Could the B-58 Hustler Have Changed the Course of the Vietnam War?

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Join us for Part 1 of our look at the Combat Bullseye tests with author Chris Gibson. In 1967, the US Air Force's Tactical Air Command reached out to their counterpart in the Strategic Air Command for some help. Bombing results in North Vietnam were poor, and the F-4s, F-100s and F-105s were suffering losses. Could SAC's speedy Convair B-58 Hustler be the answer? The Combat Bullseye tests would find out.

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00:00 Intro and Ekster Ad Read
03:13 TAC's Situation in Vietnam
08:40 Combat Bullseye Begins
12:58 Enter The Hustler!
22:18 The Birth of the Slime Light
25:37 Fighting Together
33:27 Preview of Part 2 - The Conventional Hustler

[michaeldenesyk]

The vortex generated by the XB-70 was a specific situation because of teh downward deflection of teh wing tips of the XB-70, The B-58 was a normal delta without the XB-70s variable downward deflection of the XB-70.

[briancooper]

That bridge was defended! Men died attacking the bridge!

[michaeldenesyk]

The Dragon Jaw bridge was hit, but teh weapons used were not doing teh damage, but there were direct hits, but they were repaired. The GBU weapons used made for more predictable hits.

[gsr]

No. It's a long, complicated story but by around 1971-72, the US and SV had the war pretty much won. NV won the war three years after the US had left and the US Congress had cut off all material aid to SV, while Russia and China continued supplying NV.

[michaeldenesyk]

The J-79 afterburners were no less bright than the J-79s on the F-4 Phantoms, the TF-33 on the F-111 or the J-75 used on the F-105 I find it hard to believe this was an issue because it is not easy to see an AB from teh ground, let alone from the air, especially in bad weather. The question is, how and when teh AB is employed. The radar-guided SAMS of that era was radar-guided, and the only IR systems were the ATOLL used on the MiG-21. As far as the "Pilot Light" I challenge anyone looking up from teh ground to spot the tiny pilot light of an aircraft flying by at 500 plus knots.

[usfedvet]

A great airplane but had no racks nor hard points to load up conventional stores.

[Thunder_]

The B-58 wouldn't work, but the F-111 did in '68.