metal.
& the sovs’ wet 💭 ersatz M-50 Bounder once&only scarecrow to the West in 1961
to enhance the roaring of the Berlin Wall.
My dad, working for the Wright-Patt Transportation Squadron as a civilian employee was the driver of an Air Force International towed the B-58 Hustler from the old Air Force Museum in Fairborn, Ohio down State Route 444 to the new (current) Museum in Riverside, Ohio (8 miles away) back in 1970/71.
XB 70?
I really enjoyed this. It's great to hear about the planes but the personal stories are priceless.
Yes, indeed, a great video.
Those who are fans of the B-58 'Hustler' as I am, should watch the movie 'Fail Safe'. 1964, starring Henry Fonda and Larry Hagman. Truly one of the favorite movies of my youth. Brilliant and well written story of the 'Cold War era'. Can't say enough good things about it! (Edit: Peace out)!
I loved watching it at the drive in when I was a kid!
what did you think of the new version with George Clooney and Harvey Keitel about 15 years ago ? I thought it was pretty good.
@1badjesus401 I'm going to have to educate myself and see that version! I did not know that a remake was released. Thank you for the update. Peace out...
It’s in tune with its times 😅😅😅😂😂😂😂😂& George Cl00ney
However, give me this version any day over the kubricked 0ne.
Great interview. I grew up with the B58 at Carswell AFB then Little Rock AFB untill they phased it out. My father was a maintainer and also crew chief for a period before he transitioned to the B52 in the 70s. From a young kids perspective the B58 was like the Starship Enterprise, so futuristic. When it took off with full afterburner all of base housing would rattle.
Very cool! I wish could have seen one fly.
My dad was there too. DSO on the 58 3rd seat.
Were you stationed at Little Rock?@@michaelniemeyer6164
The B-58 was a sexy aircraft. The sleekness....delta wing....those slung engines and the unpainted hull all made for an aircraft that belonged in the Atomic Age era aesthetic.
While at. Little Rock AFB, a crewmember told me that after going supersonic,, 1500 hours of maintenance was required to make it airworthiness. A plane that was pushing the leading edge of technology.
@@RogerStout-fh8ev I read 150hrs per flight hour. This seems about right since in WW2 a Sherman tank required similar maintenance, so building a machine around similar maintenance requirements wasn't out of the question for the time and probably was considered acceptable for military use.
Ultimately you could be spot on right however.
Whatever the truth, who cares? The fact it was designed, flown, operated, the J-79 engine developed is amazing considering it was only 50 years since Kitty Hawk. Really since about 1960 not much more has been discovered aerodynamically compared to the 15 years from 1945 - 1960.
Advances since then have been mostly in design, turbofan engines driven by fuel efficiency and operating costs, construction techniques with a bit of metallurgy.
J-79 engines still in use today with new parts available. Not bad for an engine getting on for 70 years old.
As a young kid of that era, that was my dream plane. Later replaced by the Black Bird.
My father (a teacher) was a member of the CAP in Detroit, occasionally flying in to Wright Paterson. On one of those trips, he was given a ride in the third seat to Texas and back at supersonic speed. It was only later when i was older that this was when he bought me the model kit.
My respect to the men who spent hours in a claustrophobic environment, working very hard to stay ahead of an aircraft covering 30 miles in a minute, using vacuum tube technology.
Our local museum made really interesting decision on placing B-58 right next to F-102 so you can clearly see that the wing is quite similar on these planes. Also seeing it live I actually never expected that it is quite small even compared to B-47.
@alexx86hater what local aircraft museum would that be. I'd love to look it up and get that photo down loaded or copied. I am retired Air Force and currently am in Tucson Az. The Bone Yard, Pima Air and Space Museum, Titan missle sites. I feel Air nation and as a people qe were safer and closer(more like a family always ready to win a fight and to fight for each other back in the time after WW-II leading up to Nam
@@arizonahillbilly5961 Thank you for your service. This is the Strategic Air Command & Aerospace Museum (Ashland, NE) The collection is quite impressive on the "big bird" type of the planes: TB-29, B-36 (and XF-85 right next to it), early B-52, B-47, B-1A (4th prototype), B-58, Vulcan B.2(currently under restoration) and right where you buy tickets you are greeted by SR-71 in a flight mode under the glass dome. And many other fun things. At the museum parking they have Atlas, Thor and Snark. There is also quite a bit of space stuff. So yeah, if you ever in the area that's a great
The one and only B58 I ever got to see in person was on static display at Chaute AFB in fall of 1984 as young 18 year old airman. I was so amazed by this aircraft that when phase allowed I went to library to find out more a out more a out this aircraft. This was before internet access.
I can't thank you enough for making this interview with Col Holt. I never bought the 'hype' about it being dangerous and expensive to fly. Because our generals had to play politics, they stopped the best weapon the US ever had! It proves that the upper-level air force leadership is one-sided and are narrow-minded politicians in uniform. I was stationed at little Rock AFB where we had B-47's & KC-135's - boring stuff. Then one day she - the B 58 Hustler - showed up and there was never a boring day or night. Fell in love with her on first sight. And after seeing her perform, I was totally hooked. She was all I could think of! Upon hearing that she was being removed from service, I couldn't believe it. Who in their mind would make such a blunder??
Thanks so much for listening. I know Sonny is appreciating everyone who is getting involved and talking about the Hustler.
@@damcasterspod And again, thank you.
There's no getting around the fact that maintenance costs per hour were 50% greater than the B-52 and the accident and attrition rates were equivalent to a Century Series fighter.
@@dukeford I totally disagree. Even the Col spoke about that very same thing - how inaccurate was their evaluation. All of the pros greatly out weighted the cons. The B-58 is the best bomber/ fighter the US ever had. And quite frankly, the B-58 would still hold its' own today up against all of the so call tech planes & weapons. Letting her go was the biggest mistake the US military made!
@@dukeford@dukeford What was your take on Sonny's explanation of the maintenance and loss calculations used by the Buff Mafia in the Pentagon?
I was in my early teens when the B-58 was flying out of Carswell AFB in Fort Worth. I got to see several take-offs and landings. The main runway ran parallel to the access road to the General Dynamics assembly building. My most exciting view of a B-58 takeoff came as my mom was driving southbound. A B-58 rotated just as it passed us. It was incredibly noisy but that just added to the excitement. That was beautiful and a very memorable moment.
Wow! I'm completely jealous.
Thanks, great to see some recognition. I was at Bunker Hill 305th BW Mar 67-Feb 68.
General James Stewart was impressed with it, and the Mach 2 pin he got flying in it.
Champion of Champions is great propaganda film.
@@damcasterspod It was, He also mentioned it in his book "Bomber Pilot".
Thanks for setting the record straight Col Holt, much appreciated.
Vindicator bomber in the movie "Fail Safe."
I loved hearing this interview. I was also stationed at BHAFB 1963-64 (weapons loading crew). Those were the "vacuum tube days" with their reliability problems. I didn't know the bomb/nav was upgraded to solid state electronics in the later years. It was a very potent weapon system with its high-yield armament. I expect the Russians lost lots of sleep figuring out how to combat it. I thought its early retirement was a big mistake. I went on to fly corporate aircraft (25 years in jets) after the service. I can appreciate the exceptional skill, training and planning to fly such a high-performance aircraft. The same goes for all the B-58 crew members, the BEST of the best. I'll get a copy of Col. Holt's book for my aviation library.
Thanks for listening and for your comment. I hope you enjoy Sonny's book, it certainly was an eye opener for me.
I never got to see one fly, but i can imagine the howl of those 4 J-79s!
yeeessss!
I can't thank you enough for making this interview happen. There is comparatively little to read about this aircraft. Infuriatingly, so much of the stuff you can read up on concerning the Hustler is the same content, recycled and rehashed, so that it becomes increasingly hard to find new information. What we need is testimony from those that flew her and operated her; I grant you that many of the aircrew are no longer with us now, so it becomes ever more important to ensure stuff like this is put on record. Thank you again.
You're very welcome. More B-59 content planned for the new year.
Great video! I lived a couple of miles from Carswell during the 60's. It was a wonderful place to be. Between the BUFFs, the Hustlers, the Aardvarks, etc. , there was always something to see and/or hear. Thanks for the wonderful stories.
Very cool!
Glad to hear about the true nature of this aircraft from a man who flew her. I remember back in the early '60s building a Revelle model of this plane. Thanks.
I was fortunate enough to have maintained both the B-52(D) 1966/1967 Glasgow AFB Montana and the B-58 1968/1969 Little Rock AFB. Both were unique.
The B-52 was a truck while the B-58 was a sports car. The B-58, because of its potential speed had to deal with excessive heat especially at the leading edge of the wings, where the designers had installed hydraulic lines. This required both expansion fittings in the hydraulic lines but a specific high temp hydraulic fluid.
Fascinating, thanks for sharing.
Thank you, that was awesome!
As a child it was one of my favorite airframes. A real beauty.
Assigned to Little Rock AFB with wing of B 58 in 65 and 66, very exciting time as a young airman, Exciting aircraft, wing commander was Col. Fry and Brig. Gen. Bywater 825 th Aerospace Squadron.
Great interview. I grew up in the B58 era. I actually saw two aerial refuelings over Minneapolis Minnesota. It was a sleek and fast aircraft.
Excellent video, thank you and Col Holt for getting the story out about my favorite airplane. Sad to think that politician and media dishonesty to achieve a result has not changed from then. Great to hear and look forward to the next chapter. Cheers mate.
My pleasure!
43rd BW Little Rock AFB Arkansas 1967-69
The B-58 was also a favorite with model kit manufacturers and customers. The sleek, space age look really flew kits off the shelf.
I had a big, beautiful framed print of the B-58 flying though the clouds that had to have been hanging in some USAF office many decades ago. I picked it up at a flea market for a few bucks. Sadly it was lost during my last move
That is a terrible sorry! Hate it when things get lost/gamaged in a move. It is an experience we suffered through this summer.
Purchasing my copy NOW. The 58 was always an absolute favorite of mine. I really enjoyed Col. Holt’s input. I too had a problem reconciling what I saw in the 58 as compered to the chattering class.
So happy Col. Holt validated what in my mind was one of the most fantastic bird to ever fly.
I remember the bomb runs into Chicago from Bunker Hill AFB (now Grissom AFB) back in '64. I was in social studies class, and we would clearly hear the double crack of the sonic boom when they went by. The Sound of Freedom! Grissom AFB is still open (a refueling wing operates out of there these days) and they have an excellent museum there. Well worth the trip!
I have read Col. Holt's book. A great read!
I grew up an hour north of Grissom and their yearly open house was something we never missed. One of my fondest childhood memories is getting to sit in the front seat of a Hustler at one of those open houses.
The Hustler was my first model aircraft. I loved the looks of it.
That certainly has been a theme of the comments, many a modeler started with a Hustler.
Brake release to 25,000 feet in under a minute is pretty incredible.
And how many tons of JP4 ?
Col Holt , thank you for your service Sir.
YOUR.
The B-58 was assigned to only 2 airbases, one was Bunker Hill Indiana (now Grissom ARB) which is close to me. They had a "Broken Arrow" incident with the B-58 and lost 2 Nukes when the aircraft burned up in a fire.
Great interview, nice to know some trusty opinions about why and how it was cancelled.
Weird that pentagon does dive politics. I almost assume some one was payed to lobby for that b52.
Twice I walked under the b58 one was perked at David Wayne hooks airport and at Pima.
I felt very humbled looking at that majestic plane.
I live 10 mi from bunker hill now known as grissom, when the B58s would take off from runway 23 my town was strait off the end they would use our town to make the turn back for touch and go's it was a beautiful aircraft in the air but regardless what he said about it being a quiet aircraft it was very loud on the ground in fact you could hear it very well when it took off from inside the house from 10mi away we knew it was coming and would run outside and wait on it awesome aircraft.
I was maybe 10 years old when I saw the Thunderbirds perform at Dyess AFB flying the F-4E, using the same J-79s. They were icepicks in the ears-the most excruciating sound I have ever heard!
ya the F4 is an other good looking plane the mag (marine air group) flew them at marine air station Kaneohe HI. where i was stationed for 3 yrs.@@patrickunderwood5662
@@patrickunderwood5662music to my ears
I drove wrecker at BHAFB, and would watch B 58s stage for takeoff whenever the opportunity arose ( maybe twice a month) the full afterburner blast shook the 2 1/2 ton wrecker and with the windows closed, was intolerable to my young ears.....it doesnt surprise me at all that it was heard from Bunker Hill...
Our government... What a disappointment!!!
Enjoyed your interview, thank you 🙂
Thanks for listening!
Great interview. One question I wish that was asked was about a conventional role. Were there any contingency plans to give the B-58 a conventional capability?
Given the SAC deployment with the other heavies being used in SE Asia, it what held in the nuclear response role, which didn't allow for much transitioning. It would have needed a fair about of work due to th enature of the weapons pod.
My father was a Pilot during his life though was a Flight Engineer WW2.
We would always go to Air Shows and also have picture books on Military Aircraft. Design was important.
THANK YOU COLONEL. What a beautiful design B58
This was a fabulous aircraft,when l graduated from tech school in the USAF we took our class photo next to a B58
I served at Grissom AFB, IN. Sadly it was after the B-58 was long gone. I was there 1977-1980 and was part of the 1915th Comm Sqdn.
I would have loved to have seen the B-58 kept there through the 1970s as originally forecast.
Thanks for the Heart.
A B-58 story for you.
Brigadier General James Stewart (Yes, the actor), was to be given a B-58 ride to qualify for his Mach 2 patch. His first reaction on take off was, "My Gawd, this thing is a rocket!" Once at altitude where they had clearance for supersonic flight, one of the afterburners wouldn't light. The pilot asked BG Stewart, how bad do you want this? BG Stewart told him to find a way. So the Hustler pilot pointed the nose to the ground and they broke Mach 2 going close to straight down!
I thought you would enjoy this.
Super interview, excellent work, best guest….
This airplane was made famous (to me) in the 60's thriller "Fail safe" with Henry Fonda. With the big improvements to SAM's during production, it became vulnerable. I saw one displayed in the Galveston air museum 15 years ago.
Great film which suffered for coming out around the same time as Dr Strangelove if memory serves.
@@damcasterspod They actually showed it to us in (elememtary) school when we used to have shelter in place drills.
I'd venture to say that the Soviets feared the B-58 over the B-52. The Hustler was a true " interdiction bomber " that had a much higher probability of reaching its target.
Served at K.I. Sawyer AFB in the mid 60s. Had a number of B58s land for maintenance. They had a C123 fly parts and maintainers up to fix them. I was a blast to hear them take off. ( I also almost nocked Gen. Ryan on his but going down a hallway when he was visiting) (3 finger Jack)
Well done! I look forward to the next session and interview.
Thank you! A-20 Havok pilot who flew in the Pacific in WW2 coming soon.
I enjoyed your interview with Col. Holt. The B-58 was an amazing aircraft, especially for the time it was created. I don't have Col. Holt's book but he did not mention in the interview some key differences between the B-58 & B-52. The B-58 was a nuclear strike weapon with almost no use as a conventional bomber, were the B-52 coluld deliver up to 70,000 lbs of conventional weapons and the 1st generation crusie missles. In the late 60s budgets were tighening and an aircraft with a single purpose was less desirable than one with multiple roles. Also, the F-111 was becoming operational in the late 60s and it could do the low level high speed strike mission with both conventional and nuclear weapons.
Hi Scott, thanks for watching! The point George is making is effort and appropriation, I think. Which, to a large degree he does have one. There is a case for the B-58 to have been made multirole capable, given the nature of the weapons pod and the increasingly smaller avionics. The F-111 took a long while to come good on most of its promises too.
The FB-111 could not support the SIOP war plan, of which the B-58 was a part, until 71-72.
I understand your point of view. I am not sure the cost of converting the B-58 to convention strike operations would have justified it's limited conventional weapons load because of its design. The B-58 was a great plane that served its purpose, though, for fewer years than some people would have liked.
@@scottgrimwood8868 What I wrote isn't a "point of view." When the B-58 was retired, there weren't enough bombers for the SIOP war plan because the FB-111 wasn't able to replace them until later.
I have no idea how your comment about conventional strike operations is relevant to that.
@smark1180 I apologize for misinterpreting your reply. It is obvious that you have greater knowledge than me on the subject. I appreciate you correcting the faulty portion of my statement. Have a good day.
When I lived in Indiana, I used to drive past Grissom AFB on US31 quite often. There was a B58 parked within sight of the highway at the museum. Of course I took the time one day to stop and ogle that beautiful bird and go through the museum.
That picture at 36:02. The J-93 designation on the pod underneath the fuselage wouldn't happen to be a J-93 engine installed for flight testing, would it? Presumably that would have been in support of the B-70 bomber program going on in the 1960's.
One of our check airmen at continental airlines was a b-58 instructor 1964-68. He always said it has to be flown by the numbers. Air crews got in trouble during critical phases of flight (takeoff, landing, refueling) if they deviated from the approved profiles. In aviation, we say "stay a minimum of two steps ahead of the airplane.." in the case of the B-58, two steps ahead was clearly asking for trouble.
The last service of the B 58 fleet to the nation was as a bargaining chip in the Strategic Arms Limitations negotiations of the early 1970s. Noble ending to a decade of keeping the peace. Hand Salute.
@JackNiles-hc8yz Guess we really hoodwinked the Rooskies. That was when we had real leadership.
A couple of details that would add to this story:
The Hustler, like all delta wing fast jets, had a very high stall speed and thus a very high landing speed leaving very little room for error.
I would like to hear how much fuel a J79 burns at low altitude. The range at low altitude must have been on the low side.
When did the B-58 arrive at Pima A M? I was there 10 years ago and don't remember seeing it and don't have a picture of it either.
It was there when visited the museum in 1999.
61-2080 has been there since the late 70s but was referbished a while ago. She may have been in the restortaion area when you visited.
The planes that have long service lives typically have the most utility. …DC3, C-130, and B52. The B58 was a really great plane, but not suitable as a dumb iron bomb truck.
So glad they have one at the AF museum in Dayton. My favorite plane.
How did the escape capsules really perform ?
Reasonably well. When I get back to Pima I'm going to do a further video with the capsule they have in their restoration shed. But, given the complexities of it, a good old fashioned 'bang-seat' has been the norm since.
I was at the station once, reading my Air & Space magazine covering the B-58. We had a non sworn lady that was kind of a liaison between the department and the mobile carriers that had a small office there.
She casually asked me what I was reading and I told her , "A Hustler magazine." And then I flashed the cover at her and she flinched until she realized it was a top down view of, well, a hustler. She glowered at my scaring her and I was highly amused.
A long time ago I was on a granite hill top in Northern Michigan I watched a flight of 3 Hustler fly by below me then heading north towards the tip of the Keweenaw Peninsula then Canada low level penetration training. Load pod plus 4 external stores.
I know it's off-topic. But it's a very important point.
All branches of the military have all but stopped promoting enlisted to the officers Corp. We are missing out on some very talented people because we have stopped doing this. Yes, it's still possible, and it happens from time to time.
It wouldn't matter that much if we didn't have these odd requirements that some jobs must only be held by a commissioned officer.
My grandfather went to Germany in a P51 Mustang as an airman. He shot down 17 Bombers and 57 fighters. Then he went to the Pacific, where he said he dropped enough steel on ships to rebuild Detroit. When he got back home, he was a Sr airman.
Today, the requirements to fly are insane. And you can't say it's because of technology. Most get a degree in political science and have never seen a real cockpit until the graduate OCS. Also, it was much harder to fly a plain in the 40s than it is today. The computers do 90% of the work.
Talent should be spotted, nurtured and, where appropriate, promoted.
I don't know about the other services, but in the USAF commissioning enlisted personnel was never easy or particularly commonplace. It is probably easier for a person to get commissioned right out of college.
Andrew Boehly, Head of Collections, Pima Air Museum, said the Sikorsky Dragonfly has a “Pratt & Whitney R-98” (20:37). He shoulda said “R-985”, the Wasp Junior. This engine, along with a constant-speed propeller, became a popular choice for repowering Stearman biplanes.
The B-58 was the Vindicator bombers in the movie "Fail Safe".
They inverted the image so it looked like a film negative. That made it look real creepy in that movie.
zoppy.blogspot.com/2019/09/failsafe-1964.html
The cockpit shots had side by side crew too. One to set an avgeek's eye twiching!
@@damcasterspodIt was a cilivian airliner simulator.
@@damcasterspod True.....but it worked for the script writers. ;) I can tell you that the scenes depicted are VERY true to life. I got to go on incentive rides in my B-52 and during war time the crews would be JUST as ate-up as depicted in the movie. MORE SO.
The 97th Bomb Wing at Blytheville AFB in the 1980’s had one Col. Charles “Chuck” Quinn. Col Quinn as a Radar Navigator served on the B-36, B-47, several models of the B-52, and the B-58. He was the fountain of knowledge on bombing & navigation, with a Texas drawl and a great sense of humor.
Fave jet after the B1B...both after The Mosquito of course..
Can't gop wrong with a Mossie. Have you seen our video with Rowland White about his new book on Operation Carthage? th-cam.com/video/vh6CvgY-qyU/w-d-xo.html
I'm with you on the Mossie. Most beautiful of them all.
Where is young boys in the 60s we had Revell plastic model airplane of the b-58 Hustler...
Wow! Fantastic interview! Nicely moderated and amazing information!
Glad you enjoyed it! Thanks for tuning in.
Very interesting & yes when I Googled the B 58 it was indicated as being phased out due to being more expensive to operate than the other platforms.
By the way, excellent video or pod cast, I had to subscribe....
Thanks so much! Much more to come and where possible, my guests will appear for the video too.
Correct. It cost too much, sadly.
I had a co-worker who had been a B-47 pilot who transitioned to B-58. He liked the B-47 better because he said you could fly it like a fighter, fling it around. He also said the B-47 was a sweet flyer like all Boeings before the 737MAX. You had to fly the B-58 onto the runway, the B-47 did flare and stall as most planes do. Apparently a result of the delta wing.
A delta takes a different style to fly and, like all things, practice and the right aptituide. I do like the B-47 though. One of the reasons I return to films like Strategic Air Command more often than my wife would like.
@@damcasterspod Jimmy Stewart! Great B-36 footage!
Capt. John Lappo flew his RB-47 under the Mackinac bridge. Pretty cool.
And was then permanently grounded. Maybe he thought it was worth it.
A very interesting and engaging interview and interviewee, thank you. 👍😊
Glad you enjoyed it!
I've seen the Hustler at the Strategic Air and Space museum near Omaha.
I was immediately struck by how small of a plane it is. From photos with the tall landing gear you'd think it was bigger than it is but when you see it parked next to a Phantom and Aaardvarf, it is really just a slightly biggee three-seat Phantom.
I've never seen pictures of a Hustler next to a Thud but I'd imagine they would have a similar size difference as between a Silverado and Colorado pickup.
I first heard of the ejection pod when I saw a similar system described on the B-70. One of the pictures showed an ejected crewman in his pod on the water... paddling away. Was a paddle for each pod standard equipment on the B-58? 😆
I imagine that a B-58 might have adapted well to front canarf winglets similar to the Chinese J-20 and had improved handling
This is a very interesting story. I'm only about half-way through so far but just wanted to stress that B-52 used EIGHT older J-57 engines and had a SIX-MAN crew compared to the B-58's THREE-MAN CREW and FOUR newer J-79 engines, so as the Colonel said, costs were lower for the B-58. In the B-52, the bottom two crew members were unlikely to survive a low altitude injection. Also, the B-52 was a massive radar reflector whose large size also made it easier to spot visually than the Hustler. The of course, the speed difference and "speed is life."
I just ordered the 2nd edition I already have read the First edition. good presentation. Fantastic aircraft.
That jet was far ahead of its time with on board electronic warfare, supersonic bomb delivery, and the escape capsules. When I started my aerospace career, I worked with several old timers who had experience with the B-58. I have pics of the very last B-58s taking off from Grissom AFB to the boneyard at Davis Monthan AFB.
Those would be fantastic pictures to see. 👍
Wow,..awesome interview! Thanks
I see much similarity in the Fuselage shape of the B-1 and the B-58..The "Bone" with engines mounted below the wings?
A very similar role was intended for both aircraft which gave both a similar look. Check out our two-part chat with Ken Katz about the development of the B-1 (it was one of our first podcasts).
I assume that the nose landing gear retracted rearwards into its bay to avoid the under slung fuel/ weapons pod?
The nose gear does a double hinge and goes forward and up.
The J79's in my F4E Phantom developed approx. 18,000 lbs Thrust each on full burner. You said 15,000 on the B-58's J79's. Why the lower thrust? Didn't the Hustler get upgrades?
B-58 had -5A or -5B. F4E had the -17.
The only real problem with the B-58 was the limited payload. That plane was one helluva hot rod. Absolutely beautiful.
It was certainly a consideration. Plus the fact it was on constant nuclear readiness, it never had a convential conversation which may have prolonged it.
Great interview, one of my favourite aircraft. Thanks for the video!
Glad you enjoyed it!
My first airplane model build was a B58A. I recall the box called it the "Hustler".
I won a trivia contest where the answer was "B58 was called the Hustler".
That is some model to start with! I wish mine had been a Hustler and not the usual first kit, the Spitfire :)
My dad was a Command Pilot on the B58 at Bunker Hill 66-69. Herbert Stone.
Your Dad was a steely eyed missle man!
In Fail Safe I think I remember that the cockpit had multiple pilots in a single chamber. I would like to find time to see the movie again.
In _Fail Safe_ the airplane was a Vindicator, not a Hustler.
I saw it yesterday, rented it for 4 bucks. Your righr! I noticed the sa.e thing, the a B58 has single seating. In 1964 when this movie was made, B52s flew the Fail Safe mission, it was called operation Chrome Dome. I think they made the movie and put the aircraft footage in later. The American fighters were F106s, then in a later depiction they were F104s. Also B58s do not carry 2 H bombs, only one. The sound of the embassidor phone melting was dramatic,but also inaccurate. The electro Magnetic Pulse of 2 20 megaton bombs detonation would render any communications In Moscow and 100 miles from Moscow, useless.
the B-58 succeeded in it's mission by forcing the Soviets to spend resources building fighter to shoot it down.
Deterrent.
& building M50 « Bounder »
to gallivant just once as flying
girdle to the Wall 😂😂😂
I wonder if the onset of the Hounddog missile and the introduction of the cruise missile requirig a solid launch platform, would have possibly played a role in the termination of the B-58 program.
It is likely. The modification to the centreline weapons stations on the B-58 would have been tricky, plus the added issues around the potential speed etc
A B-58 was more "solid" than a B-52, so I don't see what you mean by "a solid launch platform."
The B-58 was a spectacular airplane, designed for a mission profile that became untenable due to SAMs. But to fully understand why it was considered no longer cost-effective we would also have to look at the targets it was intended for. We can speculate that it was meant to get in ahead of B-52s and take out time-critical counterforce targets, and perhaps air defense targets in order to open up the path for the B-52s. As the Air Force stood more and more ICBMs up on alert, they probably took over many counterforce targets that had been assigned to the B-58, and perhaps air defense assets as well. Nothing could get to them faster than an ICBM. A B-58 could bomb more accurately than an ICBM, which would still make it valuable for hardened targets that the CEP of an ICBM made it less likely to destroy. But if a silo is empty when the B-58 gets there its bomb has a Pk of zero.
Once the B-58 had to penetrate on the deck due to SAMs its range suffered, and it probably couldn't reach many targets that an ICBM could. Another fact often overlooked is that the B-58 could not reliably penetrate on the deck at night or in bad weather. The airplane that replaced it, the FB-111, was designed to do that very thing. The FB-111 could also carry multiple SRAMs, the replacement for the Hound Dog. I'm sure the B-58 could have carried SRAMs on its wing root pylons, but again, it was not an all-weather low-level penetrator.
I have and read his book. Highly recommended!
Concur.
Im curious. Why is the Catalina (PBY) in RAF Coastal Command colours? Pretty cool!
It is a Canso and she is in RCAF colours ;)
great listen
Great interview
Did jimmy stewart have any time in it
Only as a passenger.
What was the conventional bombing capability of the B-58?
It never had one. With the B-52s on Linebacker duty, the B-58s were held by SAC as part of the SIOP.
@@damcasterspod That's about what I thought. I think that might have been a reason to ditch the Hustler in favor of those six extra BUFF squadrons. The BUFF would go on to another 50 years of dropping conventional bombs in real world wars, and with Minuteman online, Poseidon and then Trident going operational nuclear weapons delivery was a mission that got shifted to missiles. Not to mention, the B-58 could not carry a load of SRAMS to kick the door down and do a home invasion of Soviet airspace like the BUFF would soon be able to do. That said, but gawsh, they were doing F-15 style unrestricted takeoffs with a freaking bomber!
Thane for sharing! My G-paloved that airframe. He to hated the B-47
how can i get u
in touch with col george holt jr?
A fabulous interview. Congratulations Col. Holt. The Canadian Air Force had the Avro Arrow. The U.S. Air Force had the Convair B-58 Hustler. Which by the way bears a striking resemblance to the Arrow. In my opinion, the two best fighters ever made, yes, even to this day. Both abandoned. Why? Politics.
Fighters?
The British had the TS-2, which was scrapped for the F-111 that was never bought.
High speed aircraft I belive the poster means.
Fighters.... fighter jets sir.
@@Kasartsart0 The Hustler was a strategic bomber. The Arrow was an interceptor. The two designs had very little in common.
I was a kid in Chicago when B-58s were doing those bomb runs. The only sonic booms I've ever heard. (I remember those missile sites along the lake front)