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From: dsmith@hplabsc.UUCP (David Smith)
Newsgroups: net.aviation
Subject: Re: B-70
Message-ID: <2136@hplabsc.UUCP>
Date: Mon, 10-Sep-84 14:37:57 EDT
Article-I.D.: hplabsc.2136
Posted: Mon Sep 10 14:37:57 1984
Date-Received: Fri, 14-Sep-84 07:45:48 EDT
References: <3116@rabbit.UUCP>
Organization: Hewlett Packard Labs, Palo Alto CA
Lines: 36


    It had fold-down wingtips for pretty much the same reason that the TFX 
    and the B-1 have swing wings, the B-36 had pusher props, and the new
    Grumman X-29A is built backwards -- you gotta have a gimmick to win a
    defense contract.

This is pure bile.  There were good reasons behind all of those design features.

    The program was scrapped after just two prototypes
    were built, when one crashed, which was lucky for the crew of the
    second and for those of us footing the bill.  

The B-70 bomber program was cancelled before the first prototype rolled
out.  The downing of Gary Powers' U-2 made it clear that high altitude
was not a sanctuary, and forced bombers to go low.  The B-70 and B-58 
could not be effective at low altitude.  Thus, the B-70 program was stopped,
and B-58 production was halted.  But the B-70 program was far enough along
that two prototypes were completed for testing, with results to inform the
SST project.

    Interestingly, it
    appears that the crashes of the B-70 and B-1 prototypes occurred for
    the same reason -- the planes went out of control trying to avoid
    chase planes taking publicity photos.  (What this says about their
    combat performance, I'll leave up to you!)

The second XB-70 prototype was lost during a photo session.  General Electric
wanted pictures of a formation of planes powered by GE engines:  XB-70,
F-4, F-104, and T-38.  The photo plane was a Lear Jet at a comfortable
distance.  Joe Walker moved his F-104 out of position, apparently to
examine something at the tail of the XB-70.  The XB-70's vortex caught the
F-104, which cartwheeled across the top of the XB-70 and knocked off its
vertical tails.  The F-104 exploded.  The XB-70 continued in straight
flight for ten or fifteen seconds, then went into a spin.

If you want to flame, please be reasonably sure you know what you are
talking about.