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    XB-70 Valkyrie: The Rise and Fall of America’s Supersonic Dream

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    North American XB-70A Valkyrie in flight. (U.S. Air Force photo)

    At the height of the Cold War, the United States aimed for unparalleled air dominance with the development of the XB-70 Valkyrie, a marvel of technology envisioned to be the fastest strategic bomber ever built.

    Designed in the 1950s as the pinnacle of nuclear deterrence, the XB-70 Valkyrie was an engineering masterpiece capable of reaching incredible speeds of Mach 3, outpacing any potential threat.

    North American XB-70A Valkyrie on the taxiway with a cherry picker. Photo taken Sept. 21, 1964, the day of the first flight. Note: the left main landing gear brakes locked during the landing causing two tires to blow. (U.S. Air Force photo)

    This futuristic aircraft not only marked a significant leap in military aviation but also had a profound influence on the future of civilian supersonic travel.

    Born amidst an era dominated by the fear of nuclear annihilation, the Valkyrie represented America’s attempt to maintain a strategic edge. With design features like its striking delta wing, the XB-70 aimed to penetrate deep into enemy territory, immune to interceptor aircraft and evading radar detection.

    However, the world of aviation was rapidly evolving, and the presence of new Surface-to-Air Missiles (SAMs) and less costly Intercontinental Ballistic Missiles (ICBMs) began to threaten the survivability of high-speed, high-altitude bombers.

    North American XB-70A Valkyrie in formation. Other aircraft are (near to far): Northrop T-38A-15-NO S/N 59-1601, McDonnell F-4B-15-MC BuNo 150993, North American XB-70A-2 S/N 62-207, Lockheed F-104A-20-LO (aka F-104N) S/N 56-813, and Northrop YF-5A-NO S/N 59-4989. (U.S. Air Force photo)

    In 1961, before a prototype was even constructed, the B-70 bomber program was canceled, shifting the Valkyrie’s role from a bomber to a research aircraft.

    North American XB-70A Valkyrie just after collision. Note the F-104 is at the forward edge of the fireball and most of both XB-70A vertical stabilizers are gone. (U.S. Air Force photo)

    Despite its downsizing, the USAF commissioned two XB-70As to test aerodynamics, propulsion, and characteristics of large supersonic aircraft.

    The first Valkyrie flew in September 1964, achieving Mach 3 in October 1965. Its sibling, the second Valkyrie, took its first flight in July 1965 but met a tragic fate in June 1966.

    An accidental mid-air collision involving a NASA F-104 Starfighter resulted in the loss of both aircraft and two lives, a fatal blow that sealed the program’s fate.

    The shift in military strategy and the advent of Soviet missile technology had already rendered the XB-70 obsolete.

    The once invincible bomber concept succumbed to the realization that it was now an easy target for ground-launched missiles capable of reaching altitudes higher than the Valkyrie could fly.

    Furthermore, the aircraft showed little performance advantage at low levels over the cheaper and simpler B-52 it was designed to replace.

    Nevertheless, the XB-70 Valkyrie, with its six General Electric YJ93 afterburning turbojets, helped redirect shockwaves and generate additional lift for more efficient supersonic flight. This Mach 3 marvel provided valuable test data, enabling significant advancements in the aerospace industry.

    Insights gained from the Valkyrie’s performance and design helped inform the development of the supersonic transport (SST) program, although it was later canceled due to concerns over sonic booms produced by supersonic aircraft.

    After the cancellation of the SST program and the Valkyrie’s reduced role, the XB-70 continued to contribute to aeronautical research until its final flight in 1969. The surviving prototype, AV-1, now rests as a museum artifact at the National Museum of the USAF, a testament to a bold era of aviation ambition.

    Relevant articles:
    North American XB-70 Valkyrie, National Museum of the USAF (.mil)
    North American XB-70 Valkyrie, National Museum of the USAF (.mil)
    Why the North American XB-70 Valkyrie Was Always Doomed to Fail, autoevolution.com
    THE XB-70 VALKYRIE STORY, Roadrunners Internationale, Apr 5, 2022

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