Average Reviews:
(More customer reviews)The XB70 has been a great mistery for a long time. Its secrecy was largely due to the great leap in aeronautical science when the technological race between US and former CCCP was at its peak. Designed successor to B52, the XB70 has a troubled story from the start, its fortunes were forever sealed by McNamara's will to terminate the program. The book is about the history of political tribulations at all levels (USAF comands and interservice rivalry plus adverse lobbying in the Kennedy Administration and in the Congress, the last being not enough supportive). A respectable critical survey on program managment is given, providing a chronological description of machinations that overshadowed even the final experimental program.
Many details are covered but always from the historical point of view. The volume does not provide many technical facts and it still lacks a description of the airplane engine and systems, besides a precise perfomance summary is missing. The most important facet is the conversation record of the crash (XB70 ship AV002 and NF104 n°813). If the reader is looking for some Washington politics insight or behind the scene work, the narrative style is remarkable, but if he is looking for technicalities he has to wait for a new release or new bunch of declassified data.
Click Here to see more reviews about: XB-70 Valkyrie: The Ride to Valhalla
The incredible Valkyrie was envisioned as a long-range, high-altitude, triple-sonic bomber, capable of Mach 3 at 74,000 feet. Conceived during the Cold War, just two prototypes were ever completed. One crashed during flight testing, the other survives as a centerpiece exhibit at the USAF Museum in Dayton, Ohio. This is the inside story of the development, testing, and cancellation of the revolutionary XB-70 Valkyrie.
Click here for more information about XB-70 Valkyrie: The Ride to Valhalla
0 comments:
Post a Comment