As the first operational Mach 2 bomber, the B-58 pushed the boundaries of aerodynamic design, propulsion, and avionics, positively influencing subsequent aircraft.
During the Cold War, the Americans experimented with many innovative and wild warplane designs in order to keep ahead of their Soviet rivals. One such bird was the Convair B-58 Hustler, a supersonic strategic bomber developed in the late 1950s. As the first operational bomber capable of sustained Mach 2 flight, the B-58 embodied the technological ambition and strategic imperatives of the Cold War era.
Designed to penetrate Soviet airspace at high speeds and altitudes, the Hustler was a symbol of American ingenuity. Sadly, its high costs, operational challenges, and the rapidly evolving strategic landscape of the era limited this impressive plane’s service life.
In the late 1950s, Soviet air defenses were becoming increasingly advanced and threatening to undermine the air superiority the United States and NATO enjoyed over the USSR. To overcome these advances in Soviet air defenses, Convair, a division of US defense contractor General Dynamics, stepped forward with the B-58 Hustler’s design under the Generalized Bomber, GEBO, program.
Convair began designing this plane in 1952, with the first prototype, designated XB-58, flying on November 11, 1956.
Understanding the B-58 Hustler
Unlike the B-52 Stratofortress, the Air Force’s primary long-range strategic bomber, the B-58 Hustler featured a sleek, delta-wing configuration and aerodynamic profile optimized for supersonic flight. Powered by four General Electric J79 turbojet engines, each producing 15,600 pounds of thrust (with afterburners), the Hustler could reach speeds exceeding 1,400 miles per hour (Mach 2) and heights of around 60,000 feet. Its lightweight construction, using advanced materials like aluminum honeycomb panels, contributed to its agility—though these innovations also made maintenance complex and costly compared to the other aircraft.
One of the B-58’s most distinctive features was its external weapons pod, a detachable unit carried under the fuselage. This pod could house a nuclear warhead, fuel, or a combination of both, allowing for mission flexibility. There was no internal bomb bay, a design choice that reduced the plane’s drag but limited its payload capacity compared to subsonic bombers. The B-58 featured a three-person crew—pilot, navigator-bombardier, and defensive systems operator—seated in tandem ejection capsules, a novel safety feature for high-speed aircraft at that time.
As for its avionics, for their era, the B-58 had state-of-the-art systems. There was, for example, an inertial navigation system and a radar bombing system that enabled precise targeting at high speeds. Its defensive armament was limited to a single 20mm T-171E-3 cannon in the tail, remotely operated and radar-guided, reflecting the assumption that speed and altitude would be its primary defenses against enemy fighters.
The B-58 entered operational service with the Strategic Air Command (SAC) in 1960, assigned to the 43rd Bomb Wing at Carswell Air Force Base, Texas, and later the 305th Bomb Wing at Bunker Hill Ar Force Base, Indiana.
How the Hustler Overcame Soviet Air Defenses
At its peak, SAC operated 116 Hustlers, organized into eight squadrons. The aircraft was designed for high-altitude penetration missions, flying at speeds and altitudes that theoretically outpaced Soviet defenses. When the Soviets introduced the SA-2 Dvina (NATO reporting name “Guideline”) surface-to-air missile, however, the B-58 was forced to shift to low-level penetration tactics—a mission set that the Hustler was less suited due to its high fuel consumption and structural limitations.
B-58 Hustlers set multiple world records for speed and distance, notably a 1961 from Los Angeles to New York in just over two hours, averaging 1,214 mph. These feats showcased America’s technological dominance and served as great victories in the realm of public diplomacy during the Cold War. The Hustler further participated in SAC’s pivotal airborne alert program, with aircraft maintained on standby for rapid response to a Soviet attack.
Yet the Hustler’s complexity was its undoing. Its maintenance costs were by far the highest of any aircraft in SAC’s inventory. Perhaps more concerning was the Hustler’s troubling safety record; 26 of the aircraft were lost in crashes, representing a whopping 22 percent of the total fleet. These incidents were often attributed to the aircraft’s demanding flight characteristics, particularly at low altitudes, and issues with its fuel system and landing gear.
Halfway through its relatively short service life, in the mid-1960s, the rationale for the Hustler began to evaporate. The development of intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs) offered a faster, cheaper, and less vulnerable means of nuclear delivery. Additionally, the B-52, with its greater payload and adaptability, proved more versatile for both conventional and nuclear missions.
The Hustler Was Decommissioned in 1970—but Its Influence Lives On
The emergence of the more advanced FB-111A and the promise of the B-1 Lancer further diminished the B-58’s role. In January 1970, less than a decade after entering service, the B-58 was retired, with surviving airframes sent to storage or museums.
As the first operational Mach 2 bomber, the B-58 pushed the boundaries of aerodynamic design, propulsion, and avionics, positively influencing all subsequent aircraft design like the far more successful (and still operational) B-1 Lancer. Its emphasis on speed and altitude as defensive attributes foreshadowed many important design philosophies in later aircraft, such as the iconic SR-71 Blackbird.
Today, the B-58 is remembered as an early Cold War icon, a testament to that era’s technological ambition and the geopolitical tensions surrounding that plane’s creation. Several surviving airframes are now found in museums. These relics serve as crucial reminders of a time when speed was the ultimate weapon and the skies were a battleground for superpower supremacy.
About the Author: Brandon J. Weichert
Brandon J. Weichert, a Senior National Security Editor at The National Interest as well as a contributor at Popular Mechanics, who consults regularly with various government institutions and private organizations on geopolitical issues. Weichert’s writings have appeared in multiple publications, including the Washington Times, National Review, The American Spectator, MSN, the Asia Times, and countless others. His books include Winning Space: How America Remains a Superpower, Biohacked: China’s Race to Control Life, and The Shadow War: Iran’s Quest for Supremacy. His newest book, A Disaster of Our Own Making: How the West Lost Ukraine is available for purchase wherever books are sold. He can be followed via Twitter @WeTheBrandon.
Image: Wikimedia Commons.
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