B-58A HUSTLER

Historical Note:         Unbeatable museum quality best describes our handcrafted B-58 Hustler Strategic Bomber model airplane. After passing through the hands of master craftsmen, the parts are sanded and primed many times. Talented artists then paint on the intricate details with great accuracy. A final coat of clear lacquer protects the B-58 Hustler Strategic Bomber model and gives it a glossy finish. The B-58 Hustler Strategic Bomber model airplane comes with a handsome mahogany-based chrome pedestal, and to ensure that it is ready for delivery, it undergoes various stages of quality control before being placed in its box. The B-58 Hustler Strategic Bomber model airplane is perfect as an addition to a growing collection or as an exquisite gift to a loved one. 

Scale:    1:72
W/S:      9.75     inches, 
Lgth:      16.75    inches

Item Number:    TMC-CB58T                                                                                                                                                                                                                           Price:    $169.95

Historical Note Cont'd:         The Convair B-58 Hustler was the first operational jet bomber capable of Mach 2 supersonic flight and was developed for the United States Air Force Strategic Air Command in the late 1950s.

The B-58 program started in February 1949.  The B-58 design was the first "true" USAF supersonic bomber program.  Its design was based on a delta wing with a leading-edge sweep of 60 degrees with four General Electric J79-GE-1 turbojet loading.  It has a crew of three, the pilot, bombardier, navigator and defensive systems operator.  The B-58 carries a single nuclear weapon in a streamlined MB-1C pod under the fuselage.  The B-58 has a crew of three and has a maximum speed of Mach 2.1

The B-58 is extremely expensive and was reported that each B-58As costs much more than its weight in gold.  It is a complex aircraft requiring considerable maintenance, requiring specialized equipment.

On January 16, 1970, the last B-58s in operational service retired and was replaced by the FB-111A.  A total of 116 B-58s were produced; 30 trial aircraft and 86 production B-58A models.  A number of B-58s were used for special trials of various kinds and several variants such as the B-58B and B-58C were proposed by Convair, but were never built.