North American XB-70 Valkyrie

North American XB-70 Valkyrie
País	Eua
Papel	Bombardeiro estratégico – Aeronave de pesquisa supersônica
Primeiro voo	21 de setembro de 1964
Construído	2

O Valquíria da Aviação Norte-Americana XB-70 foi a versão protótipo do planejado bombardeiro estratégico B-70, de penetração profunda para o Comando Aéreo Estratégico da Força Aérea dos Estados Unidos. Projetada no final da década de 1950 pela Aviação Norte-Americana, a Valquíria de seis motores era capaz de cruzar milhares de quilômetros em Mach 3+ enquanto voava a 21.000 m.

Fonte: Valquíria XB-70 norte-americana na Wikipédia

Norte-americana XB-70 Valquíria Anda por aí
Fotógrafos	John Heck
Localização	Museu Nacional da USAF
Fotos	134

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General Characteristics and Role

The North American XB-70 Valkyrie was the prototype version of the planned B-70 strategic bomber for the United States Air Force (USAF). Developed during the height of the Cold War, its radical design was intended to create an aircraft capable of penetrating Soviet airspace at sustained speeds of Mach 3 (three times the speed of sound) and altitudes above 70,000 feet (21,000 m). Its role was to serve as a high-speed, high-altitude strategic nuclear bomber, making it theoretically invulnerable to interception by Soviet fighters and early surface-to-air missiles of the time. However, the program faced rapid technological obsolescence and cost overruns, leading to its cancellation and reassignment as a research vehicle.

Property	Typical Value (XB-70A)
Papel	Experimental Strategic Bomber Prototype
National Origin	Estados Unidos
Fabricante	North American Aviation (now part of Boeing)
First Flight	21 de setembro de 1964
tripulação	2 (Pilot and Co-pilot)
comprimento	57.6 m (189 ft 0 in)
Envergadura	32.0 m (105 ft 0 in)
Maximum Takeoff Weight	249,500 kg (550,000 lb)

Powerplant and Unique Aerodynamics

Engines: 6 x General Electric YJ93-GE-3 turbojet engines (in a common engine bay).
Maximum Speed: Mach 3.1.
Cruise Speed: Mach 3.0.
Thrust (Each Engine): 31,000 lbf (138 kN) with afterburner.
Compression Lift: The Valkyrie utilized a revolutionary design where the shockwave generated by the fuselage at Mach 3 was channeled under the large, fixed delta wing, providing up to 30% of its lift.
Movable Wing Tips: The outer 20 feet (6.1 m) of the wings could be folded down by up to 65 degrees at high speeds. This increased directional stability and, critically, helped trap the compression lift shockwave underneath the wing.
Construction: Largely built from stainless steel and titanium to withstand the extreme heat generated by sustained supersonic flight (thermal soak).

Program History and Legacy

Cancellation Drivers: The development of effective Soviet high-altitude surface-to-air missiles (like the S-75 Dvina, or SA-2 Guideline) made the high-altitude Mach 3 profile vulnerable. Coupled with the massive development cost, the bomber program was canceled in 1961.
Research Role: After cancellation, the two built prototypes (AV-1 and AV-2) were used as Mach 3 research aircraft for the supersonic transport (SST) program.
Tragedy: The second prototype, XB-70A AV-2, was destroyed in 1966 after a mid-air collision with an F-104 chase plane during a photo shoot.
Legacy: Although it never became an operational bomber, the XB-70 program provided invaluable aerodynamic, materials science, and flight control data crucial for future high-speed military and civilian aircraft development.
Preservation: The sole surviving aircraft, XB-70A AV-1, is preserved and displayed at the National Museum of the United States Air Force at Wright-Patterson AFB in Dayton, Ohio.