The Convair Model 58-9 was a proposed American supersonic transport, developed by the Convair division of General Dynamics and intended to carry fifty-two passengers at over Mach 2. Derived from the B-58 Hustler bomber, it was designed in 1961 but no examples of the type were ever built.
source.image: Found And Explained
The Model 58-9 was Convair’s proposal for the third step in a three-step program for the development of a SST based on the company’s B-58 Hustler supersonic medium bomber. Derived from the proposed B-58C, an enlarged version of the Hustler, the Model 58-9 was anticipated to follow up on route-proving using an unmodified B-58, with a version of the bomber using a five-passenger version of its unique external weapons pod being an intermediate step to the final airliner version.
Proposed during early 1961, the Model 58-9 would use the wing design of the B-58C, which would be mated to an entirely new fuselage and tail; the airliner’s cabin would be capable of seating as many as 52 passengers. The fuselage was very narrow by conventional jetliner standards, and only allowed two-abreast seating, with a narrow aisle between the seats.
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Four Pratt & Whitney J58 turbojets with 33,000 pounds of non-afterburning thrust each, would power the Model 58-9 to a cruise speed of Mach 2.4, with a range of 2525 nautical miles. Takeoff weight would be 190,000 pounds, requiring 6500 feet of runway and a liftoff airspeed of 199 knots.
