avnav Posted August 11, 2017 Share Posted August 11, 2017 (edited) I just saw a link to this video on Facebook. Early in the video at about 4:26 is a B-58A taking off, painted in a scheme I had never seen before. The vertical tail and rear fuselage are red, and the tail number appears to be yellow. Looks like there's red on the wings too. I'd love to see good photos of this airplane in this scheme. The video also has good scenes with various bombers, fighters and missiles of the late 1950s or very early 1960s. Edited August 11, 2017 by avnav Added details Quote Link to post Share on other sites
thewildscrotum Posted August 11, 2017 Share Posted August 11, 2017 That SAC camouflage on the B-52 always melts my heart. How many of the BUFF's in vietnam retained that camo? Quote Link to post Share on other sites
boom175 Posted August 11, 2017 Share Posted August 11, 2017 Its one of the prototype Hustlers. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Mr Matt Foley Posted August 11, 2017 Share Posted August 11, 2017 Wasn't there a decal sheet available for the B-58 in SEA Camo? Quote Link to post Share on other sites
avnav Posted August 11, 2017 Author Share Posted August 11, 2017 (edited) The B-58 in the video is quite likely a prototype but is painted differently than the one Boom 175 posted. Here's a screenshot: Caracal recently did a very nice B-58 decal sheet which I believe included the most likely fictional B-58 in camouflage. It did not include this paint scheme with the solid red tail and aft fuselage. Note also that the Hustler in the video has a tail gun installed. Edited August 11, 2017 by avnav Added comment about the tail gun Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Don Posted August 13, 2017 Share Posted August 13, 2017 On 8/11/2017 at 10:27 AM, Mr Matt Foley said: Wasn't there a decal sheet available for the B-58 in SEA Camo? Yes there was by Fox One Decals: To my knowledge no photograph has ever been found of an actual Hustler in SEA Camouflage. It's been one of those "holy grail" type things for B-58 fans and modelers to find one. It's more likely that plans were drawn up to paint the Hustler in SEA Camo in case it was deemed necessary to deploy the AC to action over Vietnam: Since it was never sent to SEA odds are no B-58 was ever actually painted in said camouflage. However... how cool does the Hustler look in that camo!!!! Regards, Don p.s. if someone does have a picture of an actual B-58 in SEA camo please post it! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
KursadA Posted August 13, 2017 Share Posted August 13, 2017 (edited) The newer and very successful Caracal Models B-58 sheets in 1/48 and 1/72 have the SEA scheme markings as well. http://caracalmodels.com/cd48059.html http://caracalmodels.com/cd72024.html Edited August 13, 2017 by KursadA Quote Link to post Share on other sites
habu2 Posted August 13, 2017 Share Posted August 13, 2017 On 8/10/2017 at 10:26 PM, thewildscrotum said: That SAC camouflage on the B-52 always melts my heart. How many of the BUFF's in vietnam retained that camo? Zero. The B-58 was never deployed, operationally or experimentally, in Vietnam. This story started over 30 years ago when Jay Miller first published his book on definitive history of the Hustler. In it he published a drawing of a TO 1-1-4 showing a B-58 in SEA camouflage. He stated he had investigated rumors of the scheme for many years, interviewing historians and crews who flew the test profile missions proposed for use in Vietnam, and none had every seen or heard of an aircraft painted in SEA. When Miller published the second edition of his book in 1997 he revisited the topic, relating a story told to him by a model builder who worked at the Air Force Museum in Dayton. In that story the modeler tells how another friend claims to have flown the one and only B-58 painted in SEA as part of "Bullseye Project" a highly classified program that would use the B-58 as a pathfinder for a four-flight of either F-4 or F-105 on low altitude, high subsonic bombing runs. The friend stated Project Bullseye was killed by none other than Robert McNamara himself before they could deploy to Thailand even though the B-58 was "the best suited aircraft for that environment". In my opinion the friend of a friend's story has several gaping holes in it, including choosing the B-58 to lead the flight for its superior radar capability at low altitude, its abilty to turn inside an F-4 or F-105 due to its massive delta wing, and claimed CEP of 200 ft in a mach 0.94 low level ("tree top"), straight and level delivery, "better than existing dive bombing tactics". Of course no photos were ever allowed of the painted jet as it was kept under armed guard inside a hangar when not flying. Sorry, the idea that an aircraft designed for M2+ speed, high altitude delivery of a single nuclear store would be employed, much less be superior, in a low level conventional bomb scenario, sounds like someone's been embellishing a story. Miller retells the story without taking a position on its veracity, other than to close by saying "no name was given..." Quote Link to post Share on other sites
82Whitey51 Posted August 16, 2017 Share Posted August 16, 2017 On 8/13/2017 at 11:52 AM, habu2 said: Zero. The B-58 was never deployed, operationally or experimentally, in Vietnam. This story started over 30 years ago when Jay Miller first published his book on definitive history of the Hustler. In it he published a drawing of a TO 1-1-4 showing a B-58 in SEA camouflage. He stated he had investigated rumors of the scheme for many years, interviewing historians and crews who flew the test profile missions proposed for use in Vietnam, and none had every seen or heard of an aircraft painted in SEA. When Miller published the second edition of his book in 1997 he revisited the topic, relating a story told to him by a model builder who worked at the Air Force Museum in Dayton. In that story the modeler tells how another friend claims to have flown the one and only B-58 painted in SEA as part of "Bullseye Project" a highly classified program that would use the B-58 as a pathfinder for a four-flight of either F-4 or F-105 on low altitude, high subsonic bombing runs. The friend stated Project Bullseye was killed by none other than Robert McNamara himself before they could deploy to Thailand even though the B-58 was "the best suited aircraft for that environment". In my opinion the friend of a friend's story has several gaping holes in it, including choosing the B-58 to lead the flight for its superior radar capability at low altitude, its abilty to turn inside an F-4 or F-105 due to its massive delta wing, and claimed CEP of 200 ft in a mach 0.94 low level ("tree top"), straight and level delivery, "better than existing dive bombing tactics". Of course no photos were ever allowed of the painted jet as it was kept under armed guard inside a hangar when not flying. Sorry, the idea that an aircraft designed for M2+ speed, high altitude delivery of a single nuclear store would be employed, much less be superior, in a low level conventional bomb scenario, sounds like someone's been embellishing a story. Miller retells the story without taking a position on its veracity, other than to close by saying "no name was given..." ...and further perpetuated by the Testors 1/72 release featuring said paint scheme and decals. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Don Posted August 16, 2017 Share Posted August 16, 2017 Related, I picked up a cheap copy of this book a few months back: An interesting and thought provoking read that takes a different spin on why the Hustler had such a short career. If you are interested and can find a cheap copy (Library perhaps...remember those places LOL!) I recommend it. Regards, Don Quote Link to post Share on other sites
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