Path: utzoo!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!mailrus!tut.cis.ohio-state.edu!ucbvax!amdcad!military
From: cirrusl!gopal@decwrl.dec.com (Gopal Ramachandran)
Newsgroups: sci.military
Subject: Re: The XB-70 bomber program
Message-ID: <27496@amdcad.AMD.COM>
Date: 26 Sep 89 08:20:54 GMT
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From: cirrusl!gopal@decwrl.dec.com (Gopal Ramachandran)

I've also seen the XB-70 at Wright-Pat. It was made by North American (now
part of Rockwell International). The Soviets built the MiG-25 Foxbat to
counter the threat posed by the B-70. Eventually, our strategists decided
that high-altitude bombers were too vulnerable to SAMs and Foxbat-class
interceptors and decided that the way to go was on the deck, under radar
cover, a la B-1. A friend of mine used to be a test pilot for North
American and later was involved with the flight test program for the B-70.
He was part of the ground crew. He told me that one of the Air Force's
acceptance criteria was a mission that combined a climb to altitude, a
supersonic cruise involving some heading changes, and a descent, and there
may have been some holding/loiter requirements too, I dont remember.
Anyway, the airplane took off from Edwards, headed down South, turned
around over Mexico, headed N up to Canada, turned round and came home. I
guess they needed all three countries to complete the mission. At M3+
the aircraft had one hell of a turn radius, especially considering
that it would have negligible maneuver margin at speeds close to its Mmo.
	The accident happened during a GE-sponsored publicity flight
(a/c using GE engines). Joe Walker, flying an F-104 ran into and took
out one of the vertical stabs of the B-70, and they both went down. 
I believe they blamed it on Walker, though he was a very experienced test
pilot (I think he flew the X-15 as well).  I know Walker died, and maybe
others, too.

Gopal