Warbird Information Exchange

ok guys how many b58 hustlers are left and where and any in flying condition?

I am pretty sure there are none in airworthy condition. Just a fast google search says that there are 8 total and that is counting "Snoopy". Grissom Air Museum in Indiana has the oldest one left. Aircraft #4.

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Chris Henry
EAA Aviation Museum Manager

Lone Star Flight Museum in Galveston has one.

Also Chanute Air Museum in Rantoul, Illinois.
Took these @ Chanute July 4th of this year.

I love the hustler. She looks like she's going mach 2 at a stand still.

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Some people are like slinkys, good for nothing but bring a smile to your face when pushed down stairs.

61-2080 has been in the AZ sun for a few years, but I believe she has less than a hundred hours on her, at least that was the rumor. Perhaps James could get some more accurate information on that.

Gary

Could they perform conventional warfare missions and were they used in Vietnam?

I don't think they were ever used in combat. There was apparently a tech order showing how to paint one in SEA camo (green/green/tan over black.) There have been rumors for years that one Hustler may have been actually been painted in the scheme, but no photos have surfaced. I've seen models done with that paint job, and it does look wicked cool!

I don't know a lot about the B-58, but it seems like they should have been able to configure the weapons pod to haul whatever was needed.

SN

Of course you can see one at the NMUSAF. Also one at the Strategic Air & Space Museum in Nebraska and one at Lackland AFB.

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Ain't no sunshine when she's gone!

Another one at the USAF Flight Test Center Museum at Edwards AFB. Any others not mentioned?

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Ain't no sunshine when she's gone!

Strange that the one at Chanute is painted as Greased Lightning which is actually on display at the SAC Museum. Meanwhile the Octave example is actually a YB-58 and the last B-58 retired.

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Chris Henry
EAA Aviation Museum Manager

http://www.b-58hustler.com/

Remaining B-58's
#663 AT GRISSOM AIR MUSEUM
#665 AT EDWARDS
#666 AT CHANUTE
#668 AT LONE STAR MUSEUM GALVESTON,TX
#2437 AT KELLY,TX
#2458 AT WRIGHT-PATTERSON AIR FORCE MUSEUM
#2059 "GREASED LIGHTNING" AT OMAHA
#2080 AT PIMA CO. TUCSON AZ

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Zane Adams
There I was at 20,000 ft, upside down and out of ammunition.
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While it probably wasn't for any combat reasons my Dad told me a story of a B-58 that landed at Phu Cat in '68 while he was stationed there. He said everyone went out on the ramp to check it out and watch it's departure.

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Jeff

Not really and no. The B-58 was really a marginal airplane, it was built as a "one trick pony" and not well suited for any other role. There were preliminary plans for B-58s to fly bombing missions in SEA, but that was more to find a useful mission (in addition to its SAC deterrence mission) for an aircraft nearing retirement.

I have found over the years that it brings grief to critisize the B-58, but the reality is that it was never as succesful as other SAC bombers. Oh yeah, it looked cool! And it had an impressive performance, but it was not as versitile as the BUFF, or the later B-1. It sure would have looked cool in a SAC camo scheme with MERs slung under the wings though.

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Had God intended for man to fly behind inline engines, Pratt & Whitney would have made them.

CB

http://www.angelfire.com/dc/jinxx1/Desrt_Wings.html