A B-58 Hustler bomber (code named "Greased Lightning") of the U.S. Air Force 's 305th Bombardment Wing sets a new speed record by flying from Tokyo, Japan, to London, England, via Alaska and Greenland in 8 hours 35 minutes at an average speed of 938 mph (1,510 km/hr).
The B-58 Hustler developed during the 1950s by Convair for the United States Air Force's (USAF) Strategic Air Command (SAC) was the first operational bomber capable of Mach 2 flight.
To achieve the high speeds desired, Convair designed it around a large delta wing, which was also used by contemporary fighters such as the Convair F-102. It was powered by four General Electric J79 engines in underwing pods. It had no bomb bay and it carried a single nuclear weapon plus fuel in a combination bomb/fuel pod underneath the fuselage. Later, four external hardpoints were added, enabling it to carry up to five weapons.
The B-58 entered service in March 1960 and was operated for a decade by two SAC bomb wings: the 43d Bombardment Wing and the 305th Bombardment Wing.
The B-58 set 19 world speed records, including coast-to-coast records and the longest supersonic flight in history. In 1963, it flew from Tokyo to London (via Alaska), a distance of 8,028 miles (12,920 km), with 5 aerial refuels in 8 hours, 35 minutes, 20.4 seconds, averaging 938 miles per hour (1,510 kilometres per hour).
The aircraft was serving in an operational unit and had not been modified in any way besides being washed and waxed. One of the goals of the flight was to push the limit of its new honeycomb construction technique. The speed of the flight was limited only by the speed at which they believed the honeycomb panels would delaminate.
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