On March 15, 1960, the Convair B-58 Hustler officially entered service, marking a major milestone in Cold War aviation. Designed to meet the U.S. Air Force’s need for a supersonic strategic bomber, the Hustler was built for speed—able to get in, deliver its payload, and exit quickly. Convair’s signature delta-wing design, also seen on its F-102 Delta Dagger, gave the aircraft its distinctive futuristic look.
The B-58, with its sharp angles and sleek, underslung engines, looked like something from a 1960s sci-fi comic. Crewed by three, it was powered by four General Electric J79-GE-5A afterburning turbojets, each producing 15,000 pounds of thrust. Capable of Mach 2.0 (1,319 mph), it became the first operational bomber to fly at twice the speed of sound.
Armed with a 20mm T171 cannon, the Hustler could carry a Mark 39 or B53 nuclear bomb, or up to four smaller B43/B61 nuclear munitions. Though 116 were built, the B-58 never saw combat but remained a formidable deterrent throughout the Cold War. Today, only eight survive in museums across the U.S., including the last one delivered to the USAF—s/n 61-2028—on display at the Pima Air & Space Museum in Tucson, Arizona. The Convair B-58 Hustler remains a testament to Cold War innovation, influencing the design and technology of modern military aircraft.
