B-58 Hustler Prototype

Thanks again everyone … much appreciated. D

Thanks Bager1968! That’s most convincing!

But was it really designated “XB-58”?

On Joe Baugher’s site, http://home.att.net/~jbaugher2/b58.html
it is listed as:

“The first B-58, at that time officially designated YB/RB-58 and serialed 55-0660, was completed in late August, and was rolled out of the factory on September 4, 1956. It had little in the way of operational equipment fitted, the available space being taken up primarily by test equipment. 55-0660 made its maiden flight on November 11, 1956, taking off from the Convair Fort Worth facilities at Carswell AFB, Texas. The crew of three consisted of B. A. Erickson, pilot, John. D. McEachern systems specialist, and Charles P. Harrison as flight test engineer. The underfuselage pod was not fitted. The maximum speed reached on the first flight was Mach 0.9. Supersonic flight was first attained on December 30, at which time Mach 1.17 was attained.”

As he lists all serial numbers, and gives detailed write-ups on each version, I suspect that he did a bit of research in the USAF files, which might indicate that there never was a “XB-58″… at least not until the 1962 redesignation occurred.

…two additional pics
http://www.airliners.net/open.file/1012351/L/
http://www.airliners.net/open.file/1006357/L/

XB-58 Prototype; 2 built
YB-58A Pre-production trials aircraft; 28 built (11 plus the 17 RB-58A http://www.uswarplanes.net/b58.html )
B-58A Production model; 86 built plus 10 converted from YB-58A airframes
NB-58A Modified airframe used to test the J-93 turbojet engine being developed for the XB-70 bomber, the J-93 being carried in a nacelle beneath the fuselage; 1 converted
RB-58A Reconnaissance model re-built from YB-58A airframes; 17 converted
TB-58A Pilot trainer modified from XB-58 and YB-58A airframes, featured a raised seat in the second cockpit for instructor visibility; 8 converted
B-58B Proposed improved model; not built
B-58C Proposed improved model; not built

http://www.aerospaceweb.org/aircraft/bomber/b58/

XB-58 1956 = Four GE J79-GE-1; ff: 11/11/56 (p: Beryl A Erickson). POP: 2 [56-0660/0661]. The latter’s ff: 2/1/57 (>2/16/57) was first with a weapons pod (p: Erickson).

http://www.aerofiles.com/_convair.html

On november the 11th 1956, 55-0660 made its maiden flight, taking off from the Convair Fort Worth facilities at Carswell AFB, Texas. The underfuselage pod was not fitted, the maximum speed reached on the first flight was Mach 0.9.

http://www.xs4all.nl/~mvburen/b-58/fs1b.htm

How many “prototypes”?

Thanks guys, that’s excellent. And two different aircraft I note, the XB-58 is 660 and the other is 661.

There is conflicting information on the web about all this. Some sources allege only one aircraft (the first prototype, which I assume is the XB ie. the aircraft featured in SOC’s wikipedia link) bore the red, white and black colours. Clearly that’s not correct.

I think there were also some pre-production aircraft (Wikipedia says 11 YB-58A’s, Grissom Air Museum refers to 30 test and pre-prod aircraft) and I wonder how many of them bore these colours? I note 663 (allegedly the fourth built which makes sense starting at 660) exists at Grissom Air Museum but it’s either dull aluminium or grey these days (not that that proves the point re. initial colour scheme).
http://www.grissomairmuseum.com/airexib/planes/TB58ABomber.html

Thanks again, D

…and on the ground
http://www.nationalmuseum.af.mil/shared/media/photodb/photos/061101-F-1234P-001.jpg

Here’s the first aircraft:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:XB-58.jpg