North American XB-70 Valkyrie

Description

Of the many futuristic military aircraft concepts created in the 1950s the North American XB-70 still stands out as the most awe-inspiring. With its huge, white partially-folding delta wing, its fuselage resembling a striking cobra and its extraordinary performance, it was one of the foremost technological achievements of the 20th Century. A strategic bomber built to outrun any Soviet fighter jet, it could reach Mach 3 with a full nuclear payload - as fast as the legendary SR-71 Blackbird but more than three times the size. However, its role as a nuclear bomber was limited after the introduction of Intercontinental Ballistic Missiles, and defence cuts eventually led to the project being scrapped in the mid-1960s. The Valkyrie had a brief, costly decade of life but it proved the continuing value of developing manned bombers. However, almost half a century after the XB-70 its predecessor, the B-52, continues in service. Using full colour artwork and rigorous analysis, this is the complete story of the ultimate US Cold War military X-plane.

Peter E Davies is a specialist on Cold War American combat aircraft, having written or co-written more than 20 books on the subject, including the standard reference work on US Navy and Marine Corps Phantom II operations, Gray Ghosts. He is based in Bristol, UK.

"Peter E. Davies provides a good introduction to the North American XB-70 Valkyrie with an easy to read style. I especially appreciated his use of first person accounts throughout the book as it puts the reader in the driver's seat. I ravaged the 80 pages in one night, staying up quite late." - IPMS / USA "Extended captions and informative sidebars illumine the account. Color and B&W photos, color profiles, interior details, and action illustrations further augment the effort. And a selected bibliography and index neatly tie things up. Recommended!" - Cybermodeler Online "This book satisfies! The book contains a great deal of technical and other data and information. The text is supported by an amazing gallery of photographs and color artwork." - Aeroscale