North American XB-70 Valkyrie High-Altitude Supersonic Bomber (1964)
Only two XB-70 Valkyries were ever produced.
The XB-70 was a two-crew six-engine bomber capable of supersonic speeds in excess of Mach 3.0. Six General Electric YJ-93 engines provided no less than 30,000 pounds of thrust with afterburn capability. The powerplants were mounted underneath the sharp-angled fuselage with the entire design taking on an angular futuristic delta shape (wing tips could be angled down for increased stability at supersonic speeds as much as 65 degrees). Construction of the Valkyrie consisted of honeycombed stainless steel panels in a sandwich-type fashion along with titanium throughout - necessary for high-speed, high-level flight. The overall design of the aircraft was made to take advantage of "compression lift", an event occurring at high speeds in high altitudes that actually takes on some of the aircraft's weight, allowing the system to achieve more stable performance as a result. Compression lift was a phenomenon generated by shock waves achieved in supersonic flight. Hence it was a relatively inexpensive naturally occurring byproduct and utilized by Valkyrie engineers in the design.
Two such examples of the XB-70 were ever produced, designated simply as the No. 1 and the No. 2. No. 1 flew its maiden voyage on September 21st of 1964 whilst No. 2 achieved its baptism in July of the following year. Initial results were promising as the No. 1 was able to achieve Mach 3.0. Unfortunately, the No. 2 would be involved in a catastrophic inflight collision during 1966 with a spotter plane that would result in the loss of the aircraft. To that end, the XB-70 never materialized as the super bomber envisioned by SAC. Instead, the remaining XB-70 No. 1 was utilized as an effective research and development platform for advanced aerodynamic studies. The system was later retired from operational use and shipped to the United States Air Force Museum in Dayton, Ohio where it sits in the guarded "X-Planes" hangar to this day. Text ©2003-2013 www.MilitaryFactory.com • All Rights Reserved • No Reproduction Permitted
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Specifications for the
North American XB-70 Valkyrie
High-Altitude Supersonic Bomber
Country of Origin: United States
Manufacturer: North American - USA
Initial Year of Service: 1964
Production: 2
Focus Model: North American XB-70 Valkyrie No. 1
Crew: 2
Length: 185.79ft (56.63m)
Width: 104.99ft (32.00m)
Height: 30.74ft (9.37m)
Weight (Empty): 299,998lbs (136,077kg)
Weight (MTOW): 534,698lbs (242,535kg)
Powerplant: 6 x General Electric YJ-93 afterburning engines generating 30,000lbs of thrust each.
Maximum Speed: 2,065mph (3,323kmh; 1,794kts)
Maximum Range: 4,287miles (6,900km)
Service Ceiling: 77,349ft (23,576m; 14.6miles)
Rate-of-Climb: 0 feet per minute (0m/min)
Hardpoints: 0
Armament Suite:
None.
Variants:
No. 1 - Initial Prototype Development Model; currently held at the National Air Force Museum in Dayton, Ohio.
No. 2 - Secondary Prototype Development Model; lost to mid-air collision in 1966.
Operators: the United States of America
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