[durt]

On the evening of September 18, 1961, an incident unfolded involving a Convair B-58 Hustler, a supersonic bomber of the U.S. Air Force's Strategic Air Command. The incident began during takeoff from Carswell Air Force Base in Texas, where the aircraft was embarking on a nighttime training mission. A malfunction occurred with the left main gear of the bomber, failing during the critical takeoff phase.

This gear failure led to substantial damage, as debris from the malfunctioning gear punctured the aft main fuel tank. This resulted in the loss of approximately 15,000 pounds of fuel, which was ignited by the plane's afterburners as it left the runway.

The B-58 Hustler faced further complications due to the damaged landing gear, which was stuck at a 45-degree angle and couldn't be retracted. This issue was compounded by a rapidly depleting fuel supply, exacerbated by the leak and the drag from the extended gear. To manage this precarious situation, the aircraft had to engage in an extraordinary procedure, refueling mid-air from a tanker aircraft. This refueling, done at an altitude of 11,000 feet and a speed of 300 knots, required the use of all four engines in afterburner mode due to the drag from the gear.

Throughout the night, this complex and risky refueling process was repeated eight times. As day broke, the crew prepared for an emergency landing at Edwards Air Force Base, known for handling crash landings in the past. A chase plane was dispatched to assess the situation and confirmed that only three of the eight wheels on the left main gear were intact.

After an intense and exhausting 14-hour flight, which included eight aerial refuelings, the crew of the B-58 Hustler managed to execute a successful emergency landing.

[FunkPumpkin]

The first vid was cool by itself, but the back story with all that about 8 refuelings, makes it even more amazing.

[texastea]

Great airmanship

[The Krokodil]

Cool

[Yanni]

i got right up to one of them at an outdoor museum in Tucson