Multi-Signed photographs
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The XB-70 Valkyrie was a large two seat Mach 3+ 6 engine plane built by North American. Originally conceived as a long range intercontinental bomber, the program evolved into a high speed flight test platform.
Two vehicles were built. The second ship, AV/2, was an improved version based on the experiences learned from bulding the first plane, AV/1.
First Flight AV/1 serial # 62-0001 September 21st, 1964
First Flight AV/2 serial # 62-0207 July 17, 1965
First Mach 3 flight October 14, 1965 with AV/1
Last flight of AV/2 June 8, 1966, lost due to mid-air collision
Last flight of AV/1 February 4, 1969
Total flights AV/1 - 82
Total flights AV/2 - 46
Total flying time both aircraft: 252 hours, 48 minutes
Total flying time Mach 1 - Mach 1.9: 55 hours, 50 minutes
Total flying time Mach 2 - Mach 2.9: 49 hours, 32 minutes
Total flying time Mach 3: 1 hour, 48 minutes
This is one of my favourite photographs, which has been signed by
4 of the XB-70 Pilots, Al White, Joe Cotton, Don Mallick and Fitz Fulton
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Northrop X-4 Bantam
The X-4, a single-place, swept-wing, and semi-tailless airplane designed and built by Northrop Aircraft, Inc. Two X-4s were built to investigate the value of this configuration at transonic speeds. The Ship 1 (46-676) maiden flight was on Dec. 16, 1948, and proved to be a mechanically unsound airplane, but Ship 2 (46-677) was very reliable. While being tested from 1950 to 1953, the semi-tailless configuration exhibited inherent longitudinal stability problems (porpoising) as it approached the speed of sound, but the data derived from this research aircraft was important in the development of other high-performance designs such as the X-15.
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