The Convair B-58 Hustler was the first operational supersonic jet bomber capable of Mach 2 flight. The aircraft was designed by Convair engineer Robert H. Widmer and developed for the United States Air Force for service in the Strategic Air Command (SAC) during the 1960s. It used a delta wing, which was also employed by Convair fighters such as the F-102, with four J79 engines in pods under the wing. It carried a nuclear weapon and fuel in a large pod under the fuselage. Replacing the B-47 medium bomber, it was originally intended to fly at high altitudes and supersonic speeds to avoid Soviet fighters. The B-58 received a great deal of notoriety due to its sonic boom, which was often heard by the public as it passed overhead in supersonic flight. |
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O Convair B-58 Hustler foi o primeiro bombardeiro pesado supersônico da história. Em 1956 bateu vários recordes mundiais de velocidade e distância. Esteve em em serviço na USAF cerca de dez anos, entre 1960 e 1970. Tinha uma tripulação de apenas três homens. Visava substituir o Boeing B-52 Stratofortress (que tinha uma tripulação algo entre seis a oito homens) mas seu alto consumo de combustível e sua capacidade menor em armamento tornaram-no operacionalmente inviável para os objetivos da Força Aérea dos Estados Unidos. - WikipediaMore Aircraft and Planes related posts: Fairchild AU-23A Peacemaker - by Best Paper Models
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