PALUBA

XB-70A on the taxiway on 21 September 1964, the day of the first flight

The North American XB-70 Valkyrie (' Valkyrie ') was the prototype version of the B-70 supersonic bomber proposed for the Strategic Air Command of the United States Air Force . Designed in the late 1950s , the Valkyrie was a large aircraft propelled by six turbo-reactors and capable of flying at Mach 3+ speeds at an altitude of 21,000 meters, which would have allowed it to avoid interceptors , the only effective anti- at that time.

The introduction of effective high-altitude surface-to-air missiles, high program development costs, and changes in the technological environment with the introduction of intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs) led to the cancellation of the B-70 program in 1961 .

Although the proposed fleet of B-70 bombers was canceled, two prototypes with the designation XB-70A were manufactured and used to conduct supersonic test flights from 1964 to 1969 . One prototype crashed after a mid-flight collision in 1966 ; The other is on display at the National Museum of the United States Air Force in Ohio .

North American XB-70 Valkyrie, 1966., Carswell AFB Airshow.

North American XB-70 Valkyrie, 1966., Carswell AFB Airshow.

In an era of fantastic and futuristic aircraft, the North American Aviation XB-70 Valkyrie stood out as one of the most awe-inspiring.

On June 8th, 1966, this extraordinary aircraft led a photo-shoot run with four other jets at the behest of General Electric. The company wanted a photograph set of the planes that carried their engines.

In the group, an F-104 was piloted by Joe Walker, a seasoned pilot. The XB-70 was flown by Al White, the chief test pilot for the program, with Air Force Major Carl Cross as the co-pilot.

A Learjet piloted by Clay Lacy would carry photographers to capture the formation, which would be featured in a company brochure. However, tragedy suddenly struck. The Valkyrie and the F-104 were involved in a shocking accident documented and immortalized in these photographs. They're now part of American aviation history's long catalog of mysteries.

North American XB-70 Valkyrie - Feature from the National Museum of the USAF

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.

By the early 1960s, however, new Surface-to-Air Missiles (SAMs) threatened the survivability of high-speed, high-altitude bombers. Less costly, nuclear-armed ICBMs (Intercontinental Ballistic Missiles) were also entering service. 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. 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 first XB-70A airplane continued to fly and generate valuable test data in the research program until it came to the museum in 1969.

XB-70 Valkyrie: America’s Mach 3 Super Bomber Ever Built

The North American Aviation XB-70 Valkyrie was the prototype version of the planned B-70 nuclear-armed, deep-penetration supersonic strategic bomber for the United States Air Force Strategic Air Command. 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).