Flight Characteristics of the B58 Mach 2 Bomber

Extract

The B58 was developed and produced for the United States Air Force by the General Dynamics Corporation, Fort Worth Division, Texas. Until recently the organisation was known as CONVAIR, Fort Worth Division.

The B58 provided an abrupt advance in the technology of military aviation. In one step the speed performance of the strategic bomber was more than doubled over that of its predecessors.

The development and manufacture of the B58 was accomplished under the Weapons System Management Concept. Development of the aircraft began in 1951 with the origination of design studies. Detail design and manufacturing efforts were started in 1954. Initial flight of the prototype occurred in November of 1956. An exhaustive flight test evaluation programme then ensued in parallel with production of the aircraft. The flight test programme utilised a substantial fleet of B58's, and the combined efforts of the manufacturer and the U.S.A.F.