North American XB-70 Valkyrie: libros - historia y modelos

North American XB-70 Valkyrie (Osprey)

De los numerosos conceptos de aeronaves militares futuristas creados en la década de 1950, el North American XB-70 sigue destacando como el más impresionante. Con su enorme ala delta blanca parcialmente plegable, su fuselaje que recuerda a una llamativa cobra y su extraordinario rendimiento, fue uno de los mayores logros tecnológicos del siglo XX.
Este bombardero estratégico, diseñado para superar en velocidad a cualquier avión de combate soviético, podía alcanzar Mach 3 con una carga nuclear completa, tan rápido como el legendario SR-71 Blackbird pero con un tamaño más de tres veces superior.

Sin embargo, su función como bombardero nuclear se vio limitada tras la introducción de los misiles balísticos intercontinentales, y los recortes en defensa acabaron provocando que el proyecto fuera descartado a mediados de la década de 1960.

El Valkyrie tuvo una vida útil breve y costosa durante una década, pero demostró el valor perdurable del desarrollo de bombarderos tripulados. Sin embargo, casi medio siglo después del XB-70, su predecesor, el B-52, continúa en servicio.
Mediante ilustraciones a todo color y un análisis riguroso, esta es la historia completa del avión experimental militar estadounidense definitivo de la Guerra Fría.

Detalle del libro

Autor:	Peter E. Davies
Presentación:	80 páginas, 25 x 18.5 x 1.1 cm, tapa blanda
Ilustración:	ricamente ilustrado con fotos en b/n y color
Idioma:	Inglés
Editorial:	Osprey Publishing (GB, 2020)
Colección:	X-Planes (7)
ISBN:	9781472825032

Valkyrie - The North American XB-70 - The USA's Ill-Fated Supersonic Heavy Bomber

During the 1950s, at the time the USA was aiming to become the world's only superpower, plans were being drawn at North American Aviation in Southern California for an incredible Mach-3 strategic bomber. The concept was born as a result of General Curtis LeMay's desire for a heavy bomber with the weapon load and range of the subsonic B-52 and a top speed in excess of the supersonic medium bomber, the B-58 Hustler. If LeMay's plans came to fruition there would be 250 Valkyries in the air; it would be the pinnacle of his quest for the ultimate strategic bomber operated by America's Strategic Air Command. The design was a leap into the future that pushed the envelope in terms of exotic materials, avionics and power plants.

However, in April 1961, Defense Secretary McNamara stopped the production go-ahead for the B-70 on grounds of rapid cost escalation and the USSR's new-found ability of destroying aircraft at extremely high altitude by either missiles or the new Mig-25 fighter. Nevertheless, in1963 plans for the production of three high-speed research aircraft were approved and construction proceeded. In September 1964 the first Valkyrie, now re-coded A/V-1 took to the air for the first time and in October went supersonic.

This book is the most detailed description of the design, engineering and research that went into this astounding aircraft. It is full of unpublished details, photographs and first-hand accounts from those closely associated with the project. Although never put into full production, this giant six-engined aircraft became famous for its breakthrough technology, and the spectacular images captured on a fatal air-to-air photo shoot when an observing Starfighter collided with Valkyrie A/V-2 which crashed into the Mojave Desert.
The loss of the $750 million aircraft and two lives stopped future development, although there were several attempts to redesign it as an airliner to compete against the European Concorde.

Detalle del libro

Autor:	Graham M. Simons
Presentación:	256 páginas, 23.5 x 15.5 cm, tapa blanda
Ilustración:	170 fotos en b/n
Idioma:	Inglés
Editorial:	Pen & Sword Books Ltd (GB, 2014)
ISBN:	9781473822856

XB-70 Valkyrie (Pilot's Flight Operation Instructions)

The XB-70 Valkyrie was an aircraft ahead of its time. Equipped with drooping wingtips, and designed with one of the highest lift-to-drag ratios in aviation history, the XB-70 challenged the known concepts of the flight envelope and demanded extraordinary developments in engineering and construction.

The test program produced promising results, including a Mach 3 flight in May of 1966. Yet after a disastrous collision later that year resulted in the loss of one of two prototypes, the Valkyrie program was curtailed. The remaining craft was retired in 1969.

Originally printed by NASA and the Air Force in the 1960's, this handbook taught pilots everything they needed to know before entering the cockpit. The manual was declassified and is here reprinted in book form. This affordable facsimile has been slightly reformatted.

Detalle del libro

Autor:	United States Air Force, NASA
Presentación:	404 páginas, 25.5 x 20.5 x 2.7 cm, tapa blanda
Ilustración:	ricamente ilustrado con fotos y dibujos
Idioma:	Inglés
Editorial:	Periscope Film (USA, 2010)
Colección:	Pilot's Flight Operation Instructions
ISBN:	9781935700357

North American XB-70 in Color

The North American XB-70 Valkyrie is one of the most unusual looking aircraft in aviation history, and only two were constructed. It was originally designed as a Mach 3 high-altitude bomber, but was later used as a research aircraft.

This book by John Cambell is an all-color photo study of the XB-70, including production, flight tests, and the fatal crash of Aircraft no. 2.
Aircraft no. 1 is now at the U.S. Air Force Museum at Wright-Patterson AFB.

Detalle del libro

Autor:	John M. Campbell
Presentación:	96 páginas, 21.5 x 28 x 0.9 cm, tapa blanda
Ilustración:	110+ fotos y color
Idioma:	Inglés
Editorial:	Schiffer Publishing Ltd (USA, 2004)
ISBN:	9780764305078