The XB-70 'Valkyrie', was a prototype, high altitude strategic bomber, designed specifically to launch nuclear attacks against targets in the Soviet Union. Only two were ever built as anti aircraft missile development, and the advent of cheaper and more efficient intercontinental ballistic missiles made the XB-70 redundant. Capable of reaching speeds in excess of mach 3, the XB-70 programme was quickly cancelled, and the two prototypes were used instead for testing. One crashed in 1966, but the other still exists at the National Museum of the United States Air Force in Ohio.
I like this aircraft because, apart from being technologically impressive, its also so beautiful, and so big. It looks like some one made a warrior version of the Concord. The whole aircraft screams power and grace. Too bad they never built more of them, but on second thoughts, considering what this aircraft was intended to do, I think I can live with it having never reached operational status.
Its also interesting to note that the fictional Soviet aircraft Firefox, in the film of the same name bears a close resemblence to the xb-70 'Valkyrie'
Parts 2, 3, 4, 5.
2 comments:
great pics have TSR2's and Avro arrows to build one of these would go well with them, wonder who makes a kit of it a line up of white supersonic jets that never quite made it would make a talking point!!
nice pics.
I built an XB-70 as a model airplane project in my youth.
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