Prototype B-58 Hustler with "Siamese" engines *done*

sandiego89 · July 02, 2020, 08:24:45 AM

B-58 Hustler, with twin podded "Siamese" engines.

The Huster design phase saw a variety of configurations for engine placement, number and type. By late 1953 and into early 1954 pressure was mounting to freeze the design to meet an aggressive in-service date for the MACH II bomber. Periodically the Air Force and CONVAIR advocated either split or Siamese engine nacelles. The Siamese engines were thought to ease maintenance and saved about 1,000 pounds to the design, and only showed a negligible increase in drag (and no difference without the pod). The design was frozen in January 1954 with the Siamese engines, and the prototype rolled out of the Ft Worth factory in 1956.

by Sandiego89

Lindberg 1:64 scale. Scalemates indicates this is the 2006 reboxing of the 1959 kit- wish me luck!

photo credit: B-58 Huster Units, Peter Davies, Osprey Publishing, pages 16, 18

ericr · July 02, 2020, 09:01:18 AM

sandiego89 · July 02, 2020, 11:55:01 AM

The box shot. Definitely not the best B-58 model but could not pass up this kit for $9.99 at Ollies, a discount/closeout store where you never know what they will have. I have a Monogram Hustler, but didnt have the heart to hack it up.

A big model. 1/72 F-104 for scale.

PR19_Kit · July 02, 2020, 01:10:05 PM

Is that the kit with the retracting undercarriage? WILDLY complicated as the main bogies turn completely upside down!

sandiego89 · July 02, 2020, 05:53:58 PM

Quote from: PR19_Kit on July 02, 2020, 01:10:05 PM
Is that the kit with the retracting undercarriage? WILDLY complicated as the main bogies turn completely upside down!

Wwwhhhhhaaaaatttttt?!? I had no idea. The box or the instruction give no clue of retracting gear, but I had to take a closer look after you brought that up. I had not even really looked at the landing gear yet. Upon examination, the gear contains numerous pivot points/pinions, "no glue" warnings on step 8 and 9 of the instructions, and a strange triangle piece in the middle of the main bogies (bottom of the picture) that indeed looks like it should rotate. It does look like it should retract! Something to play with...ahhh conduct research on....!!!

Dizzyfugu · July 03, 2020, 12:14:50 AM

PR19_Kit · July 03, 2020, 01:45:43 AM

Yes, that looks like the one with the retracts. I've got one too, but mine is YONKS old and it mentions the gear on the box lid IIRC.

It's quite a nice model, and for it's time it was outstanding.

zenrat · July 03, 2020, 05:27:01 AM

I love kits with that sort of complicated mechanical shenanigans going on. One day i'll even manage to build one that actually works.

PR19_Kit · July 03, 2020, 06:13:41 AM

I built the Revell 1/48 F-102 kit as a window display model for my mate's model shop in Oxford way back when. It had a tricky arrangement that retracted the landing gear when you closed the canopy, and was too expensive for most people.

Once the 'working' model was in the window we sold out in less than two weeks, but I had to repair the blasted retraction linkage maybe 4-5 times!

NARSES2 · July 03, 2020, 06:58:32 AM

Quote from: PR19_Kit on July 03, 2020, 06:13:41 AM
I built the Revell 1/48 F-102 kit as a window display model for my mate's model shop in Oxford way back when. It had a tricky arrangement that retracted the landing gear when you closed the canopy, and was too expensive for most people.

Never saw that one, but had a couple of Monogram kits that had "working parts" all linked up to each other. Very much of their "time".

The Hustler was always one of those aircraft that as a young teenager was really "it", almost futuristic looking. So looking forward to seeing what you do with this.

Mossie · July 05, 2020, 12:50:20 PM

I've a friend who's a big hustler fan, he's had at least one of every kit going and this is his favourite.

Looking forward to seeing it.

sandiego89 · July 06, 2020, 01:01:45 PM

Primer going on

Big pod- 1/72 F-104 for scale.

zenrat · July 07, 2020, 04:45:15 AM

Quote from: sandiego89 on July 06, 2020, 01:01:45 PM

"G'day General, Dave Sandiego here from Lockheed. We've finally come up with a way to get a decent combat radius out of the Starfighter..."

sandiego89 · July 09, 2020, 01:14:19 PM

Now for the hard part, the twin podded engines. Lots of cutting, fill and putty.

Rough positioning.

jcf · July 09, 2020, 03:05:04 PM

Very cool.

The Lindberg 1/64th B-58 has correct proportions, unlike the Italeri 1/72 kit which is too short.
They evidently thought that the overall length of the aircraft included the nose boom.

One advantage of 1/64th scale is that you have huge range of vehicles from Matchbox, Johnny
Lightning and Hot Wheels, amongst others, to choose from if so desired.

I've long liked the flat-bottomed version with the twin-engine nacelles.