In 1966, one prototype crashed after colliding with a smaller aircraft while flying in close formation; the remaining Valkyrie bomber is in the National Museum of the United States Air Force near Dayton, Ohio..
The first XB-70A, on display here, flew in September 1964, and it achieved Mach 3 flight in October 1965..
The National Museum of the U.S.
Air Force is the only place in the world where you can see an XB-70, because only one survives.
It arrived at the Museum on February 4, 1969 and is currently on exhibit..
The XB-70 had a length of about 196 feet, a height at the tail of about 31 feet, and an estimated maximum gross weight of 521,000 pounds.
It had a crew of four, which included a pilot, copilot, bombardier, and defensive systems operator..
Due to limitations on funding, only two XB-70 aircraft were built for the advanced study of aerodynamics, propulsion, and other related subjects of large supersonic aircraft.
The XB-70 Valkyrie was mainly built of stainless-steel honeycomb sandwich panels and titanium..
North American built just two XB-70s.
The first XB-70 is on display at NMUSAF.
The second was lost in an accident in June 1966 during a flight in which several aircraft were to be photographed in formation..
North American built just two XB-70s.
The first XB-70 is on display at NMUSAF.
The second was lost in an accident in June 1966 during a flight in which several aircraft were to be photographed in formation.Sep 7, 2021.
The XB-70A program cost the Air Force $1.48 billion.
No military sys- tems, such as bombsights or electronic countermeasures, were ever carried.
The XB-70 went supersonic on its third flight, peeling away much of its paint in the process (top)..
○ These characteristics called for a speed of Mach 3 to Mach 3.2, a target altitude of 70,000 to 75,000 feet, a range of 6,100 to 10,500 miles, and a gross weight between 475,000 and 490,000 pounds.
The first XB-70 made its maiden flight on September 21, 1964..
The XB-70 was also considered expensive, with each production bomber projected to cost an estimated $24.5 million, or $237 million today.
The final production cost was significantly higher and likely sealed the Space Age bomber's fate.
XB-70 prototype landing..
The USAF eventually gave up fighting for its production and the B-70 program was canceled in 1961..
As a result, in 1961, the expensive B-70 bomber program was canceled before any Valkyries had been completed or flown.
Even so, the USAF bought two XB-70As to test aerodynamics, propulsion and other characteristics of large supersonic aircraft..
There were only 2 XB-70 prototypes that flew for just over 3 years, while there were 32 SR-71s built (plus 18 of the related variants) that continued to fly for 45 years.
The XB-70's fastest flight reached Mach 3.08 while the SR-71 reportedly reached as high as Mach 3.5..
In 1966, one prototype crashed after colliding with a smaller aircraft while flying in close formation; the remaining Valkyrie bomber is in the National Museum of the United States Air Force near Dayton, Ohio..
One of the two aircraft was lost in a midair collision with a chase plane in 1966.
After the program's cancelation, the remaining Valkyrie became a research test plane and later consigned to the National Museum of the U.S.
Air Force in Dayton, Ohio..
The first XB-70A, on display here, flew in September 1964, and it achieved Mach 3 flight in October 1965.
The second Valkyrie first flew in July 1965, but in June 1966, it was destroyed following an accidental mid-air collision.
The third Valkyrie was not completed..
The futuristic XB-70A was originally conceived in the 1950s as a high-altitude, nuclear strike bomber that could fly at Mach 3 (three times the speed of sound) -- any potential enemy would have been unable to defend against such a bomber..
○ These characteristics called for a speed of Mach 3 to Mach 3.2, a target altitude of 70,000 to 75,000 feet, a range of 6,100 to 10,500 miles, and a gross weight between 475,000 and 490,000 pounds.
The first XB-70 made its maiden flight on September 21, 1964..
XB-70 No. 1 was completed on 7 May 1964, and rolled out on 11 May 1964 at Palmdale, California..
The National Museum of the U.S.
Air Force is the only place in the world where you can see an XB-70, because only one survives.
It arrived at the Museum on February 4, 1969 and is currently on exhibit..
The XB-70 Valkyrie takes has a huge footprint at the National Museum Of The United States Air Force in Dayton Ohio..
Designed in the late 1950s by North American Aviation (NAA), the six-engined Valkyrie was capable of cruising for thousands of miles at Mach 3+ while flying at 70,000 feet (21,000 m)..
The XB-70A program cost the Air Force $1.48 billion.
No military sys- tems, such as bombsights or electronic countermeasures, were ever carried.
The XB-70 went supersonic on its third flight, peeling away much of its paint in the process (top)..
However, the XB-70 was always doomed to fail.
The advent of Soviet surface-to-air missiles meant the XB-70 lost its high-altitude advantage.
And at low level, the XB-70 had only a slight performance advantage over the cheaper and simpler Boeing B-52 Stratofortress..
The advent of Soviet surface-to-air missiles meant the XB-70 lost its high-altitude advantage.
And at low level, the XB-70 had only a slight performance advantage over the cheaper and simpler Boeing B-52 Stratofortress.
A tragic accident while the aircraft was used as a research plane would ultimately end the program..
After the completion of the photoshoot, the F-104 drifted into contact with the XB-70's right wing, flipped over and rolled inverted over the top of the Valkyrie, striking the vertical stabilizers and left wing of the bomber. The F-104 exploded, destroying the Valkyrie's rudders and damaging its left wing.
The XB-70A takes off. 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
