The XB-70 Valkyrie was designed to rewrite the rules of flight—cruising at Mach 3 and soaring above 70,000 feet. But its path ...

The Ride of the XB-70 Valkyrie…Cut Short. Named the Valkyrie and designed by North American Aviation, a defense contractor back in the mid-twentieth century (that ultimately became part of ...

While the Saab 35 Draken may be the coolest, most futuristic combat jet ever made, when it comes to bombers that title goes to the XB-70 Valkyrie, a gigantic supersonic strategic nuclear bomber ...

The SR-71 Blackbird, B-1B bomber and other military aircraft can trace some aspects of their lineage to the XB-70 Valkyrie. Unfortunately, the XB-70 story doesn't have a happy ending.

The first XB-70 Valkyrie built, the XB-70A, had handling at speeds greater than Mach 2.5, and only got above Mach 3 once. So a second one was built, the XB-70B, with the wings adjusted just 5 ...

Despite its technical triumphs and support from aviators, the XB-70’s operational future unraveled almost as quickly as it took flight. The North American XB-70 Valkyrie emerged from a United ...

The XB-70 Valkyrie in its new home. ... Though more conservative-looking than the previous drawing, it still relied on several untested theories of aerodynamics at very high speeds.

One of the most popular ideas for the XB-70’s post-military career was as the first stage for a space-launching system. The Valkyrie could fly to altitudes of up to 72,000 feet, negating the ...

The experimental legacy of the iconic XB-70 Valkyrie, which made its first flight on Sept. 21, 1964. An article published on the U.S. Air Force website commemorates the 60th anniversary of the ...

It was the XB-70 Valkyrie, an experimental plane developed for the US Air Force. Its inaugural flight — 60 years ago in September 1964 — kicked off a golden era for supersonic aircraft.

In 1966, during a midair photo session following a test flight, an F-104 fighter clipped the right wing of XB-70 No. 2. The fighter rolled over the top of the Valkyrie, damaging both wings and ...