The Airplane That Looked Fake, But Was 100% Real: XB-70 Valkyrie

XB-70 Valkyrie was a supersonic bomber that could ride its own shockwaves! The largest airplane of its time, the XB-70 was a marvel of engineering. That said, it never made it into production, but the reason, is #NotWhatYouThink #NWYT #longs
Mike Bell's detailed video on the XB-70 Crash: • XB-70 VALKYRIE | Wake ...
Thanks to Mike for allowing us to use parts of his footage.
Music:
Peacewalker - ELFL
Particle Emission - Silver Maple
Inbound - Brendon Moeller
Thyone - Ben Elson
Astral - Lupus Nocte
There Is No Sequel - Philip Ayers
Subconscious - Nihoni
Fallout - Lennon Hutton
Chaos Theory - Ava Low
One Last Drama - Philip Ayers
We Are Giants - Silver Maple
Footage:
Select images/videos from Getty Images
Shutterstock
National Archives
Mike Bell
US Department of Defense
Note: "The appearance of U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) visual information does not imply or constitute DoD endorsement."
0:00 What was special about XB-70 Valkyrie?
1:42 Why did the US started the XB-70 program?
3:22 What is Compression Lift?
5:33 XB-70 interesting windshield design
6:51 XB-70 hydraulics problems and fueling
8:06 XB-70 anti-skidding fifth wheel and heat resistant tires
9:24 First flight of XB-70 and the incident
10:57 Why did the XB-70 body paint chip off at high speeds?
11:31 XB-70 No. 2
12:16 How did the Soviets help with the XB-70 program?
12:47 The XB-70 photoshoot accident
14:35 What killed the XB-70 program at inception
16:21 How did the XB-70 program help create the F-15?
17:02 What happened to the only remaining XB-70?

[@NotWhatYouThink]

Check out Mike Bell's video on the details of the photoshoot crash: kzbin.info/www/bejne/eGTFhHZ6jtuYeK8

[@jeremiahg6645]

Huh

[@jeremiahg6645]

Hhhh.

[@jeremiahg6645]

😮 😮

[@JIMDEZWAV]

When I first saw this jet 10 yrs ago I thought it was a future bomber

[@JIMDEZWAV]

What do aircraft companies do when they spend hundred's of million's and thousand's of hour's fulfilling military request's and then then military changes it's mind , you should do some vids on that .

[@dakshmandavkar6041]

This video clearly shows how hard it is to at least reach mach 3 let alone sustaining that speed, so XB-70 and SR-71 Blackbird are true masterpieces of Engineering

[@nilspetterhellvik5519]

The innovative minds of those days wher f...nuts

[@mrcroob8563]

@@nilspetterhellvik5519 What? lmao

[@netsimam]

@@mrcroob8563 Sr-71, XB-70 nuclear powered bomber, dare i say more??

[@mrcroob8563]

@@netsimam Yes, how does that make them f nuts?

[@netsimam]

@@mrcroob8563 They made the fastest air breathing aircraft in history…

[@xb70valkyriech]

As an XB-70 I approve of this video

[@TheTeaLordRBLX]

that’s clearly not true cuz only humans can speak ur obviously not one edit: it’s so funny seeing everyone take this seriously

[@hurgahedits]

@@TheTeaLordRBLXno he’s a xb70 and he can speak

[@Potatoespaceprogram]

@@hurgaheditsyea

[@H3X4G0N]

​@@TheTeaLordRBLX he's typing tho, not speaking

[@TheTeaLordRBLX]

@@hurgahedits that's not a real thing!

[@littlerayofsunshine69]

It's odd as hell seeing footage of cars and trucks from the early 60s mixed with such a futuristic looking aircraft.

[@Doggeslife]

Not as odd as seeing futuristic aircraft in the 1960s.

[@neilmcdonnell2964]

Its like watching some sort of science fiction film

[@pkmachinegun]

I thought this same thing.

[@brianstabile165]

Welcome to the fallout fandom!

[@timonsolus]

The first futuristic looking wedge shaped concept cars were designed in the early 1960’s too.

[@chrisbrinzo]

One of the things that absolutely gets me is that we have this footage of such a futuristic, marvel of engineering surrounded by typical cars of 1960's. Sometimes I cannot help but wonder what secret projects we're hiding that would seem such a 50+ years ahead of our time.

[@winternow2242]

We didn't hide this plane back in the 1960s. The SR-71, F-14, F-15, F-16, F-18, B-1A, B-2, YF-22 and -23, and both JSF contestants were all revealed pretty quickly. The F-117 was revealed in 1988 after a first flight around 1981, so that was kept under wraps, but only for a few years.

[@miscbits6399]

there's a video tour of the inside somewhere on YT which definitely shows the age of the design

[@juliusfucik4011]

TR3-B

[@johnmoore9862]

The Vauxhall Zafira.

[@Cdub-nz4gz]

They can from a distance read your brain ,your memories, what you think and can talk to you and see your mental images and what you see from a distance ,a long distance no wires no chip needed.

[@nolo2484]

Something that's hard to put into perspective is just how BIG this thing is. You can actually walk around and under it in the Dayton Airforce Museum, it's gargantuan and makes everything around it feel tiny. (Also it looks like a star destroyer from the back!)

[@neilreid2298]

100% agree. I've been to Wright Patt and seen this monster. Yes, it's unreal huge. Also- one of most fabulous military aircraft museums anywhere. Definitely worth a visit.

[@Two4Brew]

When my wife and I were stationed at Wright-Patt in the early 90's, I was a volunteer at the museum.

[@bricefleckenstein9666]

I saw it as a kid at Wright-Patterson. It seemed big at the time. Then I joined the Navy and was stationed on USS Ranger (CV-61). 15ish years later I went BACK to Wright-Patterson - and NOTHING seemed big. 9-)

[@musewolfman]

It's a truly awe-inspiring experience to be around it. I've been to the museum twice, and both times, I spent a good half hour, just looking at it. Not a single bad angle to view it at.

[@robertwhite4248]

Totally agree! We were at the Museum in Dayton a couple of months ago. It was an awesome experience standing under and about this awesome big bird!

[@gpaull2]

Seeing this for the first time back when it was parked outside at Dayton was one of the most magnificent and surreal things I’ve ever seen. I was working in aviation and had never even heard of it before I laid eyes on it. Truly incredible.

[@raven4k998]

I love how it's real despite looking so fake it's crazy man that they actually made the thing for real I am impressed

[@BilTheGalacticHero]

The XB-70 is an incredible aircraft built by incredible people. The loss of air vehicle 2 was a tragedy both in the measure of human life and the science that the aircraft would have performed. I've been to the crash site of both the XB-70 and the F-104. I have few small pieces of titanium and a small section of honeycomb from the aircraft. Volunteers have built memorials at both sites to the pilots and the aircraft. It's quite something to visit.

[@MarkShinnick]

Yes, I understand.

[@mrbillfeng]

They didn't clean up the crash site? Or I guess there are just so many tiny pieces that even after cleanup you can still forage around and find some?

[@MarkShinnick]

@@mrbillfeng They don't take it to the point of sifting acres of desert sand.

[@Kiyoone]

This plane is CURSED. BUT it looks SO FREAKING COOL.

[@TheSEWEGI]

It's not cursed. A lot can happen with prototypes, especially at this level of technical complexity.

[@melonshop8888]

ITS SIMILAR TO A HIGH BIRD A CANNOT REMEMBER.

[@davidgrisez]

Since I recently turned 72 years old I remember the news articles about the XB-70 Valkyrie experimental bomber. During the 1960s this was one of the most amazing and futuristic looking airplanes. Even to this day the XB-70 Valkyrie is still a very amazing looking airplane. No other aircraft has such an astonishing appearance.

[@MrDead00]

Have you veen in vietnam

[@pavelkalugin4537]

tu-160 (white swan) is also a very beautiful plane

[@voornaam3191]

​​@@MrDead00 Habe you veen to any School?

[@charlestaylor253]

​​ If he had 'veen' in Vietnam, (at least as a Western ally), he'd have known how to spell "been". 🙄

[@williamromine5715]

It is amazing how futuristic this plane was, when we realize everything was worked out with slide rules. For those of you who aren't 81(as I am), the slide rule was in regular use, even for the space race. Great video, as usual. Also, as usual, you told me things I didn't already knew, such as the photo op. I don't think that was talked about at the time.

[@MarcusWolfWanders]

it astounds me that y'all were sitting there with slide rules and did better, faster, and cooler things than we've done with CAD and "better" materials

[@Dxyzxyz]

And mechanical calculators...cranking away...the noise. Then Wang calculators.

[@psycotria]

We weren't allowed to use calculators, which cost as much as a good used car, when I was in school. Slide rules ruled.

[@williamromine5715]

@@MarcusWolfWanders I did use a slide rule one summer working for the highway dept, but I was not one of those who built the sr71 nor the space program. They were the real hero's those days.

[@Two4Brew]

I still have my slide rule from college. Spent my freshman year, 75 - 76, trying to learn electrical engineering. The Calculus torpedoed that idea.

[@voivode2591]

Both prototypes were operational. Flaws in the sandwich structure of prototype number 1 after its first high Mach run resulted in disbonding and it was never flow that fast again.However it continued testing with NASA before being retired. Prototype 2 that crashed was built with an improved structure and different wing incidence.

[@smark1180]

Dihedral, not incidence. "AV 1 had zero degree wing dihedral versus 5 degree on AV 2. This change was issued to correct lateral dynamic stability problems at intermediate supersonic speed and became evident too late in the manufacturing process to be incorporated on AV 1 which utilized a bobweight to provide the capability for pilot compensation."

[@7StringBlazer]

When I was a kid, there was a video game called Ace Combat 2 that I played front to back frequently. There's a mission where you have to take down a handful of XB-70 and SR-71 that are so high in the atmosphere the plane that you fly has to struggle to get up there without stalling, and time in the mission is limited due to their speed. I'll never forget my dad telling me that (most) of the planes in that game were real, and how it blew my mind that something so peculiar looking could exist. Needless to say that game created a plane nerd 😂

[@shubobtv]

Amazing stuff ❤

[@sek153]

damn you help me dug out something from my memory. I miss the game, now i miss the 90s

[@DarkElfDiva]

Have you tried Project Wingman?

[@sek153]

@@DarkElfDiva i actually heard about it. It is something similar to ace combat i believed?

[@7StringBlazer]

@@DarkElfDiva I haven't tried it but I know of it! It looks cool for sure!

[@The_Lone_Wolf]

Thank you for this video, I personally think that XB-70 is a Beautiful plane way ahead of her time, and I often wonder if we would be able to reengineer the XB-70 today and make her a better and updated Beauty of a bomber

[@shenmisheshou7002]

The primary reason for the fold down wingtips was *not* for capturing the shock wave. Here is a quote from the book "Valkyrie, North American's Mach 3 Superbomber" on page 39 (which is a fantastic book.) Quote: " North American folded the wingtips primarily to increase the directional stability and minimize drag by allowing smaller vertical stabilizers." The original B-70 design did not include the fold down wings to achieve Mach 3 and while there was a very small gain in lift from the folding wings, the real purpose was to reduce the drag from what would have to be far larger vertical stabilizers which would cause much more drag. Since the wing area was required for low speed flight and there was already plenty of lift form the compression wave, the extra wing area was not needed at Mach 3, so the designers realized they could fold the wings to get the directional stability without having to add the weight and drag of the larger tails. So, the drooping tips are not really necessary for the compression lift to work. They are there for directional stability.

[@ArneChristianRosenfeldt]

Is the plane stable while folding?

[@shenmisheshou7002]

@@ArneChristianRosenfeldt Yes. The wings were dropped at well below top speed, and yaw stability was reported as good. People often talk about eh SR-71 and how great it is, but the reality is that the XB-70 was probably one of greatest techmical achievements in aircraft design. While not as fast as the SR-71, it could still exceed Mach 3, had a range of about 4400 miles, and would have carried 50,000 lbs of payload. Given that this plane was done before the computer age and it used materials that had never been used before, it was an astonishing achievement.

[@ArneChristianRosenfeldt]

@@shenmisheshou7002 I was thinking about dihedral anhedral. So the Concorde with its tall single stabilizer has a little anhedral on the tips. This compensates some coupling in a delta wing. XB-70 has two lower fins .. and should use less anhedral (bend a smaller portion of its wing ) or there would be severe coupling. Ah, it is just that pilots complained how delta planes like the B-58 hustler were difficult to fly.

[@shenmisheshou7002]

@@ArneChristianRosenfeldt I have read summaries of most of the flights and there seems to have been little mentioned about stability. Buffeting flutter was sometimes encountered, and small changes where made to the second B-70, which was not completed until AV1 had already been flying and gathering data. For example, the flapperons had more power than anticipated, and one on each side was fixed into position. The aircraft was apparently very difficult to fly. AV1 was plagued by hydraulics failures and various types of unstarts. It took both pilots to manage the powerplants. One advantage the B70 had over the B-58 is that the thrust line was kept very close to the centerline due to the way the engines were all nestled in the same tray under the wings. The two large ducts were separated so that one duct served three and the other duct served the other three, and this placed constant demands on the co-pilot. These are all things that test programs are there for, and by the last few flights, much of this had been worked out. It is a remarkable airplane. I have friends from other countries that are aviation buffs, and almost none of them were aware of the B70, and all were speachless when I would show them the pictures and tell them that this plane was flying at Mach 3 in the early 60s. The SR 71 gets all of the glamor, but the XB-70 was (in my opinion) a much more extraordinary achievement. The book Valkarie, North Americans Mach 3 Superbomber is the best book I have ever read that is devoted to one airplane, and much of this is covered in that book. Sadly, it is out of print. I cherish the copy I have.

[@ArneChristianRosenfeldt]

@@shenmisheshou7002 I am stealing this from someone else: the intakes should have been at the back. With flaps to suck air from above the wing. When the canard unloads the nose wheel, it should swing up into a bay with some space for dampers to catch it. Then open lower intakes. Wind is strong enough so that no air is sucked ( vacuum cleaned) from the ground. Only take off with enough length ahead to swing out the nose wheel again and brake the plane. Emergency skid below the cockpit.

[@Real__ATF]

First shot is at Wright Paterson AFB in Dayton Ohio. I was there last week. Loved the val so I had to come back to see this video.

[@anthonyshaw9383]

I was just there last week and was surprised to see this video today.

[@minimalbstolerance8113]

One of my favourite aircraft of all time. Utterly gorgeous looking, and pretty incredible that something designed in the 1950s and built in the 1960s still looks like it's from the future in the 2020s.

[@catsailor8621]

Always thought the same - very futuristic! 👍

[@shenmisheshou7002]

Having traveled internationally for business, and having encountered a lot of aviation buffs, you would be interested to know that while the B-70 is not well known in the US, once you get out of the US, no one has ever heard of it. When I would show them videos, they thought I was joking when I said the B-70 was deigned in the 1950s and flew in the early 60s. Lot so US pilots know the XB-70 and the XB-790 story, but get out of the US, and they think you made it up. When they see pictures, they are blown away.

[@michaelmoorrees3585]

During a business trip in the 1990s, I had some spare time, and made my way to the Air Force Museum, outside Dayton, OH. I was aware of the museums exhibits, and made a bee line to their B-36. After viewing that for a while, I started looking at their other artifacts, such as the remaining XB-70.

[@Dxyzxyz]

The B36 could allow engine oil changes in flight. - former air force mechanic

[@charlespool8627]

I served one enlistment in the US Air Force from 1967 to 1971 as a meteorology observer . The air base training school was Chanute AB at Rantoul Illinois. FYI that is located about 40 miles north of U of Illinois campus at Champaign-Urbana IL. Back in the day, the base was a mini version of the Dayton Air History Museum. Vintage WWII aircraft were scatter around base. But the off the end of the main runway on a taxi way display ramp sat a B36 Bomber. It had suffered mechanical problems and made an emergency landing. It was never to leave as the runway wasn't long enough for it to get off the ground again. Fourty feet of the fuselage was out of the middle, the it was welded back together and put on display. Chanute AB has long since closed. It was sold to the city to become an business incubator and residential area. I have often wondered what became of the aircraft.

[@danielshegog4811]

It's amazing that the XB-70 is the grandfather to the B-1,F-15,B-2,and even the F-22/35. Although it never entered service, the technology and data they were able to get from the test flights, was incalculable. I know that thing had to be loud as hell. 6 engines at the same time?

[@psycotria]

Kind of like Starship's ITF1; test flight data obtained.

[@thefirstsalty3055]

My grandfather worked on the XB-70. he didn't say much about working on it, but he didnt seem to like working on it.

[@frankwaugh1894]

I am so very glad i got to see the valkyrie at the air force museum last year with a good friend of mine and have many pictures of it from many angles. It is so big there is a full size jet under 1 of its wings. The tires are as tall as a grown man. Standing at the back looking up at the 6 engines makes you think of the imperial star destroyer at the beginning of star wars. It is mind bogglingly HUGE

[@michaelegert1284]

That was my first thoughts. This huge engines look like from a Star wars movie 😂

[@justtheflagguy727]

Such a interesting looking plane, thanks for the video NWYT I had No idea what to comment I just saw no one else had commented

[@NotWhatYouThink]

Glad you liked the video!

[@painteater19]

To put this into perspective this was to be a bomber the size of a 757 that flew nearly as fast as the SR-71, the fastest production aircraft ever made. This thing was a brutal beast

[@psycotria]

... and the weight of an L-1011.

[@jkull173]

Appreciate your dedication to using actual development/archival footage instead of just putting random footage of unrelated stuff

[@Magikfred]

It's a beautiful plane and it's such a shame that tragedy happened

[@Justanotherconsumer]

Like TSR2 and the F8F it was a pinnacle of design for an era that was already over.

[@merlinmelon]

Love your coverage of experimental aircraft!

[@mikestaihr5183]

My father worked for North American Aviation in the Autonetics Division into the early 70's so I was well aware of the XB-70 being the son of a man who worked his way up from the shop floor in the 50's to management and contracts at the end of his employment. You reference the P-51 and F-86 but forgot to mention the F-100 Super Sabre..

[@paulolson734]

My mom worked at Autonetics in the 60s and 70s. She was a keypunch operator working on Apollo and the XB-70 programs keying in thousands of pages of engineering program language onto punch cards that computers of the day could "read" as instructions for manufacturing processes. She had to get a Secret security clearance to do the work despite it being absolute gibberish to the average person.

[@shelleyking8450]

Went and saw this at the air museum. Unbeleivable that something this huge went that fast, but it did.

[@user-qz1ph1vb6w]

one of your best Videos so far keep it up

[@SamlSchulze1104]

I saw that detailed incident video. I was quite perplexed, shocked, and saddened by the events that happened the way they did.

[@Tom-zy6ke]

An extraordinary achievement, having done all the R&D it seems a shame not to have built a squadron or two, but I guess that like the SR71 operating costs would have been stratospheric. I bet the Radar cross section was absolutely huge as well so it would have been extremely vulnerable.

[@shenmisheshou7002]

If you like aviation books, the book "Valkyrie, North American's Mach 3 Superbomber" is by far and away the best book on a particular model of airplane ever written. It is far more than just a book about the Airplane. It gives insight into the cold war mentality, the request for proposal, the competitive designs, the F108 (which would have been a Mack 3 interceptor that would accompany the B-70), the incredible engineering, where engineers had to design without computers and had to foresee all of the issues around Mach 3 flight, the plane itself and what it took to build it, and the flight test program. This the best aviation book I have ever read, beating out the B36 "Magnisum Overcast" book, which is also superb, but Valkyrie book is hand's down the best, and I have read books on dozens of airplanes. The book is out of print, but you can find it used, and I highly recommend it.

[@paulogabrielfranz]

I love how rich in details your video’s are! Favorite channel on your by far!!

[@sillykanji]

I just want you to know that your channel is absolutely amazing. And your voice has a great cadence for the videos. Well done!

[@alberthartl8885]

This is on my list of the most cool and beautiful aircraft ever built.

[@CSpottsGaming]

For anyone that loves aircraft, the Wright-Patterson museum (where this plane lives now) is amazing, absolutely worth a visit. I loved planes as a kid and was absolutely blown away by the history that's there.

[@Dxyzxyz]

Nice missile collection also. And missile launch control room.

[@NoNameNoFace-rr7li]

i grew up across the street from the main gates on a little street called "wake avenue" i had a view of the xb70 from my bedroom window throughout my childhood as the plane was parked on the tarmac during those first years. she was and remains the most beautiful machine i have ever seen.

[@CSpottsGaming]

@@NoNameNoFace-rr7li Dang, I had a decent view from my window growing up but yours beats the hell out of mine!

[@NoNameNoFace-rr7li]

@@CSpottsGaming where did you grow up? we must have lived near each other. I lived on Wake Avenue right in front of the main hangers. I remember when the B-17 Strawberry Bitch was a walk through aircraft ...you could climb through the nose and out the tail ..sit in the seats and touch everything.. it was a great place

[@CSpottsGaming]

@@NoNameNoFace-rr7li I grew up in the region but not quite as close as you it seems! We were close enough to make Wright-Patterson a great road trip destination (in Indiana)

[@francisklambauer144]

The FIRST time I ever saw a picture of the XB-70 at 8 yrs old, It was in a National Geographic mag. article on S.A.C.; I fell in LOVE with it's looks and design-NOW at 61 I STILL feel it looks AMAZING!! Thank you for your Video, you FOLKS do great Articles-wish there were more like you!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[@sferrin2]

The paint thing was because they'd painted it so many times for PR that it was too thick and cracked and flaked off when the plane was in flight. After they stripped and repainted it it was never an issue again.

[@chheinrich8486]

13:30 and again the f104 starfighter causes a disaster, we germans didnt call if the widow maker for nothing

[@stevearnold100]

I actually saw it when I was a kid visiting my fathers family in Ohio and went to the museum. My father was an engineer for North American Aviation and he took us to see lots of cool stuff. I got to go inside the containment building of the San Onofre nuclear power plant while it was being built. Some good memories with my dad.

[@brianrouse147]

Carl Cross was my 3rd cousin. I wasn’t born yet when the plane crashed but my grandfathers last name was Cross. I visited his gravesite in Tennessee when I was a child. Such an amazing aircraft!!!!

[@Hossman757]

Fantastic video. I was just at the WPAF museum and got to see this magnificent beast in person. A true feat of engineering that rivals the SR71.

[@cascadianrangers728]

I bet the test pilot was pretty excited, he literally flew that bomber so fast he blew the paint off it!

[@nero995]

Babe wake up, Not What You Think dropped a video

[@YXUHUNTER]

Your videos never disappoint! Excellent work! Great picture of the plane!

[@WvlfDarkfire]

Never forget those who pushed the boundaries at the cost of their life. May their life experiences be of service to us all. God Bless for such an excellent breakdown of this X-plane and of the lives of those who lost their lives in the pursuit of human growth.

[@Overmind125]

Great video! I got to see the XB-70 in person at the USAF museum in Dayton recently, and it's hard to understand just how huge the thing is until you've walked around/under it

[@catsailor8621]

Seems to be the consensus impression! TY! 👊

[@caty863]

The movement of the rudders seems unconventional too!

[@UnrelatedAntonym]

What an fascinating jet, I love how it can ride the sonic boom pressure, how its nose and wing tips can change shape. So many complicated features and designs. I wonder if a redesign today could make it more viable and reliable with advancements in material science, metallurgy, and other advancements in engineering.

[@gkam44]

I saw both air vehicles fly at Edwards AFB, and was there the day of the crash. It was a real blow, and affected everyone on base. Air Vehicle #1 ook some time before it flew again, and many of us were out on the ramp when it took off.

[@NonLegitNation2]

the fact that it looks futuristic even today is amazing.

[@dyingearth]

This plane is why Mig 25 was built, to intercept it. And USAF in turn built F-15 to counter that.

[@Da0yster]

Then the USAF got their hands on a Mig 25 from a defector and realized it was basically a flying super sonic brick against an F-15. Turns out the huge wings we thought were for high maneuverability were actually needed because it just weighed so much.

[@dyingearth]

@@Da0yster Valkyrie was cancelled for all of the technical issue listed in this video, and USAF also over estimated Soviet SAMs. Soviet military definitely understand the limitation of their SAMs in the early 70s and knew it had no chance of hitting this bomber if it was ever operational.

[@Justanotherconsumer]

@@dyingeartheven with that, ICBMs accomplished the same goal better.

[@righteous.shitposter.deluxe]

Thanks for the content! I got so excited to see this

[@chupitolepame5357]

What a beautiful video, lots of historical and engineering related footage, great content

[@whyjnot420]

The German side of my family has a name that means 'friend of the valkyries'. So perhaps it is quite fitting that this plane is what first ignited my love of planes when I was a little kid.

[@mcyounglordlauch7012]

I'm German my self, but I'm really wondering what the name is, so could you tell the name maybe?

[@whyjnot420]

@@mcyounglordlauch7012 The name is Armentrout. Originally Ermentraudt, but later Americanized. I honestly don't know the veracity of that meaning, but as it sounds cool, it has stuck with me over the years. For whatever reason we have a fairly detailed family history available, starting in 1730 or so when they first came to the US. This is just one of the tidbits I picked up in relation to that history over the years.

[@f.h.4044]

Hate to be that guy but your name most certainly does not mean "friend of the valkyries".

[@whyjnot420]

@@f.h.4044 Hate to be that guy, but that meaning comes from a more academic teardown of the name. Also hate to be that guy. When saying that something isn't what someone said it was, YOU NEED TO SAY WHY. Also really hate to be that guy. Don't be a passive-aggressive prick if you want anyone to take you seriously. You are the guy. Notice how much I hate even parodying the guy. F right off. Also, its not MY name. They are part of my family, but I do not share their name. If you want someone to listen to you, try and pick up on details like "the German side of my family" does not impart knowledge of what my actual surname is.

[@DutchFurnace]

@@whyjnot420 Yay, I also want to be that guy. So let me also tell you that "Ermentraudt" in no possible way, not even a "more academic one", can ever end up meaning "friend of the Valkyries". And no, someone doesn't have to honor you with an answer, as trust me, you'll learn much more from googling it yourself.

[@cornbreadreturns296]

Valkyrie is easily one of the coolest planes ever made - it's too bad they never "finished" it. Would have been cool to see what it could do.

[@shred1894]

I imagine it would be like a bigger, badder, and meaner B-1B Lancer. Think about it, both were supersonic strategic bombers originally intended to be nuclear capable, with plenty of speed, and having adjustable lift surfaces.

[@Doggeslife]

It couldn't do much due to being too "bright" on radar. By the time it flew speed was no longer a defense. Hence we stopped trying to go that fast. The newer B-1B can't even go Mach 2 because it doesn't need to.

[@daystatesniper01]

A bit like the British TSR2

[@shenmisheshou7002]

The finished two of them, and while they never carried any military gear, we know exactly what they could do and they were remarkable aircraft.

[@catsailor8621]

It’s amazing how many of us as little boys were captivated by this plane and it’s unique design and features! I remember being sad to hear that the program was discontinued. I was hoping to eventually see several squadrons of these prehistoric-looking birds for years to come! But, alas…😕

[@pietropipparolo4329]

I love watching these videos and got hooked on the "but it's not what you think" phrase.

[@johno9507]

5:32 Did anyone else notice that its only flying on 2 engines? 🤔

[@MarbleSquare422]

Yea

[@pahtar7189]

It was going slow enough for the photo plane flying underneath it to get a good shot.

[@RaithSienar]

I remember in high school back in the early 2000s I read about the XB-70 in a book my German teacher (who years before had been a History teacher) had, he had all these extremely detailed books about American and German history in his classroom and he'd let us read them if we were interested and the XB-70 was in one of them and it was just so fuckin wild looking that it's stuck with me for years as easily one of the coolest looking planes to ever exist, and I'm only a casual Aviation fan even though I absolutely love military planes, but "being fuckin cool looking" is like 90% of my criteria for actually liking a plane. It, alongside the SU-47 Berkut Golden Eagle, and NASA's F-15 ACTIVE are my trifecta of awesome looking planes that never went into mass production.

[@MarcusWolfWanders]

from a young age I was a casual aviation fan, and my favorite planes were the SR-71, the A-10 Thunderbolt II Warthog, and the AC-130. Today I'm adding the Valkyrie to that list.

[@psycotria]

@@MarcusWolfWanders While working aviation line service, I got to ask an A-10 pilot for a ride. As there is only one seat, I offered to crouch in the luggage/flight bag stowage area behind it. Pilot said; "Lols... No."

[@vikassm]

So in addition to all the futuristic tech, this thing also had ABS (Anti lock Braking System!)

[@johnnybravo9096]

I don't think anything is as impressive as how much airplanes developed from what we learned during the 40s up to the 50s and 60s, which were first me the golden age of development and forward thinking

[@makelovenotwar2467]

The most crazy thing about this video is the guy kneeling down right next to a tyre filled with 500psi 😂

[@anthonyshaw9383]

Right. I work for a company that tests aircraft wheels and brakes. It is a huge safety infraction to go into a test room with inflated tires.

[@psycotria]

Two line guys where I worked decided a Lear 25 needed nitrogen in its main. The got the bottle, opened the valve, forgot to adjust the regulator, and put 3000 psi to the wheel. The tire exploded, killing one, injuring the other and put a hole in the wing, spilling 500 gal Jet-A in the hangar. I'm glad I worked at the other airport. Line service stopped nitrogen service after that.

[@KYoss68]

This bomber prototype was incredible but the timing of the arrival of ICBM's made it an amazing answer to a question that was no longer relevant.

[@crankychris2]

Yes, once mach 25 missiles became available to both sides, supersonic bombers became unnecessary, it also changed the mission of the B-52 to that of a long range missile launch platform, thus the BUFF will continue to fly for decades to come...100 years? Well, it's over 70 now...

[@TheRealCCSmith]

I remember seeing this in Dayton Ohio back around 1989. This airplane takes up a whole warehouse!!! Regular airplanes were parked underneath it! It's ENORMOUS 🤯

[@gavrielmarcus831]

Love your videos!!!

[@CapStar362]

The Famous Crash killed Joe Walker, one of the most famous Test Pilots at the time. I'm surprised you did not mention this.

[@jimsvideos7201]

This still looks like something from 20 years in the future.

[@WesTxNav]

I have loved this aircraft since I was a kid growing up in the 60's. I couldn't wait until it came out in a model. I built the model and proudly displayed it in my bedroom. I have a model in my man cave now that I purchased from the AF air and space museum in Dayton, Ohio. My wife had to drag me out of the hanger that the YB-70 was housed in, I didn't want to leave. This is one of my favorite planes of all time, the other one was the SR-71 Blackbird.

[@cascadianrangers728]

Wow i know s lot about the Valkyrie and the Concorde, but I didn't know about the adjustable nose/windshield deal, that's a really cool detail I didn't know about

[@lazarusboi8559]

Last scene really shows just how huge this plane was. Makes all the other planes look like toys in that building.

[@Dxyzxyz]

Except the B-36.

[@phillipsuttles1926]

all but the b-36

[@dhawthorne1634]

I always loved visiting that museum and the COSCI while my mom was at a conference in Columbus for a few summers. Hopefully I get to go back sometime, but the Naval museums in New England are next on the list.

[@dragoboi1874]

Being so close to the Air Force museum in dayton Ohio I have actually seen the XB-70 and the other planes, it was truly a sight to behold and it genuinely was..... Marvelous, it is just a shame how it wasn't meant to be from the start tho But seriously it is giant, actually huge.

[@WizardOfOss]

For all of the problems it had, it still was probably the most beautiful plane ever built!

[@quazar5017]

If it weren't so sad I would say that's a classic F-104 move

[@sykoteddy]

I just love it when I suddenly hear that song by The New Tide orchestra in the background of your videos 🥰

[@user-yl1ur7rq4w]

As an XB-70 I approve of this video. It's a beautiful plane and it's such a shame that tragedy happened.

[@Yuki_Ika7]

i have seen her in person at the National Museum of the United States Air Force, she is MASSIVE and beautiful!!! I live only about 2 hours away from her and many other magnificent planes!

[@tedsmith6137]

It 's too much of a stretch to say that the B-57 was a Boeing design. The Martin B-57 was the English Electric Canberra, built under licence.

[@perrytheplatypus8802]

I have seen the XB70 in person and to this day it is as awe inspiring as the day it first flew

[@chubs41]

A very interesting design. I suppose that many of these experimental designs or at least parts of them can be brought back to life today with modern materials, manufacturing techniques and fly by wire avionics. There could be applications in commercial aviation too.

[@Eshanas]

She’s still a beauty we should had continued 😢

[@thathusk9119]

wake up babe, a new NWYT video!

[@MasonVeil]

I remember seeing something like this fly over my house as a kid. One of the perks of living near a bomber base I suppose.

[@CIS101]

It's amazing. No matter the problems it's dreamlike, and almost supernatural

[@cruisinguy6024]

One of my favorite aircraft, such an amazing machine but unfortunately it was ahead of it’s time. We just didn’t have the material sciences necessary for it. It’s hard to convey how massive this girl is. Highly recommend everyone visit it at the USAF museum!

[@Primus54]

Ironically, it was ahead of its time technologically but was obsolete before it became operational due to ICBM technology and advanced air defense systems.

[@captain0080]

It does look like a vehicle from the Thunderbirds tv show.

[@dirtydishes2148]

Great video as always. Thank you!

[@NeverlandSystemZor]

The XB-70 was such a radical and amazing idea... What a machine!

[@jamesb6102]

A paperclip!? Oh my god so lucky lol

[@StereoSpace]

To my mind, the impressive thing ever to fly.

[@UmUs]

It's incredible how many advancements where put into that plane, and it still worked!

[@StevesSimStation]

I live close to Dayton and have been to the Museum there. That plane is massive and just jaw dropping. I never knew the back story of the plane and this was pretty cool and interesting.

[@flatcapfiddle]

Mach 3 and for a bomber too. That is insane.

[@CrossWindsPat]

And it could do it way more efficient than the sr-71. We did that shit 60 years ago!

[@Surannhealz]

XB-70 and SR-71 were peak aerospace.

[@joriss5]

The most striking fact to me is that the XB-70 was both the heaviest and fastest plane around. Combining both records had probably not happened in the previous 50 years since WW1 (also, this futuristic engineering masterpiece happened closer to WW1 than to current day !) and obviously did not happen again.

[@lizardKingCDXX]

I'm From Dayton Ohio and this is one of the coolest things they got at WPAB, this and walking through a b-52 bomber on the inside. Pretty sweet all around really I highly recommend it.

[@beornthebear.8220]

I thought this thing was a work of art when I first saw it. Rest In Peace to the people killed in the testing of it, both in the XB-70 and in the F-104 Starfighter that crashed into it. I wonder if the F-104 was pulled in by the mighty wake of the XB-70. Something that big and powerful is going to move some serious air. I would love to see the one on display in the museum.

[@richardbias9041]

Dayton Ohio Air Force museum

[@beornthebear.8220]

@@richardbias9041 Thanks.

[@telephonepole8646]

this aircraft is so advanced for its time that i wouldn't be surprised if a modernized, working version is serving in the air force right now(but we dont know that)

[@douglascooper1987]

Aurora 🤫🤫

[@arapahoetactical7749]

Great video. I'd known that the wing tips folded in flight but I'd never known why until now. Very cool!

[@rharris22222]

Yeah, that was a really good explanation of the technology. I knew only that they were used in supersonic flight and thought I had read vaguely that it was about "Stability," which really doesn't match the detailed information presented here. So hooray! 🎉 I now know a little more, although I can't think of any use for it😅

[@charlesurrea1451]

All aircraft tires are charged with nitrogen. If you charge them with ambient air there's a potential to inject water vapor. At altitude that Condenses and freezes into ice which also reduces the pressure in the tire.

[@psycotria]

Oxygen attacks rubber and its molecules are smaller than nitrogen, and so leak out faster.