Not Apollo, But Another Great 60's NASA Project

dsio · Dec 9, 2016

I was watching these documentaries just the other day and its so hard to imagine it was now more than half a century ago that North American built these two utterly insane aircraft. Everything about it from the wings, to the physics involved in its Mach 3 cruising speed to its landing gear was just such an incredible feat of engineering. Truly beautiful from every angle too, especially the rear.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/North_American_XB-70_Valkyrie

Foo2rama · Dec 10, 2016

Only became NASA after the USAF realized that the speed and height could not get past Russian SAMs.

I've seen the survivor at The Air Force Museam. Stunning bird, huge in person.

WurstEver · Dec 10, 2016

Foo2rama
I've seen the survivor at The Air Force Museam. Stunning bird, huge in person.

It really is an impressive sight to see! Here's a couple of photos I took of the Valkyrie looming over the YF-23 in the "experimental" annex of the museum in Dayton a couple of years ago. I understand that some or all the aircraft in the annex have since been moved into a new building.

dsio · Dec 10, 2016

WurstEver
It really is an impressive sight to see! Here's a couple of photos I took of the Valkyrie looming over the YF-23 in the "experimental" annex of the museum in Dayton a couple of years ago. I understand that some or all the aircraft in the annex have since been moved into a new building.

Oh wow that looks incredible

tyrantlizardrex · Dec 10, 2016

So much love for cold era war jets.... I'd love me an SR-71

padders · Dec 10, 2016

The Mig25, you know the one which can do Mach 3, was designed to counter the perceived threat of the B-70 and SR-71 (A12). As noted above, once they developed missiles which could fly fast and high enough, this kind of tech was redundant.

dsio · Dec 10, 2016

padders
The Mig25, you know the one which can do Mach 3, was designed to counter the perceived threat of the B-70 and SR-71 (A12). As noted above, once they developed missiles which could fly fast and high enough, this kind of tech was redundant.

I love how with that Mig it was cooled with a huge amount (500 liters) of pure ethanol, so every time one landed at a remote airbase they'd drain it and get smashed such that the aircraft were often left inoperable.

al128 · Dec 10, 2016

dsio
I love how with that Mig it was cooled with a huge amount (500 liters) of pure ethanol, so every time one landed at a remote airbase they'd drain it and get smashed such that the aircraft were often left inoperable.

thats when technical engineers forget social engineering ...

(in a country where people put shoe-polish on bread put it in the sun so it melts and the bread absorbs the solvents (alcohol?) ... and then they scrape it off and eat the bread) 👍

RegF · Dec 10, 2016

dsio
I love how with that Mig it was cooled with a huge amount (500 liters) of pure ethanol, so every time one landed at a remote airbase they'd drain it and get smashed such that the aircraft were often left inoperable.

Was this because the russian ground and air crew were completely blotto? - which I find implausible if only 500l of alcoholand a base full of Russians

Or

because there was now no more coolant available for the plane? - which seems so much more likely

dsio · Dec 10, 2016

Pure alcohol though, at 40% pure that's the equivalent of 1,250 litres of Vodka

LawBrk · Dec 10, 2016

dsio
Pure alcohol though, at 40% pure that's the equivalent of 1,250 litres of Vodka

Only worry with Lab grade etOH is the ppm of benzene. In my uni days I recall a run in with pure ethanol.....danger Will Robinson. 😵‍💫

dsio · Dec 10, 2016

Yea but you're not Russian 😀

LawBrk · Dec 10, 2016

dsio
Yea but you're not Russian 😀

Aren't I? 😉

ulackfocus · Dec 10, 2016

I've been trying to get my wife to get me a YF-23 for Christmas for years. I finally lowered my standards to an F-35 or even an F-16. The smaller size would make it easier to fit on our double driveway and use our street for a runway. Funny thing, my brother the ex-marine, wouldn't mail me an M-134 mini gun piece by piece either. That would have been the ultimate Schuylkill Expressway accessory once I bolted it to the Toyota. Imagine having 3 sidewinder missiles on a spring release on the roof and the M-134 mounted on the fender! You'd be WISHING for some prick to cut you off and give you the finger. "Too close for missiles. Switching to guns!"

tpatta · Dec 10, 2016

U ulackfocus
I've been trying to get my wife to get me a YF-23 for Christmas for years. I finally lowered my standards to an F-35 or even an F-16. The smaller size would make it easier to fit on our double driveway and use our street for a runway. Funny thing, my brother the ex-marine, wouldn't mail me an M-134 mini gun piece by piece either. That would have been the ultimate Schuylkill Expressway accessory once I bolted it to the Toyota. Imagine having 3 sidewinder missiles on a spring release on the roof and the M-134 mounted on the fender! You'd be WISHING for some prick to cut you off and give you the finger. "Too close for missiles. Switching to guns!"

I'm sure the fine folks at Dillon in Scottsdale, AZ., can set you up with the mini-gun. Of course getting it back to NJ might be problematic. 😁

ChrisN · Dec 10, 2016

U ulackfocus
I've been trying to get my wife to get me a YF-23 for Christmas for years.

I can't get on with these modern soulless interceptors but my wife refuses to get me an early sixties English Electric Lightning in (Albert Ball) 56 squadron colours. I don't know what's wrong with her... mutterings of poor fuel consumption, maintenance costs... and she drives a Jaguar XJS😲

padders · Dec 10, 2016

ChrisN
I can't get on with these modern soulless interceptors but my wife refuses to get me an early sixties English Electric Lightning in (Albert Ball) 56 squadron colours. I don't know what's wrong with her... mutterings of poor fuel consumption, maintenance costs... and she drives a Jaguar XJS😲

That would go nicely with a Speedmaster Tin-Tin.

corn18 · Dec 10, 2016

I grew up an hour north of Dayton and the WPAFB Museum. My dad took me there when I was 7 where I saw the Valkyrie for the first time. That's when I decided to be a pilot. Great memories. Thanks for the thread.

Foo2rama · Dec 10, 2016

corn18
I grew up an hour north of Dayton and the WPAFB Museum. My dad took me there when I was 7 where I saw the Valkyrie for the first time. That's when I decided to be a pilot. Great memories. Thanks for the thread.

My Grandfather worked their during the 40's. My Dad grew up in Dayton. I've not been to the Smithsonian in DC but if your an airplane nerd the Airforce Museam has to be top 2 places to visit.

tyrantlizardrex · Dec 10, 2016

ChrisN
I can't get on with these modern soulless interceptors but my wife refuses to get me an early sixties English Electric Lightning in (Albert Ball) 56 squadron colours. I don't know what's wrong with her... mutterings of poor fuel consumption, maintenance costs... and she drives a Jaguar XJS😲

I found a full certified DeHavilland vampire for sale last month - having worked out that initial outlay including learning to fly it would run to £1million, I pitched this to my other half... apparently if I can afford it, I can have it.

Anyone got £1million spare?