Description

One of the most dramatic bombers of its day, the Convair B-58 came to epitomise the Cold War power of Strategic Air Command. Introduced only 12 years after the sound barrier was first broken, this iconic plane became the first large long-range supersonic bomber to take to the skies, a feat which had seemed far-fetched only a few years previously. Outstripping its contemporaries in terms of speed, and agile enough to escape most interceptors, the B-58 was a remarkable feat of engineering, setting 19 world speed records and collecting a host of trophies. The first operational bomber capable of Mach 2 at 63,000 feet, it was able to evade hostile fighters and represented a serious threat to targets across the Soviet Bloc.
Supported by contemporary first-hand accounts, photography, and full-colour illustrations, this study explores the history of this ground-breaking aircraft from its conception to its little-known testing for use in the Vietnam War.

Table of Contents

CHAPTER 1
Delta Design

CHAPTER 2
Making it Work

CHAPTER 3
Test and Development

CHAPTER 4
In Flight

CHAPTER 5
The Mission

CHAPTER 6
Other Roles

Appendices
1. B-58A physical and performance statistics
2. B-58A units, bases and dates
3. Notable flights and preserved examples
Profile Captions

Product details

Published 31 Oct 2019
Format Ebook (PDF)
Edition 1st
Extent 96
ISBN 9781472836427
Imprint Osprey Publishing
Series Combat Aircraft
Short code COM 130
Publisher Bloomsbury Publishing

About the contributors

Author

Peter E. Davies

Peter E. Davies has specialized in the aircraft of…

Cover illustrator

Gareth Hector

Gareth Hector is a digital artist of international…

Illustrator

Jim Laurier

Jim Laurier is a native of New England and lives i…

Resources

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