The XB-70 was positioned as a launch vehicle for the North American X-15 spaceplane, a manned, rocket-powered aircraft that flew at Mach 6.7. Launched from an XB-70 mothership at Mach 3, ...

It was the "largest and fastest bomber" that the US ever built, according to The National Interest. The XB-70 Valkyrie could cruise at Mach 3, riding its own shock wave to do so, and could hit ...

It was the XB-70 Valkyrie, an experimental plane developed for the US Air Force. Its inaugural flight — 60 years ago in September 1964 — kicked off a golden era for supersonic aircraft.

The first NASA XB-70 flight occurred on April 25, 1967, the last one was on Feb. 4, 1969 when the aircraft made a subsonic structural dynamics test and ferry flight from Edwards AFB to Wright ...

The experimental legacy of the iconic XB-70 Valkyrie, which made its first flight on Sept. 21, 1964. An article published on the U.S. Air Force website ...

The XB-70’s Design. In 1957, North American Aviation won the contract to develop XB-70, a delta-winged behemoth designed to cruise at Mach 3 (over 2,300 miles per hour) and altitudes exceeding ...

The XB-70 shed a part of its leading edge when the aircraft returned to flight, and the first prototype was then limited to just Mach 2.5. The second aircraft was cleared to fly at Mach 3.

XB-70 pilot Al White was able to eject, but he sustained serious injuries. The XB-70’s co-pilot Carl Cross and NASA’s Chief Test Pilot Joe Walker (F-104 pilot) were both killed.

A Total Failure: The XB-70 Valkyrie was an experimental U.S. nuclear bomber developed in the 1950s and 1960s as a potential replacement for the B-52. Designed to fly at Mach 3 speeds and altitudes ...

The XB-70 Valkyrie, the most advanced American bomber of its era, made its maiden flight in clear blue skies over the Mojave Desert. Skip to content. All Sections. Subscribe Now. 80°F.