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Mach 3 Legend: The North American XB-70 Valkyrie

North American XB-70 Valkyrie in flight

Introduction

First flown more than forty years ago, the XB-70 Valkyrie was a technological masterpiece of its time. With the help of the latest technology it could cruise at speeds of up to Mach 3 and heights of up to 77 000 ft (23 km). What would have been the highest performance bomber ever built eventually became a museum piece when it was cancelled after politicians declared the bomber obsolete in the face of surface-to-air and intercontinental ballistic missiles.

Contents of the article:

  • The genesis of the Valkyrie
  • A technical description of the aircraft detailing its advanced features
  • The cancellation of the XB-70 project
  • Flight history
  • The loss of the second prototype
  • The Valkyrie's research career with NASA
  • The effects the XB-70 had on the rest of the world