Credits:
– Upper photo: Experimental: North American XB-70 Valkyrie - Air Force Marathon
– Lower photo: OnOurWatches personal collection
For military aviation enthusiasts!!
The XB-70 Valkyrie started as a prototype for the B-70, a high-altitude, nuclear strike bomber. The Valkyrie had six engines that allowed the aircraft to fly at Mach 3+, which is three times the speed of sound. No enemy could defend against a bomber so fast. The XB-70 was exclusively used for testing due to the quick cancellation of production after the new Surface-to-Air-Missiles (SAMs) threatened the survivability. Only seven pilots have been privileged enough to fly the Valkyrie. Right after the B-70 program came to a halt, the USAF bought two XB-70As used strictly to test aerodynamics, propulsion, and other important characteristics of supersonic aircrafts. The XB-70 flew from 1964 to 1969. The second Valkyrie was destroyed in mid-air during a collision. The first Valkyrie purchased by the Air Force continued to fly and provide significant testing data.
The XB-70 reached a speed of Mach 3.08 and once flew at Mach 3+ for 32 minutes. Its real legacy was data that fed SR-71, B-1, and modern high-temp design—plus a caution: raw performance doesn’t equal survivability.
The sole remaining XB-70 was retired from service in 1969 and is currently on display at the National Museum of the U.S. Air Force in Dayton, Ohio, USA, where the lower picture in the watch face was taken by OnOurWatches in July, 2022 (except for the afterburners, which are an edit to the photo 
).
Download (zip file): XB-70 Valkyrie Clockskin
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