Fuselage Structure

The crew consisted of a pilot, a navigator/bombardier and a defensive systems operator (DSO), all seated in tandem in three separate compartments. The pilot sat in front, the navigator/bombardier in the middle, and the DSO in the rear. A crawlway between the pilot's station and the second crew station on the right side of the fuselage could only be used for maintenance of electronic equipment, but a crawlway between the second and third crew stations could be used for passage during flight. The navigator/bombardier's panel was equipped with bomb and pod dropping instrumentation, bombing system indicators and monitors, plus the navigation equipment. The DSO's panel contained passive and active defense system monitors.

Structurally, the three crew compartments comprised a single pressurized cabin, but structural bulkheads and equipment created a compartmentalization effect. Each compartment had a separate canopy hinged at the rear for entry and exit. The compartmentalization prevented direct vision or physical contact between crewmembers during flight. The pilot had a windshield with six adjacent panels, plus one panel on each side of the canopy. This afforded excellent outside vision, and the pilot could see parts of the exterior of the aircraft as well as the engine nacelle inlets. Behind the pilot, the navigation computer was housed within the pressurized cabin to help keep it within operational temperature limits. Next came the navigator/bombardier and the DSO compartments; each only had small side windows, one on each side.

The crewmembers were seated on individual ejector seats which were catapulted out of the top of the aircraft by a rocket engine. Problems with the originally-fitted SAC-type ejector seats when they were called upon to be used for emergency exit in the supersonic regime led to the development of an encapsulated ejection system developed by Stanley Aviation of Denver, Colorado. The unit protected the pilot against supersonic wind blasts, supplied oxygen and pressurization during an ejection at high altitude, absorbed landing impact and had survival equipment installed. Each capsule was an independently operating unit which required no outside power source. The second and third crew stations were identical and were both ejected on vertical rails. The pilot's capsule was similar, but included a flight control stick and was ejected on slightly leftward-canted rails. A three-piece telescoping clamshell door was pivoted on each side of the seat. It was stowed above the crew member's head during normal flight, like a big visor. It was actuated by raising the ejection handle, causing the doors to rotate downward to form a pressure-tight capsule. The doors could be closed in about a quarter second after actuation. Emergency oxygen and pressure were automatically actuated by door closure.

After the doors were closed, each crew member manually ejected his own capsule by squeezing the trigger on the ejection handle, which jettisoned the canopy and fired the rocket catapult initiator. During high speed ejection, capsule stability was provided by the stabilization frame and stabilization parachute. The recovery parachute was automatically deployed at a preset altitude. Landing impact was cushioned by crushable cylinders and stabilization fins. For water landings, flotation bags were provided. During an emergency, the aircraft could still be flown while the pilot was encapsulated, and a small window in the capsule clamshell door provided a view of the instrument panel, while the pilot's control stick permitted controlled flight.

More information about the interior of the B-58 is available on the Crew Stations page.

Engines and Fuel System Wings, Tail, Control Systems and Landing Gear Defensive Systems and Electronics Offensive Systems and the Pod The TB-58A Trainer Operational History Aftermath Reconnaissance Testbed ALBM Proposed Origin and Development Fuselage Structure and Crew Stations

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