Calibre Wings CA72B5801 Convair B-58A Hustler 59-2458 “Cowtown Hustler” National Museum USAF Wright-Patterson AFB Ohio
Calibre Wings
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Calibre Wings 1/72 Scale - RRP £299.99
CA72B5801 - B-58A Hustler 59-2458 “Cowtown Hustler” National Museum USAF Wright-Patterson AFB Ohio
PRE-ORDER - EXPECT RELEASE SPRING 2025 - PRICE £289.99 includes free UK P&P
Reserve this model for a £1 deposit today, with the balance becoming due when stock is received.
The final product will be 100% tampo printed.
This model features magnetic adhesion points for interchangeable parts.
The model will be packaged in a collector's wooden box with foam cushioning and a certificate of limited production run.
Constructed as a B-58A-10-CF by Consolidated at Fort Worth, TX, USA circa 1960 and taken on Strength/Charge with the United States Air Force with s/n 59-2458. Transferred to 43rd Bombardment Wing (SAC), Carswell AFB, TX in August 1961 and operated with markings ” Cowtown Hustler” with deployments to Bunker Hill AFB, Indiana. Later, this aircraft was transferred to Little Rock AFB, Arkansas, in September 1964.
Transferred to 2750th Air Base Wing (Air Force Logistics Command), Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio on 1st December 1969 and made its final ferry flight to the National Museum of the United States Air Force, Wright Field, Dayton, Ohio. It was then stored at Wright Field until the new museum facility had been built. It was finally placed on display in August 1971.
On 5th March 1962, this aircraft set a transcontinental speed record by flying non-stop from Los Angeles to New York and back. Crew awarded Bendix and Mackay trophies.
The Convair B-58 Hustler, designed and produced by American aircraft manufacturer Convair, was the first operational bomber capable of Mach 2 flight.
The B-58 was developed during the 1950s for the United States Air Force (USAF) Strategic Air Command (SAC). To achieve the high speeds desired, Convair chose a delta wing design, a configuration also used by contemporary interceptors such as the Convair F-102. The bomber was powered by four General Electric J79 engines in underwing pods. It had no bomb bay; it carried a single nuclear weapon plus fuel in a combination bomb/fuel pod underneath the fuselage. Later, four external hardpoints were added, enabling it to carry up to five weapons.
The B-58 entered service in March 1960, and flew for a decade with two SAC bomb wings: the 43rd Bombardment Wing and the 305th Bombardment Wing. It was considered difficult to fly, imposing a high workload upon its three-man crews. Designed to replace the subsonic Boeing B-47 Stratojet strategic bomber, the B-58 became notorious for its sonic boom, which was audible to the public as it passed overhead in supersonic flight.
The B-58 was designed to fly at high altitudes and supersonic speeds to evade Soviet interceptors. Still, with the Soviet introduction of high-altitude surface-to-air missiles, the B-58 was compelled to adopt a low-level penetration role, severely limiting its range and strategic value. It was never used to deliver conventional bombs. The B-58 was substantially more expensive to operate than other bombers, such as the Boeing B-52 Stratofortress, and required more frequent aerial refuelling. The B-58 also suffered from a high rate of accidental losses. These factors resulted in a relatively brief operational career of ten years. The B-58 was succeeded in its role by the smaller, swing-wing FB-111A.
The model will be packaged in a collector's wooden box with foam cushioning and a certificate of limited production run.
World’s first 1/72 B-58A Hustler die-cast metal model.
Metal pitot probe
Opening/close station hatch
Detailed cockpit, navigation & DSO stations
Detailed escape capsule ejection seats
85% die-cast metal
Magnetic two-component pod & support stands
4 General Electric J79 engines
Detailed engine intake & afterburner sections
4 engine intake covers
2 sets open/closed engine nozzles
2 magnetic bomb rail pylons
4 magnetic B61 bombs
Super silver paint finish with differentiating metal tones
Detailed tempo print stencils
Magnetic “gear up” and landing gear interchangeable cartridges
Rolling wheels with soft tires
Adjustable metal flight stand
Limited edition serialised collector’s card
Collector’s wooden box 30cm (w) x 45cm (l) x 16cm (h)