So a requirement for a new design of the jet bomber which tactical radius could cover miles was issued. This led them to an obscure report by two naca wind tunnel experts, who wrote a report in 1956 titled aircraft configurations. The 83rd and last xb 70 flight occurred on 4 february 1969, when the valkyrie made a subsonic structural dynamics test and ferry flight. In 1960, the design was officially unveiled to the american public though in drawn form. Created by north american aviation, this historic film shows the flight test program for the xb70 valkyrie at edwards afb in california including the first flight at supersonic speeds, and the various tests made prior to undertaking a flight at mach 3.
Al whites summary in the pilots report for flight 117. North american xb70 valkyrie airplane videos and airplane. A compilation is provided of measured sonic boom signature data derived from 39 supersonic flights 43 passes of the xb70 airplane over the mach number range of 1. Xb70 supersonic strategic bomber mach 3 flight test film 71152 duration. B 70 valkyrie with research and development studies beginning in 1955, the xb 70 was a large, longrange strategic bomber was planned to be the replacement for the b52. The data from the xb 70 test flights and aerospace materials development were used in the later b1 bomber program, the american supersonic transport sst program, and via espionage, the soviet unions tupolev tu144 sst program. The north american aviation xb 70 valkyrie was the prototype version of the planned b 70 nucleararmed, deeppenetration strategic bomber for the united states air force strategic air command. To this end, the air force gave the prime contractor total weapon system responsibility. Xb70 valkerie pilots flight operating instructions, 2008. Nov 11, 2015 rare supersonic bomber rolls out of the hangar for the first time in decades.
Living warbirds is your largest aircraft and aviation resource. But even as al white corrected, the nose just as sharply pitched downward. This report presents pilot comments and rating data, representative time histories. Xb 70 walkaround the xb 70 was a technological marvel of the 1950s. Consequently, nasa decided that xb 70 testing would come to an end. Al white, a naa test pilot shown above, was saved by one of the capsules during the infamous midair collision mishap.
I own a few books about the xb70 valkyrie, and in at least two of them i get conflicting information. Contentsshow description designed in the late 1950s, the valkyrie was a large sixengined aircraft able to fly. The xb 70 was designed as a longrange, supersoniccruise airplane capable of flying at an approximate sustained speed of mach 3 and an altitude of 70,000 feet. Although two xb70 prototypes were built, with the first flight in. Xb 70a1s final flight and formal end of the test flight program silent footage. The xb70s last supersonic flight took place on 17 december 1968. In 1958, the north americans exotic design was chosen and a development contract for three prototypes, xb70 was awarded.
The north american xb70 valkyrie was the largest and fastest bomber ever built by the united states, but the massive sixengine mach 3. With the help of the latest technology it could cruise at speeds of up to mach 3 and heights of up to 77 000 ft 23 km. Competition between boeing and north american for the contract occurred during the design phase. The futuristic xb70a was originally conceived in the 1950s as a highaltitude, nuclear strike bomber that could fly at mach 3 three times the speed of. North americans magnificent xb70 valkyrie mach 3 bomber at the national museum of the us air force. Contentsshow description designed in the late 1950s, the valkyrie was a large sixengined aircraft able to fly at mach 3 at an altitude of 70,000 feet 21,000 m, which would have allowed it to avoid. Two airplanes were built and designated the xb 70 1 and the xb 70 2. The two xb 70s had logged just 1 hour and 48 minutes of mach 3 flight, while an sr71 could do this in a single flight.
By dave majumdar,the national interest the north american xb70 valkyrie was the largest and fastest bomber ever built by the united states, but the massive sixengine mach 3. To date the only potential production aircraft that used compression lift has been the xb 70 in the 1960s, although with the cancellation of the program after only two prototypes had been built, it ended up being a testbed only. Jump in the xb70 valkyrie, the fastest bomber that the us. On this flight the xb70 proved its capability of attaining mach 3 at 70,000 feet. Nmusaf photo by will haas the massive north american xb70 valkyrie strategic bomber prototype recently saw daylight for the first time in many years as staff at the national museum of the us air force in dayton, ohio moved the massive beast into her newlyconstructed hangar. Development of the f108 rapier, intended as a fighter escort to the xb70, was also canceled. The north american aviation xb 70 valkyrie was a prototype version of the proposed b 70 nucleararmed deep penetration bomber for the united states air forces strategic air command. One aloft and one on the ground that photo was a the edwards afb airshow, not carswellpilots sturmthal and fulton are mis identified as mallick and sturmthalfitz fulton did not fly the x15. I n 1944, with the success of the german jet bomber ar234, u. Apr 29, 2017 xb70 valkyrie the worlds fastest bomber. The first xb 70 carried out its maiden flight in september 1964 and many more test flights followed. This image shows the complexity of the xb70 valkyrie mid. The compression lift decreased the induced drag of the xb70 about 30%. Measuring just a bit over 20 feet at the trailing edge, these wingtips represent the.
The xb 70 valkyrie bomber by north american aviationrockwell was equipped with an escape capsule for each of the two man crew. Two airplanes were built and designated the xb701 and the xb702. Summary fo preliminary data derived from the xb 70 airplanes author. Xb 70 supersonic strategic bomber mach 3 flight test film 71152 duration. Figure 1 is a three view drawing of the xb701 airplane. Xb70 valkyrie the mach 3 strategic bomber aiirsource. The xb70 valkyrie could cruise at mach 3, riding its own shock wave to do so, and could hit. I own a few books about the xb 70 valkyrie, and in at least two of them i get conflicting information. Only one surviving prototype sits in a museum in dayton, ohio. After the crash, air force investigators comb through the wreckage looking for the flight recorder. Convair consolidated vultee aircraft submitted the model 109 mockup. Exhibit 20 in the b70 final report the overnose vision mockup. In a single stop, the xb70 absorbed kinetic energy equivalent to that used to stop 800 mediumsized automobiles from a speed of about 100 mph 61 kph. The north american aviation xb70 valkyrie was a prototype version of the proposed b70 nucleararmed deep penetration bomber for the united states air forces strategic air command.
This is a write up and album of my 172 scale xb70 valkyrie model by italeri. In a single stop, the xb 70 absorbed kinetic energy equivalent to that used to stop 800 mediumsized automobiles from a speed of about 100 mph 61 kph. As in the b58 program, the air force wanted new technology advances. Initially, their primary mission was the tracking of x15 missions originating at drydenedwards afb in california. Kennedy decided to cancel the xb 70 as a frontline bomber program on march 28, 1961. It did however, get caught in the dramatic vortex that came off the tip of that huge delta wing, and the turbulence from that literally flung the f104 over the top of the valkyrie and into the the opposite wing. Get the latest updates on nasa missions, watch nasa tv live, and learn about our quest to reveal the unknown and benefit all humankind. Although two xb 70 prototypes were built, with the first flight in. The ride to valhalla remak, jeannette, ventolo, joseph on. North american xb70 valkyrie prototype supersonic strategic.
First flown more than fourty years ago, the xb70 valkyrie was a technological masterpiece of its time. This is a large model, representing a large, high mach, high altitude pentration bomber designed by the united states in the late 1950s and early 1960s and the two prototypes which were produced and which won the contest for the advanced technology bomber. The xb70 valkyrie is the prototype of the b70 nucleararmed, deeppenetration strategic bomber for the u. Front view of the xb70 with all three wingtip angles in flight, the xb70 could lower the outer wing sections 25 degrees for flying from 300 knots to mach 1.
The xb 70 valkyrie could cruise at mach 3, riding its own shock wave to do so, and could hit. August, the usaf issued an interim flight manual which also called the. The north american xb70 valkyrie was intended to replace the b52 in the usafs strategic air command. The north american aviation xb70 valkyrie was the prototype version of the planned b70. Construction had also started on a third xb70 prototype that carried a crew of four and would have been much closer to the final production design.
Created by north american aviation, this historic film shows the flight test program for the xb 70 valkyrie at edwards afb in california including the first flight at supersonic speeds, and the various tests made prior to undertaking a flight at mach 3. One small correction the f104 did not come in contact with the xb70s right wing. Summary fo preliminary data derived from the xb70 airplanes. Handling qualities of the xb70 airplane in the landing approach. American b70 valkyrie bomber program, from its beginnings in 1954 to the rollout of. To date the only potential production aircraft that used compression lift has been the xb70 in the 1960s, although with the cancellation of the program after only two prototypes had been built, it ended up being a testbed only. Designed in the late 1950s, it was the logical extension of the trends in aerodynamics at that time. Although the study of landingapproach handling qualities was not a primary objective of the xb 70 flight research program, data were obtained from approaches and landings made at various approach speeds, glideslope angles, gross weights. Home military aviation this image shows the complexity of the xb70 valkyrie mid1960s research aircraft cockpit compared to that of an upgraded b1 bomber this. The xb70 was designed as a longrange, supersoniccruise airplane capable of flying at an approximate sustained speed of mach 3 and an altitude of 70,000 feet. North american xb70 valkyrie national museum of the united. The xb70a had its genesis in boeing aircraft corporations project mx2145, in which the contractor conducted studies relating to the type of weapon system required to deliver high.
Xb70 walkaround the xb70 was a technological marvel of the 1950s. It was the largest and fastest bomber that the us ever built, according to the national interest. Handling qualities of the xb70 airplane in the landing. The sole remaining xb70 valkyrie continued to fly until 1969 when it was placed in the usaf museum. Designed as a b52 replacement, the north american aviation xb70 valkyrie is the prototype of the b70 nucleararmed, deeppenetration strategic bomber for the u. Xb70a av1 touching down on its last flight on february 4, 1969, when. Italeri xb 70 valkyrie 172 part 2 final by trevor duration. One says that the b 70 was fitted with a variablegeometry inlet somewhere along the development process after the contract was awarded to the b 70 obviously implying the inlet was originally fixed. North american aviation xb70 valkyrie image gallery nasa. The usas illfated supersonic heavy bomber download. Rare supersonic bomber rolls out of the hangar for the. Front view of the xb 70 with all three wingtip angles in flight, the xb 70 could lower the outer wing sections 25 degrees for flying from 300 knots to mach 1. Figure 1 is a three view drawing of the xb 70 1 airplane. A compilation is provided of measured sonic boom signature data derived from 39 supersonic flights 43 passes of the xb 70 airplane over the mach number range of 1.
The xb70 is an aircraft which met the criteria it was designed to meet, but whose mission had been eliminated by defensive threat technology. The xb 70a had its genesis in boeing aircraft corporations project mx2145, in which the contractor conducted studies relating to the type of weapon system required to deliver high. The xb70 valkyrie bomber by north american aviationrockwell was equipped with an escape capsule for each of the two man crew. Catriona gray, nagningning sa kanyang final walk sa miss universe 2019 ukg. North american xb70 valkyrie airplane videos and airplane pictures over 10,000 airplane videos and growing.
Jun 30, 2018 by dave majumdar,the national interest the north american xb 70 valkyrie was the largest and fastest bomber ever built by the united states, but the massive sixengine mach 3. As av1 crossed the mach 3 threshold, her nose abruptly pitched upwards. Usaf xb70 valkyrie bomber in 172 scale china defence forum. Rare supersonic bomber rolls out of the hangar for the first time in decades. The xb 70 valkyrie is the prototype of the b 70 nucleararmed, deeppenetration strategic bomber for the u. One says that the b70 was fitted with a variablegeometry inlet somewhere along the development process after the contract was awarded to the b70 obviously implying the inlet was originally fixed. The north american aviation xb 70 valkyrie is the prototype of the b 70 nucleararmed, deeppenetration strategic bomber for the u. A quick overview of the iconic xb70 supersonic bomber. Al white ejected in the final few seconds, but unfortunately, major cross lost his life when the xb70 impacted the ground. The usas illfated supersonic heavy bomber download aristasan.
Rare supersonic bomber rolls out of the hangar for the first. The compression lift decreased the induced drag of the xb 70 about 30%. On june 8, 1966, an accident during a photo flight took the lives of two pilots and destroyed two airplanesthe xb70a2 and an f104 that had been captured by the valkyries vortex wake. This is the most fastest bomber in the world you have never seen. Home military aviation this image shows the complexity of the xb 70 valkyrie mid1960s research aircraft cockpit compared to that of an upgraded b1 bomber this image shows the complexity of the. From world war i and world war ii airplanes to the fastest fighter jets, youll find detailed aircraft information about ww1, ww2, and postwar airplanes. Following long, loud, and bitter debate, it was decided that the xb70 would not be a viable bomber platform, and the xb70 program, as such, was canceled. The other states that the b70 had variablegeometry inlets from the getgo. The xb 70 is an aircraft which met the criteria it was designed to meet, but whose mission had been eliminated by defensive threat technology.
Dirancang oleh north american aviation pada tahun 1950an. North american aviation designed the valkyrie bomber as a large, sixengined aircraft capable. The north american aviation xb 70 valkyrie was the prototype version of the proposed b 70 nucleararmed deeppenetration strategic bomber for the united states air forces usaf strategic air command. The tu144, a rather ungraceful attempt to copy the xb 70, it wasntonly one xb 70 appeared at carswell afb for an airshow. B70 valkyrie with research and development studies beginning in 1955, the xb70 was a large, longrange strategic bomber was planned to be the replacement for the b52. Xb70 bomber aerial defense via circular shaped mach 7 antimissle missiles known as pye wackets. On june 8, 1966, an accident during a photo flight took the lives of two pilots and destroyed two airplanesthe xb 70a2 and an f104 that had been captured by the valkyries vortex wake. Why didnt america build this mach 3 monster bomber. The heavy bomber enters the jet age chapter 03 experimentation, high speeds, high altitudes, and the rise of stealth. The xb70 continued down until it struck the desert floor. Summary fo preliminary data derived from the xb70 airplanes author. I n 1955, the usaf issued requirement for a strategic bomber with the b52s rangepayload and the b58s supersonic speed to replace these bombers by 1965. A comprehensive article on the north american xb70 valkyre mach 3 bomber.
1377 595 1111 457 1265 1149 1050 1001 1263 730 1271 315 84 731 57 270 704 1379 1304 1080 1486 1484 1222 743 1355 229 852 828 759 1031 1020