Path: utzoo!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!mailrus!tut.cis.ohio-state.edu!ucbvax!amdcad!military
From: wb9omc@ea.ecn.purdue.edu (Duane P Mantick)
Newsgroups: sci.military
Subject: Re: XB-70
Message-ID: <27497@amdcad.AMD.COM>
Date: 26 Sep 89 08:21:07 GMT
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From: wb9omc@ea.ecn.purdue.edu (Duane P Mantick)
I don't have any of my source info here at work, but I will do the best job
I can. If I should err, forgive me.

To the best of my recollection, the XB70 Valkyries were built by North
American Aviation in response to a DOD request for a high-altitude, high-
mach (as in 2+ and possibly 3) nuclear penetration bomber.  The aircraft
had no armament, per se like cannons etc. although I think it did have or
would have had in production versions a fair EW capability.

In terms of getting it to its target, I have seen photos of another
North American design, which I THINK was the F-108 Rapier.  My understanding
is that it was designed to be an escort (and a long-ranged one, at that) for
the B-70's.  I have never seen much info. on this aircraft but the photo
I saw was of a mockup (I don't think it ever even made it to prototype stage)
of a fairly good sized aircraft.

As many of you may know, during the late fifties and early sixties there
was a tremendous argument in the defense community about how to spend
the defense buck; within the Air Force there was the "missles-vs-bombers"
argument.  The B-70 program came out on the losing end as several
developments came along. First, sources inside and outside the Soviet
Union have stated that the Mig25's sole original purpose in life was
to shoot down B-70's.  Since the Soviet Union never had the problems 
deciding where to spend it's money, it seemed obvious that they could
probably produce far more Mig25's than we could B-70's and F-108's.  Add
to that the fact that Mig's would be operating over their own support
areas, and it just didn't seem likely that ANY of the B-70's would ever
reach their targets.

Second, the missle technology skyrocketed (pun intended....sorry) in the
late fifties and early 60's to the point where the missiles were actually
far more likely to get through.

So, the project was cancelled.  However, the XB-70's were such unique
aircraft that they were used both by NASA and the AF as research planes
to study high speed, high altitude flight (much like the YF-12's
after THAT program got canned).  The XB-70's were truly "neat" aircraft -
the outer 1/3 to 1/4 of the wing folded down during high speed flight
to provide additional stability.  The ejection seats were also marvels,
at least in theory, as they had water, food rations, etc., and a clamshell
that would snap closed around the whole assembly to protect the pilot
during a high-mach ejection.  This seat also had an inflating cushion
that was SUPPOSED to provide a margin of "sponge" to the landing.

The accident that claimed ? number of lives was apparently caused by the
pilot flying the chase plane (sticks in my mind the name was Walker)
which was an F-104 Starfighter.  The account I read states that he tried to
do a slow roll from one side of the XB up and over the back down to the
other side but miscalculated and struck one of the two vertical stabilizers.
The chase plane disintegrated in a fireball and I THINK the pilot was
reported to have been killed instantly.  The XB actually continued in
a straight line for a moment before going out of control and heading
for the ground.  The crew (2, I think) ejected but I know one of them
was killed due to some kind of seat failure.  I don't recall the fate
of anyone else.

If any of you have access to Time-Life's book series, "The Epic of Flight",
one of the books has a series of photographs of this accident.

I have had the opportunity to see the other XB-70 at the USAF Museum in
Dayton, OH.  My personal opinion is that it is one of the most
beautiful-looking aircraft ever built.  It was so big that I couldn't
get the whole thing in one photograph (wish they had larger buildings so
they could spread things out a bit).  To me it is right up there with
the Concorde in looks (my personal #1), while I think the SR-71 and
its predecessors, the YF-12 and A-12, are the most menacingly beautiful
aircraft ever made (ok, ok, I admit it.  I LIKE taking photographs of
airplanes and YES, I admit it, I have a certain artistic feeling
about it).

Anyway, to those who have asked about the XB-70, that is about all i can
recall.  I guess it ended up as "the bomber without a mission".  For
those who commented about its predating the B2, you might find interesting
reading by looking up Jack Northrop's B-35 and B-49 Flying Wings......
the man was about 40 years ahead of his time!

Duane
(yes, I go to Confederate Air Force shows, too....)