Path: utzoo!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!mailrus!tut.cis.ohio-state.edu!ucbvax!amdcad!military From: shafer@drynix (Mary Shafer) Newsgroups: sci.military Subject: Re: The XB-70 bomber program Message-ID: <27494@amdcad.AMD.COM> Date: 26 Sep 89 08:20:31 GMT Sender: cdr@amdcad.AMD.COM Lines: 26 Approved: military@amdcad.amd.com From: Mary Shaferdlj@ark2.att.com (David L Jacobowitz) writes: >Two XB-70 prototypes were built. The accident referred to in another >article occurred during an attempt to get a "group photo" with one The photo was being taken for GE, with all the airplanes in it powered by GE engines. The aircraft were the XB-70, F-4, F-104, T-38, and, possibly, one other (maybe an F-5). I have a copy of the last photo taken before the midair, but my recent move has buried it somewhere. Joe Walker, the NASA Chief Pilot, was flying the F-104. He was doing a cross-over, in trail, and hit the (right?) vertical of the XB-70. The F-104 and the XB-70 fell out of the sky. Walker died. I vaguely remember that he didn't even try to eject. I believe that all recent USAF supersonic bombers have capsules rather than individual seats--XB-70, F/B-111, B-1A. The B-52, being firmly subsonic, has ejection seats. -- Mary Shafer shafer@elxsi.dfrf.nasa.gov ames!elxsi.dfrf.nasa.gov!shafer NASA Ames-Dryden Flight Research Facility, Edwards, CA Of course I don't speak for NASA