Cold War: XB-70 Valkyrie Crashes!

June 8, 1966 - A XB-70 Valkyrie (right) crashes after a collision with a F-104. First conceived in the 1950s, the XB-70 was intended to provide the US Air Force with a supersonic, high-altitude bomber capable of penetrating Soviet airspace to deliver nuclear weapons. After a prolonged design period, North American Aviation and Boeing put forward designs for an aircraft that could achieve Mach 3 and fly the required distance. After assessing the designs, the USAF selected North American and instructed them to move forward with the project. With the introduction of effective surface-to-air missiles, the XB-70's perceived role was called into question, as bombing strategists moved to a low altitude penetration approach. As a result, the program was effectively cancelled and only two prototypes were built for use in researching propulsion and aerodynamics. The first of these flew in September 1964, with the second taking to the skies the following July. On June 8, 1966, the second Valkyrie was lost during an in-flight photo shoot when a F-104 Starfighter collided with its left stabilizer and wing. Though pilot ejected, the co-pilot and pilot of the F-104 were killed. The remaining XB-70 continued to fly until 1969, and took part in NASA's supersonic transport test program

Photograph Courtesy of the US Air Force