What was the XB-70 Valkyrie used for?
What was the XB-70 Valkyrie used for?
Named Valkyrie, after the female battle spirits of Norse mythology, the bomber was built to penetrate Soviet air defenses in a nuclear war and deliver thermonuclear bombs on targets. The XB-70 was 196 feet long, 31 feet tall at the tail, and had a maximum gross weight of 521,000 pounds.
What happened to the XB-70 Valkyrie?
Kennedy decided to cancel the XB-70 as a frontline bomber program on March 28, 1961. Tragedy struck on June 8, 1966, when the second XB-70 prototype was destroyed in a crash after a midair collision with its F-104N chase plane. Two people were killed and one was severely injured during the accident.
Who built the XB-70 Valkyrie?
North American Aviation
North American XB-70 Valkyrie/Manufacturers
Will the XB-70 ever fly again?
Fifty years after the Pentagon put it out to pasture, the only remaining Valkyrie looks like it can still fly. The National Museum of the U.S. Air Force recently towed the XB-70 Valkyrie bomber out of its hangar. The airplane is in such good condition that it looks like it could fly today.
What was the top speed of the XB-70?
3,309 km/h
North American XB-70 Valkyrie/Top speed
How many XB-70 are there?
The XB-70 Valkyrie is the prototype of the B-70 nuclear-armed, deep-penetration strategic bomber for the U.S. Air Force’s Strategic Air Command. Only two aircraft were ever built, and the program was cancelled before production had a chance to begin.
How many XB-70 Valkyrie are there?
The North American Aviation XB-70 Valkyrie was the prototype version of the planned B-70 nuclear-armed, deep-penetration strategic bomber for the United States Air Force Strategic Air Command….North American XB-70 Valkyrie.
| XB-70 Valkyrie | |
|---|---|
| Primary users | United States Air Force NASA |
| Number built | 2 |
What’s better F-22 or f35?
The F-22 can carry eight air-to-air missiles or two 1,000-pound bombs and two air-to-air missiles in its internal weapons bays. The F-35 can carry 18,000 pounds of missiles and bombs internally and on external hardpoints. While the F-22 is better at dogfighting, the F-35 has far more advanced electronics.
What kind of aircraft was the 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
What was the name of the plane that hit the Valkyrie?
With the photoshoot complete, the F-104 drifted into contact with the XB-70’s right wing, flipped over, and rolling inverted, passed over the top of the Valkyrie, struck the vertical stabilizers and left wing and exploded, destroying the Valkyrie’s rudders and damaging its left wing.
How tall was the Valkyrie when it collided with the F-104?
The report estimated that the F-104 was 70 ft (21 m) to the side of, and 10 ft (3 m) below, the fuselage of the XB-70. The report concluded that from that position, without appropriate sight cues, Walker was unable to properly perceive his motion relative to the Valkyrie, leading to his aircraft drifting into contact with the XB-70’s wing.
When was the first flight of the NASA XB-70?
The NASA XB-70 program continued to receive Air Force assistance, in terms of aircraft support and Air Force test pilots. The first NASA XB-70 flight occurred on April 25, 1967, by Fulton and Cotton. By the end of March 1968, another 12 research flights had been completed.