B-58 – Crew Stations

The B-58 Hustler had a crew of three – Pilot, Navigator/Bombardier, and Defensive Systems Operator. Each sat in an individual ejection capsule in tandem but separate crew stations. All instruments, switches, and dials were in easy reach.. These photos are taken from the 360 degree cockpit views of the B-58 as shown by the National […]

B-58 Facts – Yaw Damper

A Convair test pilot and engineer were killed when a B-58 lost an outboard engine while flying at Mach-2. This was a test flight to see if the pilot could control adverse yaw using only the B-58’s control stick and without using rudders. For normal operation, the B-58 had a yaw damper system that was […]

B-58 Myths

The B-58 was a supersonic bomber that flew at twice the speed of sound (Mach-2.) The B-58’s war-time mission was to enter enemy territory at a very low altitude, just below the speed of sound, to destroy their assigned high-value targets. I flew, as a Navigator/Bombardier, in this aircraft for three years. I started this […]