Convair B-58 Hustler

Calibre Wings Does the Hustle(r)

Its been a couple of years since we heard anything from Calibre Wings regarding their oft-promised Convair B-58 Hustler bomber. There’s all sorts of reasons for the delay but suffice it to say that the owner seems to finally be prepared to share news of their upcoming project now that its entering its final phase of prototype development..

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 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. 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 heard on the ground by the public as it passed overhead in supersonic flight.

We’ve contacted Calibre Wings to express our desire to stock their B-58 provided its well within our selling regime. Thus far, Calibre hasn’t discussed pricing, dates of availability, packaging, and shipping costs from China to the US, in part due to the Trump administration’s willingness to place hefty tariffs on incoming goods from much of Asia to the United States and, in particular, the PRC. So, while we would love to stock and sell this model, it may be impractical due to higher-than-normal costs and the increasingly hostile relationship currently occurring between the US and China. As I’ve mentioned in a previous Tales of Transparency blog post, some things are simply out-of-our-control and could actually impede your ability to acquire this model should you choose to purchase this model from a US-based retailer rather than direct from the manufacturer. In any event, we will stay in touch with Calibre once they have a better idea regarding the ultimate costs associated with bringing this model to the US.

A video compendium showing the development of the Calibre Wings B-58 Hustler through the years:

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Calibre Wings Does the Hustle(r)

While we have temporarily discontinued stocking the Calibre Wings line of military aircraft, we thought it still made sense to cover them as if we did. Of late, the Company has come under fire from some of its most vocal critics, who delight in lambasting them on every conceivable issue, from quality control to licensing. While we are not going to agree or disagree with some of the online comments posted to their Facebook account, the point of this blog post isn’t to throw more fuel on the fire. Rather, it is designed to point out some of their positive achievements, which includes not only what they have brought to market thus far but what’s ahead from this rising star in the diecast community.

By now, most of you are no doubt aware that the Company has a MiG-31 “Foxhound” in the works, which can still be pre-ordered direct from the manufacturer and is currently listed as a 2023 release. What you may not know is that they are also working on their long-promised if oft delayed Convair B-58 Hustler, a supersonic bomber that saw yeoman service with the USAF during the Cold War. While the mold is still being finalized and pre-orders are not yet being taken by the manufacturer, they did take time out to cobble together this short video which discusses their labor-of-love. Enjoy and don’t forget to support your favorite manufacturers any way you can! BTW, Noel Lee, the owner of Calibre Wings, has hinted that the retail price of the B-58 could be as high as $300, although its likely he will offer it at a far lower price on Kickstarter, a crowdfunding site, for a limited time only. The Hustler is an iconic Cold War aircraft that helped to form the backbone of our so-called Triad nuclear response for several decades. As such while it may be expensive vis a vis other diecast aircraft, we feel confident that Calibre will do it justice and thus represent a worthwhile investment.

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Do the Hustle(r)!

Having spent much of my glory days in the seventies, I can tell you first hand that one of the most memorable songs of the period was “Do the Hustle.” While I’d prefer to forget about the Huckapoo shirts and platform shoes that helped me while away the weekend evenings, thank you very much, I can’t help but reflect on one of the most iconic aircraft of the era – the Convair B-58 Hustler, the first operational jet bomber capable of Mach 2 flight. Despite its place in the annals of aviation history and importance during the Cold War era, this iconic aircraft seems to have been overlooked from a diecast stand point, briefly offered in a 1:200 scale by Sky Defenders that never quite did the aircraft or the collecting community justice.

One of the reasons why diecast model makers seem loathe to offering a 1:72 scale replica of the Hustler was, as some claim, only a handful of variations are available to justify the costs associated with building a mold. This, however, is anything but the case, as shown by the accompanying infographic, which clearly shows five different variations and an equal number of paint schemes that could be easily adopted should a savvy manufacturer decide to take up our challenge.

So what say you collectors? Should a company such as Hobby Master pick up the gauntlet and take a shot at diecast immortality by building the Hustler or are you content with what you’ve gotten thus far? (Hint, nudge them with a quick jab to the abdomen so you too can add the B-58 to your diminutive collection)

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