North American Aviation XB-70 Valkyrie

The North American Aviation XB-70 Valkyrie was a prototype version of the proposed B-70 nuclear-armed deep penetration bomber for the United States Air Force's Strategic Air Command. Designed in the late 1950s, the Valkyrie was a large six-engined aircraft able to fly at Mach 3 at an altitude of 70,000 feet (21,000 m), which would have allowed it to avoid interceptors, the only effective anti-bomber weapon at the time.

Two XB-70 prototypes were built for U.S. Air Force. The aircraft program's high development costs, and changes in the technological environment with the introduction of effective high-altitude anti-aircraft missiles led to the cancellation of the B-70 program in 1961. Although the proposed fleet of operational B-70 bombers was never built, the XB-70A aircraft were used in supersonic test flights from 1964 to 1969, performing research for the design of large supersonic aircraft. One prototype crashed following a midair collision in 1966. The other is on display at the National Museum of the United States Air Force in Dayton, Ohio.

Category:

Science & Technology

Tags:

• XB-70
• Valkyrie
• SAC
• Strategic
• Air
• Command
• Bomber
• airplanes
• Cold
• War
• USAF
• bombers

[master09shredder]

Any idea what television program this is from? Pretty interesting to see Neil Armstrong interview someone. 

[Caballingus]

I simply love that plane.

[hcrun]

@40390576

The Brits also did the same thing with what would arguably have been the finest strike-fighter of its day - the TSR2.

[InfiniteMushroom]

@dks13827 The ruling Elites have decided that they don't want to finance our manned space program any longer. We are under a sustained and long term starvation of the American spirit. It was starving under Jimmy Carter but, Reagan came along and pumped full of Plastic Patriotism and debt-fueled prosperity. Now, we are right back where we started from and worse off for the 30 year binge. We don't have the industrial base any longer and we will permanently lose the expertise in a few short years.

[x3LEMONz]

@aspiringdrummer17 Oh.. Im sorry. I did not know that.

[aspiringdrummer17]

@x3LEMONz The concorde was an airliner not a bomber. Not to mention it was half as fast as the XB-70. Two completely different aircraft my friend

[x3LEMONz]

We had something like this but it is already gone. Its called the Concorde

[bosatsu76]

"The actual handling qualities were generally good"... Pilot speak for "Flies like a cow..."

[royboyerickson]

@the18gearJammer At supersonic speeds dropping the tips captured the pocket of high pressure the plane would ride on, increasing lift with less drag and thus more distance.

[royboyerickson]

@T2oys After a political stall, the B-1 was the redesigned bomber, also made by North American Aircraft. Look at the top view of both side by side and you will be surprised.