- Yes
- No
Hello everyone. I’d like to suggest the Convair B-58A Hustler as a potential addition to the US aviation tech tree in War Thunder. While the B-58 is best known for its role as a supersonic nuclear bomber, it briefly experimented with conventional iron bombs during Project Bullseye in 1967. This experimental program evaluated the B-58’s effectiveness in low-level tactics using iron bombs. However, due to the USAF’s air doctrine having emphasized utilizing long-range bombers to deliver nuclear weapons to the Soviet Union during the Cold War, these conventional bomb tactics never progressed to operational use.
For this suggestion, I’m focusing on a modified B-58A from Project Bullseye, accommodated to carry conventional bombs. For more information about Project Bullseye and the use of iron bombs, please see a section dedicated to Project Bullseye after the History section.
Key Characteristics
- Supersonic strategic bomber capable of Mach 2 flight
- Delta-wing design with 4 x General Electric J79-GE-5A afterburning turbojet engines
- Four hard points for the iron bombs of varying weights up to 3,000 pounds
- T-171E-3 six-barrel 20-mm rotary tail gun and chaff dispensers for the defense
History
Design and DevelopmentThe Convair Company of Fort Worth, Texas, began conceptual studies for a supersonic bomber in October 1946. Designated as Generalized Bomber (GEBO) by the US Air Force, the study explored a delta-winged aircraft weighing approximately 150,000 pounds. Convair’s experience with delta-wing aircraft, the experimental XF-92, made it a promising candidate to invent the supersonic bomber for the project. By 1948, Convair’s research on delta wings using the XF-92 provided critical data for the development of later aircraft like the F-102 Delta Dagger and F-106 Delta Dart.
Building on this foundation, the Air Force initiated GEBO-II in March 1949, seeking a supersonic bomber capable of cruising at 450 knots, flying at altitudes over 35,000 feet, carrying a 10,000-pound bomb load, and having a range of 1,200–2,500 miles. By January 1950, Convair shifted its focus from a parasite bomber concept (which envisioned a small supersonic bomber carried by a B-36) to a more conventional design after opposition from the Strategic Air Command (SAC). This led to the proposal of the MX-1626 long-range supersonic reconnaissance bomber on January 26, 1951.
Convair’s design evolved through extensive wind tunnel tests and competing studies. In 1952, Convair and Boeing were selected to proceed with prototype designs: the Convair XB-58 and the Boeing XB-59. Convair’s redesigned prototype incorporated four General Electric J79 engines optimized for supersonic flight, a powerplant later used in iconic aircraft like the F-104 Starfighter and F-4 Phantom II. In 1953, the Air Force selected Convair’s XB-58 for further development, leading to contracts for two prototypes: a bomber (XB-58) and a reconnaissance variant (XRB-58).
By August 1954, the final B-58 design was solidified. It incorporated a large delta wing with a leading-edge sweep of 60 degrees. It was to be powered by an arrangement of four General Electric J79-GE-1 turbojet engines on individual underwing pylons. All fuel was contained internally and in the podded lower component. The fuselage was aligned to the modified transonic area for supersonic speeds. The external wing tanks were eliminated, and the tail area was increased to 160 square feet. Finally, in December 1955, a definitive contract was issued to Convair for 13 aircraft. A second contract was issued on May 25, 1956, providing additional funds to maintain B-58 production at a minimum sustaining rate through October 1956. The USAF would have to see and decide if it should buy more aircraft by the fall of 1956.
Prototype and ProductionThe first prototype (55-660) was unveiled on August 31, 1956 under high security. Its maiden flight occurred on November 11, 1956, and exceeded Mach 1 on December 30, 1956. The second prototype was completed and designated XB-58, not XRB-58, and it first flew in February 1957. The flight-test program involving 30 aircraft continued until April 1959.
The first production B-58 bomber was delivered in February 1959, and flew at Mach 2 for over an hour in October 1959, achieving the first “supersonic cruise.” The Hustler name was given by the Convair engineering crew, and the Air Force expressed approval of the naming. A total of 116 B-58s were produced, including 30 trial aircraft and 86 production B-58A models. Most of the trial aircraft were later upgraded to operational standards.
The B-58 was built with aluminum honeycomb panels, which bonded outer and inner aluminum skins to a honeycomb of aluminum or fiberglass. The structure comprised 13.8% of the aircraft’s gross weight, a meager figure for the era, while the wing was extremely thin. The entire wing served as an integral fuel tank. The aircraft had a long tricycle landing gear for ground clearance for the engines and weapons pod.
The B-58 was operated by a crew of three: pilot, radar navigator/bombardier, and defense systems operator. They were seated in separated tandem cockpits, although the space was cramped and claustrophobic. Later versions of the B-58 provided each crew member with a protective, enclosed ejection capsule that could eject at 70,000 feet (21,000 meters) at speeds up to Mach 2.
The B-58 was equipped with a sophisticated Sperry AN/ASQ-42 bombing/navigation system that provides a heading reference. It also had the AN/APN-133 Doppler radar, which provides ground speed and wind speed data, along with a radar altimeter and search radar to provide range data for bomb release and trajectory.
The B-58 only had a single 20-mm T-171E-3 six-barrel 20-mm rotary cannon in a radar-aimed, tailed barbette. It was remotely controlled through the Emerson MD-7 automated radar fire-control system, only requiring the DSO to lock on a selected target blip on his scope and then fire the gun. It had a maximum firing rate of 4000 rounds per minute; however, its firing arc was minimal as the tailgun was faired to conform to the rest of the aircraft. The DSO also controlled the AN/ALQ-16 active jammer and AN/ALE-16 chaff dispensers to interfere with enemy radars.
The standard MB-1C weapons pod with tailfins was mounted on the centerline of B-58. It carried a W39Y1-1 multi-megaton nuclear weapon and fuel in a gigantic pod as its sole offensive armament. The pod was mounted slightly off-center from the aircraft’s centerline. It would spin-stabilize after jettison. Problems with fuel leaks led to the development of a new two-component pod system that used twin-stacked pods, with the upper nuclear bomb pod and the lower fuel pod. Once exhausted, the fuel pod would be independently jettisoned during an operational mission.
Operational ServiceOn August 1, 1960, the B-58 was declared operational nine months after delivering the first aircraft to the USAF. One month later, a single B-58 participated in the annual SAC Competition at Bergstrom. Unsurprisingly, the B-58 proved superior to competing Boeing B-47 Stratojets and B-52 Stratofortresses, securing first place in high-level and low-level radar bombing exercises.
The B-58 was difficult to fly, and its three-man crew was constantly busy, but its overall performance was exceptional in the era. Because of the 60-degree sweepback of delta wing platforms, the B-58 required a much higher angle of attack than a conventional aircraft, up to 9.4 degrees at Mach 0.5 at low altitudes. If the angle of attack exceeded 17 degrees, the bomber could pitch up and enter a spin. The aircraft must take off at a 14-degree angle of attack near 203.5 knots for a 150,000-pound combat weight. Combined with poor takeoff performance and unconventional stall characteristics, the B-58 was exceptionally challenging to fly. Only very experienced crews were selectively assigned to operate the B-58s.
After production ended in the fall of 1962, two SAC bomb wings only operated the B-58s. The 43rd Bombardment Wing operated the B-58s from 1960 to 1964 in Texas, and the 305th Bombardment Wing operated the aircraft from 1964 to 1960 in Arkansas. From 1961 to 1963, the B-58 was retrofitted with two tandem stub pylons under each wing root, adjacent to the centerline pod, for B43 or B61 nuclear weapons. These allowed the aircraft to carry a total of five nuclear weapons. However, Secretary of Defense McNamara declared the B-58 was not a viable weapon system. When the Soviet Union introduced and deployed SA-2 Guideline, a high-altitude surface-to-air platform, it arguably rendered B-58 useless, and the “solution” to this problem was to fly at low altitudes, minimizing the radar and reducing exposure time. Thus, the B-58 could not fly at supersonic speeds, and its moderate range was reduced further since the air was dense at low altitudes, negating the high-speed performance of the aircraft.
Despite efforts to keep the B-58 longer in service, McNamara ordered the retirement of the B-58 by 1970. The B-58 was more expensive to operate than other bombers, such as the Boeing B-52 Stratofortress, and required more frequent aerial refueling and constant specialized maintenance. The B-58 costs one-third more to operate than the B-52, which means with the cost of operating two B-58 wings, the SAC could operate six B-52 wings. Compounding these expensive costs, the B-58 also had a high accident rate; 26 of 116 B58 aircraft were lost in accidents, or 22.4% of total production, and more than half of the losses occurred during flight tests. Consequently, its service lifetime was shortened when the Department of Defense announced on October 29, 1969, that the B-58 would be withdrawn from service on January 31, 1970. At that time, the last B-58s were retired and placed into storage at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, Arizona. They remained intact until 1977 when all aircraft were sold for scrap.
As a weapon system, the B-58 was effectively replaced by F-111 Advardarks. The F-111 was a cheaper and more flexible aircraft designed for low-altitude attack. It could carry conventional weapons and was less expensive to produce and maintain.
The B-58 set 19 speed records and the longest supersonic flight in history. In one instance, the B-58 flew from Tokyo to London (via Alaska) in 1963, with a distance of 8,028 miles (12,920 km), averaging 938 mph (1,510 km/h). It was the longest non-stop supersonic flight, with five air refuelings for 8 hours and 35 minutes. This record remains unbroken for the time being.
Project Bullseye
While the B-58 Hustler was never operationally equipped to carry conventional bombs, the US Air Force conducted experimental tests under Project Bullseye in April 1967 to assess its potential for tactical warfare. Several B-58s from the 305th Bomb Wing were modified at Eglin Air Force Base, Florida, to accommodate standard ordnance using Multiple Ejection Racks (MERs) and Triple Ejection Racks (TERs). These racks were fitted to the four external pylons beneath the fuselage, replacing the centerline pod. This configuration allowed each pylon to carry up to three to six individual bombs, depending on the type. For instance, the B-58 could carry a total of twelve 750-lb M117 bombs using TERs or larger bombs such as the 3,000-lb M118s.
During the project, the modified B-58s conducted low-level strike test missions, flying at speeds of 600 knots below Mach 1. Bombing runs were conducted at weapons ranges at Eglin AFB, Nellis AFB, and Matagorda Island. These missions primarily involved visual targeting, with minimal reliance on the AN/ASQ-42 bombing/navigation system. On one occasion, a bomb or its fragments ricocheted and struck the delivering aircraft, causing minor damage. Despite the incident, the B-58 landed safely. Over the 27-day project, the B-58s completed 75 test sorties.
The tests demonstrated that the B-58 could effectively drop iron bombs and execute the required mission profile. However, the project revealed several critical issues:
- Formation Challenges
- SAM Vulnerability
- Wing Tank Vulnerability
The B-58 had difficulties in maintaining visual contact within a formation, and adverse weather conditions could complicate it even more. The B-58’s susceptibility to Soviet advanced and mass-produced surface-to-air missile (SAM) platforms was a major concern, particularly when flying in tight formations. The aircraft’s integral wing tanks, which were vital for fuel storage, were highly vulnerable to ground fire during low-altitude missions. A fire in these tanks could guarantee a irrecoverable loss.
Ultimately, these limitations rendered the B-58 unsuitable for tactical missions like those required during the Vietnam War. Although Project Bullseye confirmed the feasibility of conventional bomb deployment, it failed to justify modifying the B-58 for such roles due to the aircraft’s inherent design vulnerabilities and the evolving threat landscape.
Below is a rare image of ground crew loading conventional bombs onto a B-58 during Project Bullseye. Given the high confidentiality surrounding the project, these photos are among the few known records of the tests.
Screenshot
Specifications
Convair B-58A HustlerGeneral Characteristics
- Crew: 3
- Length: 96 ft 10 in (29.51 m)
- Height: 29 ft 11 in (9.12 m)
- Span: 56 ft 9 in (17.30 m)
- Wing area: 1,542.5 sq ft (143.3 sq m)
- Powerplant: 4 x General Electric J79-GE-5A afterburning turbojet engines
→ 62,400 lbf (278 kN) thrust A/B
→ 40,000 lbf (178 kN) thrust dry- Internal Fuel: 11,113 US Gal. (42,067 L)
- Oil Tankage: 24 US Gal. (90.85 L)
- Empty Weight: 51,061 lb (23,161 kg)
- Gross Weight: 107,250 lb (48,648 kg)
- Max. Takeoff Weight: 158,000 lb (71,668 kg)
Engine Ratings
Max.
→ 15,600 lbf with afterburner @ 7,460 rpm
Military
→ 10,000 lbf @ 7,460 rpm
Normal
→ 9,700 lbf @ 7,460 rpm @ continuous
Performance
- Thrust-to-Weight Ratio: 0.58
- Critical Altitude Speed: 1,320 mph (2,124 km/h)
- Wing Loading: 69.5 lb/sq ft (339.3 kg/sq m)
- Takeoff Distance: 5,870 ft (1,790 m)
- Rate of Climb: 14,780 - 38,000 fpm (75 - 193 m/s)
- Service Ceiling: 63,600 ft (19,385 m)
- Combat Radius: 2,690 miles (4,329 km)
- Max. Range: 6,483 miles (10,433 km)
Armament
- Avionics:
- AN/ASQ-42 navigation/bombing system
- AN/ALQ-16 jammer
- AN/ALR-12 radar warning receiver
- Turret:
- 1 x 20-mm M-61 Vulcan in a remote-controlled tail turret (1,040 - 1,200 rounds)
- Rate of Fire: 4,000 rounds per minute
- Tracing Rates: ¼ degrees to 60 degrees per second
- Firing Zone: +/- 30 degrees azimuth and evaluation
- Lethal Range: 1,500 yards (1.37 km)
- Bombs:
- 4 x 3,000-lb M118 bombs
- 4 x 2,000-lb Mk 84 bombs
- 12 x 1,000-lb Mk 83 bombs
- 12 x 750-lb M117 bombs
- 24 x 500-lb Mk 82 bombs
- 24 x 250-lb Mk 81 bombs
- Others:
- AN/ALE-16 Chaff Dispensers
Conclusion | Why it should be in the game
The Convair B-58A Hustler was a groundbreaking aircraft, becoming the US Air Force’s first operational supersonic jet bomber during the 1950s and 1960s. Although it never saw combat, the Hustler represented a significant leap in aviation technology with its innovative design, supersonic speed, and advanced systems. Throughout its service life, the aircraft underwent numerous modifications to remain a relevant asset for the USAF before it was replaced by the F-111.
The modified B-58A Hustler from Project Bullseye could make an excellent addition to War Thunder. With the capability to carry up to 3,000 pounds of bombs on each of its four specialized pylons, it would offer a formidable bomb load. In-game, the B-58 would likely perform similarly to the Yak-28B but with far greater speed and a heavier payload, potentially placing it at a higher Battle Rating. To survive in combat, the B-58 would need to rely on its supersonic speed, limited-arc tail gun, and countermeasures like chaff. Additionally, the B-58 could serve as a nuclear bomber in ground battles, requiring 2,500 spawn points, if the standard proposal for the modified B-58 was not implemented.
- 3068 Standard Aircraft Characteristics B/RB-58A Hustler (10 July 1959)
- 3070 Standard Aircraft Characteristics B/RB-58A Hustler (10 July 1959)
- T.O. 1B-58A-1 Flight Manual USAF Series B/RB-58A Aircraft (28 August 1959)
- T.O. 1B-58A-1 Flight Manual B-58A USAF Series Aircraft (28 March 1969)
- Convair B-58 Hustler and Variants (1978)
- Convair B-58 Hustler: The World’s First Supersonic Bomber (1997)
- Combat Aircraft 130: B-58 Hustler Units (2019)
- General Dynamics B-58 & North American XB-70
- Origin of Convair B-58 Hustler
- Convair B-58A Hustler
- Service of B-58 Hustler with USAF
- Convair B-58 Hustler - Wikipedia
Thank you for taking the time to read my suggestion! 😃