<VV> B-58A - no Corvair

[James Davis]

Not mission capable (no terrain avoidance capability, high fuel 
consumption with limited fuel).  This A/C sucked 60,000 lbs of fuel 
in 4th stage AB and only carried 38,000 lbs internal fuel plus 36,000 
in the weapon pod.  For show, B-58A carried a fuel pod (no weapon) 
with 62,000 lbs of fuel.  The Bendix Trophy flight from Los Angeles 
to New York required three aerial refuellings.    A maintenance 
nightmare; more maintenance man hours per flight hour than any other 
operational aircraft.  No access to some of the critical electronic 
components.  Remember, these were tube analog electronics with a very 
limited life span (10's of hours).  We had to cut a hole in the 
fuselage to replace the equipment then braze in a skin patch 
(aluminum honeycomb skin).  By the way the engines, GE's J-79-5A/B, 
required a compressor change at 350 flight hours at a cost of 
$340,000 (1962 dollars) as only GE could rebuild the compressors.
Until the B-1B, the most impressive takeoff sound of any operational aircraft.
Jim Davis



At 08:22 PM 1/29/2007, Andy  Clark wrote:
>Rich, what did they scrape them on? <VBG>
>Andy Clark
>Camano Island, WA.
>1966 140/4 Monza Sedan
>1966 140/4 Yenko Clone
>1966 180/4 Cord 8/10 #60
>----- Original Message -----
>From: <SPYDER62 at aol.com>
>To: <f111a at austin.rr.com>; <virtualvairs at corvair.org>
>Sent: Monday, January 29, 2007 3:57 PM
>Subject: Re: <VV> Sliderules: betcha don't have one of these....
>
>
> >
> > In a message dated 1/29/2007 10:32:07 A.M. Pacific Standard Time,
> > f111a at austin.rr.com writes:
> >
> > B-58-logoed, fuel balance sliderule in a heavy leather case; still have
>it
> > Here they were, flying a state-of-the-art, Mach 3 airplane--IMO still  one
>of
> > the alltime best looking airframe designs
> >
> >
> > I second that still one sharp looking bird to bad almost all were
>scraped.
> > rich