Convair (Model 4) B-58A Hustler model airplane

The performance requirement for this three-seat supersonic medium-range bomber demanded considerable advances in aerodynamics, structures, and materials. The resulting design, one of the first to incorporate the NACA/Whitcomb-developed area-rule concept, was a delta-winged aircraft with four engines in underslung pods, a slim fuselage, and, perhaps its most novel feature, a 62-foot long under-fuselage pod to carry fuel and a nuclear weapon. The three-man crew, in individual tandem cockpits, were provided with jettisonable escape capsules. In June 1954 the 18-aircraft order was reduced to two XB-58 prototypes and 11 YB-58A pre-production examples, together with 31 pods. The first of these was rolled out at Fort Worth on August 31, 1956, making its first flight on November 11th. On December 30th, still without a pod, the XB-58 became the first bomber to exceed Mach 1. With such outstanding performance it was clear that the B-58A had record-breaking potential, and did, in fact, set several records. One of the records came on May 26, 1961, when Major William Payne and his crew flew from Carswell to Paris setting, en route, a record time of 3 hours 39 minutes 49 seconds from Washington, and 3 hours 19 minutes 51 seconds from New York; sadly the Hustler crashed at the Paris Air Show on June 3 with the loss of the crew. Other flights included a supersonic endurance record of 8 hours 35 minutes from Haneda, Tokyo to London on October 16,1963. The 116th and last B-58A was delivered on October 26, 1962, and the type was withdrawn from SAC service on January 31, 1970. The B-58 was powered by four 15,600-lb. afterburning thrust General Electric J79-GE-5A turbojets, with a maximum speed of 1,385 mph (Mach 2.1) at 40,000 feet; service ceiling of 60,000 feet; and unrefuelled range of 2,000 miles. Armament was one 20-mm T171 Vulcan rotary cannon in radar-aimed tail barbette, plus nuclear or conventional weapons in disposable underfuselage pod.

All airplane models are Hand Carved, Hand Painted Mahogany and come fully assembled with removable desk stand.

Dimensions: Wingspan, 9 3/4" -Length, 16 3/4" -Scale, 1/72

Item #B8072B3W - Air Corps Price $114.95

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Dimensions: Wingspan, 10 1/2" -Length, 17" -Scale, 1/68

Item #AM145-AL - Air Corps Price $129.95

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