B-58 Hustler Units

by Peter E. Davies, Jim Laurier (Illustrator)

Overview

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.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781472836410
Publisher:	Bloomsbury Publishing
Publication date:	10/31/2019
Series:	Combat Aircraft , #130
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	96
Sales rank:	714,091
File size:	19 MB
Note:	This product may take a few minutes to download.

About the Author

Peter E Davies has published over 30 aviation books, most of them for Osprey. He has also contributed to magazines such as Aeroplane Monthly and Aircraft Illustrated. He concentrates mainly upon combat aircraft of the Cold War and Vietnam War. He is based in Bristol, UK.

Jim Laurier is a native of New England, having grown up in New Hampshire and Massachusetts. He has been drawing since he could hold a pencil and throughout his life he has worked in many mediums creating artwork on a variety of subjects. He has worked on the Osprey Aviation list since 2000 and in that time he has produced some of the finest artwork seen in these volumes. He has specialised in aircraft of the Vietnam War period. He lives in New Hampshire.
Peter E. Davies has specialized in the aircraft of the Vietnam and Cold War periods, analyzing tactics, background politics and technologies in combat situations. His books are always enriched by original first-hand interviews and unpublished illustrative material. Peter has also been a contributor to publications such as Aeroplane Monthly, Aviation News and Aircraft Illustrated. He lives in Bristol, UK.
Jim Laurier is a native of New England and lives in New Hampshire. He attended Paier School of Art in Hamden, Connecticut, from 1974–78, and since graduating with Honours, he has been working professionally in the field of Fine Art and Illustration. He has been commissioned to paint for the US Air Force and has aviation paintings on permanent display at the Pentagon.
Gareth Hector is a digital artist of international standing as well as an aviation history enthusiast. He lives in Perthshire, UK.

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

Editorial Reviews

Loaded with great photos and color profiles, this is a must for every Cold War library.” —Air Classics

From the Publisher