The XB-70A Valkyrie, which was once intended to be a Mach 3 bomber, was only ever utilized for flight testing
This post’s most noteworthy photo is a close-up shot of an XB-70A taken from a chase aircraft. The windscreen and ramp on the XB-70 could be moved. To lessen drag, these were raised during supersonic flight. The pilot lowered the assembly to give him and his copilot a good view of the runway when they were ready to land.
The XB-70 Valkyrie, which was initially intended to be a Mach 3 bomber, was instead employed for flight research by the U.S. Air Force (USAF) and NASA’s Flight Research Center (FRC), which was the forerunner to today’s NASA Dryden Flight Research Center.
The XB-70 was the biggest experimental aircraft ever built. It could fly at altitudes of 70,000 feet at speeds three times the speed of sound or nearly 2,000 miles per hour. It was employed to gather data while in flight for use in the development of upcoming supersonic aircraft, both military and civilian. The XB-70 flight research program’s main goals included analyzing the aircraft’s stability and handling characteristics, assessing how it responded to turbulence in the atmosphere, and figuring out how well it performed in terms of aerodynamics and propulsion. Secondary goals included calculating the levels and amount of engine noise during takeoff, landing, and ground operations. They also included measuring the noise and friction related to airflow over the aircraft.
Source: NASA; Photo by NASA
