North American XB-70 Valkyrie(Interior Views Oct. 2020)
ฝัง
- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 6 ก.ย. 2024
- North American XB-70 Valkyrie cockpit and interior views!
The futuristic XB-70A was originally conceived in the 1950s as a high-altitude, nuclear strike bomber that could fly at Mach 3 (three times the speed of sound) -- any potential enemy would have been unable to defend against such a bomber.
By the early 1960s, however, new Surface-to-Air Missiles (SAMs) threatened the survivability of high-speed, high-altitude bombers. Less costly, nuclear-armed ICBMs (Intercontinental Ballistic Missiles) were also entering service. As a result, in 1961, the expensive B-70 bomber program was canceled before any Valkyries had been completed or flown.
Even so, the USAF bought two XB-70As to test aerodynamics, propulsion and other characteristics of large supersonic aircraft. The first XB-70A, on display here, flew in September 1964, and it achieved Mach 3 flight in October 1965. The second Valkyrie first flew in July 1965, but in June 1966, it was destroyed following an accidental mid-air collision. The third Valkyrie was not completed.
The first XB-70A airplane continued to fly and generate valuable test data in the research program until it came to the museum in 1969.
This plane is why I started studying aerospace engineering. I was so impressed seeing her in the museum as a kid. I've now been working at NASA for nearly 20 years and am still awestruck looking at her! Thanks for the cockpit tour!
Do you think the Spacex type lunar lander could work ? I don't.
I don't think u are real..
@@jayeshkurdekar126 cool story.
@@dks13827 Did you think they were going to land the boosters back onto pads? If you say yes, you're a liar.
@@sedonabear2010 Not entirely accurate. I'm sure they used pencils, paper, an occasional pen... even a compass or 2.
RIP Joe Walker and Carl Cross, both loss in the June 8th 1966 crash of XB-70A No. 2. Your service lives on in our hearts and minds and we thank you for pushing the envelope.
Walker got too close, in his F-104. The XB-70's wingtip vortex was not to be trifled with.
@@starguy2718
But why would he have gotten that close?
@@rudolphguarnacci197 Only speculation, but there was a chase plane with a film crew shooting promo footage - may have been distracted or in an effort to tighten up the formation got that huge tail assemble too close - never can know tho - also heard that the chase plane was on loan from its owner - -Frank Sanatra - Cue the mafioso conspiracy !!! lol
Outside: Look like a plane from the future
Inside: EVERYTHING is analog.
I saw the future and it was ... familiar. :)
Yes, but it's performance is still from the future....
@@thetigerstripes that performance was (apart from all the engeneering of the wing tips that move and all that) in big part due to the 6 engines with afterburners and that wasnt very efficient. For today, it isnt from the future anymore.
True
What did you expect from the 50's?
1960s on the inside; 2060s on the outside. The XB--70 is one seriously cool plane.
Me and my kid spent hours just staring at this plane over a 3 day period this Summer. If you haven't been to the USAF museum, you're really missing out!
It's rare to get glimpses into the interior of an aircraft like this. Well done!
Thanks so much Mike!!!
There is no other aircraft like this….
@@roger3858 silence
Looks like cold war age jet....
@@USAFmuseum Just curious, what did pilots use exactly to get inside the cockpit, since it's so high off the ground?
When viewing the exterior in the museum, this aircraft’s design and condition looks like it is the latest in technology and ready for testing. Inside it is old tech, scuffed paint, analog steam gauges, and highly complex. What is truly mind-boggling is this on paper design was created only five decades after the Wright Brothers’ first flight.
I've wanted to see high detail shots of the interior for years! Thanks.
Our website has photos on the fact sheet, we are adding more today!
Isn't youtube awesome 👍
Yeah, I'm with you on that but, for me... that's every aircraft I see at air shows! 😁 I've seen this one and many others at Wright-Patterson back in '88...
Magnificently done! I could actually READ the instruments unlike so many videos done by others. This was an incredible treat. If it was possible to film every square inch of that aircraft, I'd watch it all.
The engineers worked with slide rules and without benefit of any kind of computer aided design, and built one of the most remarkable aircraft to ever fly. The not only had to solve a lot of engineering problems, they had to anticipate those problems first so they would even know they had problems to solve. It is a remarkable engineering achievement and while we can see the result, it is important to recognize the monumental engineering effort that took place to make it a reality.
When I was a cadet in the Civil Air Patrol at summer encampment at Seward AFB, TN in 1965, I believe, we were taken to the Arnold Research test facility for a tour. I remember seeing one of the wing air inlet section in the wind tunnel being tested. Quite an amazing technological achievement for the time. I'd love to seen her fly! I need to get back to Wright-Patterson AFB museum soon to see her.
I first heard of AV-2 when I was 9 years old in 1966. I 2004 I found the crash site, collected some small parts and also assist Maj.Carl Cross sister in locating the site. I always planed and still do plan on seeing AV-1 and visiting the museum. And now at 64 years old I finally see the cockpit in detail. Thank you for posting this.
Imagine getting this beast up to altitude and then fire-walling the engines to full power!!
Holy cow... that climb schedule!
As an AVGeek, what a treat. As a videographer, this video is stunning. Perfectly lit and it's obvious that all your shots were well thought out and rehearsed before hitting the record button. Fantastic job!
Proud to say that I've seen this beast at Wright-Patterson back in '88!
My grandfather was one of the instrumentation designers & engineers on the XB-70 project (and many others). My uncle & his son has been to the museum to visit her (the Valkyrie).
One of the museum docents asked my uncle why he was crying, he explained the story of his father and relationship with her, North American, and Edwards AFB. Much of the family still lives in the AV and works in the industry.
A visit to the museum with my sons to see her is on my bucket list.
This is a dream come true!! I can't thank you guy's enough for making this video!! I hope to see more like this of other aircraft in your collection!! I'm an A&P Mechanic and I love seeing these video's!! Let me know if you guy's ever need help! Keep up the GREAT work! 👍👍
Thanks soo much Ryan!!!
I'm always fascinated by looking at these old technological marvels - and peering closely at the "ancient" hardware they had available to achieve such mind-boggling performance. The XB-70 by even today's standards looks like something from hundreds of years in the future, yet the switches and instruments in the cockpit look just as they indeed were - from the late 50s-early-60s. It's like looking at the Mercury, Gemini and Apollo space capsules in museums. Just by the looks of their cockpits, you'd swear somebody ran down to the local home-town hardware store to buy screws, toggle switches and flashlight bulbs to build them with.
That's not much different than today, some planes use push buttons but many still use toggle and rheostat switches. That's the way it is in aircraft, you don't want to be flying along and shit hits the fan and you're trying to hit a touch screen lol.
Could you imagine if they could build a new airframe and computerize all of the systems? Utilize even some of the more modern engines available to the military. I don’t know if it would have any usefulness for todays world but it would be an interesting adventure.
I can’t imagine what the pilots checklist must look like. Must be the thickness of a Tom Clancy book!
That was totally cool. I remember when i was a kid in the late 70's seeing this outside in front of the museum. Its good to see she finally got her inside. I saw a old black and white photo of the engine intakes, it looked like a large room with 6 first stage engine blades. I was hoping they were going to climb in and show us that!!!
Indeed! I saw it in the 80s as a kid and it was outside and very impressive.
I've watched TV documentaries that covered the history of the XB-70 over the years yet only glimpses of the inside of the aircraft were ever shown. Thank you for sharing the video with us all.
I've been dreaming about that since my childhood days, since I got a model kit of a XB-70 in the seventies. Many thanks for sharing this awesome video. Greetings from Austria.
Greetings to you, thanks so much for viewing we hope you enjoyed the video!!!
I remember when I was a little kid in the early 1970's I stumbled across a copy of the September 1965 National Geographic "United State Air Force" issue in my parents basement. That was where I first saw the XB-70 and I instantly thought it was the coolest plane I'd ever seen. It still holds that place in my mind 50 years later.
This is one of my favorite places in the world. I love to go just walk around. I see something I’ve missed every time and I’ve been going for 40 years. Wish I had been there to see her outside again. I remember when it was displayed outside.
Unbelievable amount of design and assembly work for just two aircraft ... but so impressive in function and looks!
Great video!!!! Love the closeup views of specific instrument and gauge clusters! Outstanding!🇺🇸
Last time I saw this aircrafts interior was on the day it rolled out of its hangar for display to the workers and later the public. I was eight years old in Palmdale and my Father was one of those workers. Our Mother walked us up the extremely steep stairs while one of the pilots greeted us at the top! Thank God it’s inside now.
I remember when it used to sit outside. You could walk right up to it.
@@ericplaysbass Wow. Glad it’s covered now, it’s almost 60!
Fly by wire?
Nope. Fly by nuts and bolts.
Awesome machine. Thank you for sharing this treasure.
One of my favorite planes ever (that, and B-36, go figure). I'm surprised how beat up it is on the inside considering how few flights it had over so few years.
Dafuq? Beat up? Could you elaborate what parts look "beat up" to you?
83 flights totalling over 160 flight hours. It was a test plane, so on top of the actual flight time, there are the hundreds maybe thousands of hours of work and testing on the ground, people coming in and out of the cockpit etc. Plus, it's a 60 year old aircraft that's been sitting for 50 years, not exactly properly protected from the elements.
@@KK_on_KK The copilot’s wheel is particularly bad. The ECS panel, how could it get so scratched up? That gyro box (whatever it is) is crooked. The whole cockpit really shows wear. Airliners with 30 years continuous service and thousands of hours look almost new.
@@Strike_Raid well yeah it is going to be crooked like that with the gyros turned off. power up the panel those artificial horizon displays will strengthen up.
@@hirisk761 ??? I'm going to assume you're making a joke.
Happy to get to see the cockpit inside one of our greatest aircraft ever, thank you Museum of the Air Force!
She is so well-preserved. Looks almost is if you would just have to add fluids, change the batteries, and she'd be ready to fly...
What a piece of art! The pure proud of USA!
Thanks for the tour of her inside. That was probably the most sexy airplane ever built. It came out when I was 7 or 8 and I loved it so much that my dad built me a wood model of it. Complete with pieces of copper tube to replicate the 6 massive afterburning engines. I always did want to see the interior of this behemoth. Could you imagine it with state of the art digital controls and instruments and the technology we have now? I was just in tears when that one crashed.
We were stationed in Ft. Irwin and I was in Barstow the day the other ‘70 went down. My dad was I.G. and actually went to the crash site out in the desert. Super sad.
My grandfather got to see it land for the last time at Wright Patterson, said it was one of the most spectacular things he’s ever seen. But now I get to say I saw the inside of the cockpit. Miss ya grandpa! Thanks for this upload!
Such a differnce between inner and outer looking!
Outer looks futuristic, while inner looks pre-historic!
Aeronautical Engineering from the past reminds us of how far advanced our aeronautical and Aerospace craft are today. Excellent well done video
I’m gonna go out on a limb, but this looks like real handful to fly. The yokes look like they came off an exercise machine! Thanks for such a rare look into one of aviations milestones!
I love how the standard of the day was to use string to keep wiring looms neat I worked in telecoms in the late 70's and 80's and remember lacing looms with waxed string.
It’s still used to this day on certain wiring looms on gas turbine engines
It takes a certain talent to lace up wiring looms. My hat is off to these artists, not many are in existence today.
An incredible aircraft! Please continue with videos like this for all the planes in the museum. History isn't just for a chosen few. Visitors are not allowed to breathe on any of them and are lucky to even lay eyes on them. Different story to friends after hrs.
I am absolutely fascinated by all the flight controls knobs and buttons you can actually read the instrument panel very well done this is a very special treat to us aviation lovers WELL DONE.
Two things 1. The aircraft is absolutely enormous. Pictures don’t do it justice. 2. Seeing the cockpit really gives you the sense of continuity between different generations of North American designs.
Amazing to think that none of this looked antiquated or dated to those who flew it 50 years ago. To them it was ‘state of the art’.
My wife and I just visited the museum a few weeks ago. An amazing place to see.....Proud to be a 31652F Titan Missile Electronics Tech from '79-'83
The XB-70 is an amazing aircraft and piece of history - it's great that you folks have put the effort into restoring/preserving it. And the video is great too!
Thank you for this! I have a personal history with this aircraft dating back to my childhood at Edwards, but this is the first time I've seen anything inside but the instrument panel. Well done!
Thanks so very much!!!
I saw both planes at Edward’s open house in 1966
Impressed for life
Amazing. I stood in the STBD intake of the one on display at the museum at Wright-Pat in the 70's. Seeing we still use the same hardware, clamps, connectors, O2 bottle and lines, and more today really is something else.
I've always wanted to know what the interior of the aircraft looked like, now I do. thank you for uploading
Wow... I've been enamored with that plane, and being able to see the inside of the cockpit is amazing! Thank you for making this!
I had an engineering professor who had worked on the XB-70 during development and told us a story. It was, of course, very hush-hush early on. At one point a wooden mock-up was housed in a hangar with a dogleg entrance so you couldn't tell what was inside. At the hangar entrance was a sign that read "The Savior". This was because, as you exited the dogleg and suddenly saw the aircraft's nose looming above you, you'd exclaim "Oh, Jesus Christ!" The mock-up was nicknamed Cecil because its face looked a bit goofy.
Late 50's, early 60's Tech. As they say, "They don't make 'em like this anymore!" Men with slide rules, room sized computers, pencells, and calculators designed and built this thing. Amazing. My father served in the Airforce as a radio intercept analyst. He wanted to fly, but his vison just wasn't up to snuff. When I see things like this, I think of him and the time he served in the Philippines during the early stages of Vietnam. He imparted in me a wonder of all things aviation, and to me this aircraft personifies American ingenuity and perseverance. He died from cancer three years ago. I'd like to think that AV/2 was called for duty so men like my father could have a chance to fly. God bless all of the men and women who are still flying the blue and refuse to land.
Arguably one of the best looking airplanes in the world. Certainly one of my top three favorite planes.
Now that's what a real cockpit looks like! I'm so sick of touch screens and glass.
Seeing those analog avionics , clock dial instruments , switches makes me happy.
Seems like they dididnt bother cosmetic appearance of inside , nude wire harnesses and hydraulic lines . Crazy American Engineering ♥️♥
Thank U.
I saw this plane, once ,never thought I'd ever see the interior
This footage is top notch. Excellent quality and detail. Thank you very much.
My #1 plane. I have a piece of the second example hanging on the wall of my office. One of my most prized possessions.
This is the only place in the world where you can see this interior. Our tax payer money well spent. Thanks for this great video.
This airplane is a concentration of technology and beauty.
This aircraft, outside the Main Museum at WPAFB, was the most memorable and awesome plane I remember from my very first visit museum in the 1970’s. To this day, it is one to see for sure.
The mind-bending Control of Systems aerospace/mechanical engineering majors have to take is at work here
It would have been an awesome experience to see and hear one of these flying by! Awesome engineering and design from the 1950's
Thank you so much for this video. I have put hours of research into seeing photos of the interior of this aircraft!
A B36 interior tour from front to back would be amazing...
Well just 7 miles from me is Castle Air Museum (formally Castle AFB), Atwater California, and it so happens that there is a B36 on display, and on open cockpit day (coming up in the next couple of months) you can walk through most of the planes they have here. I'd be happy to show you the base, and might be able to wrangle a walk through.
@@billyjoe415 That would be amazing! I would like to keep in touch and would be interested if possible. Thank you.
@@billyjoe415 I was stationed at Castle AFB twice.. 71-72 and 74.. I'd like a tour of that as well.. Is the Blackbird open as well.. Do you know if they have a B-58 Hustler on display? That was another one of my favorites...
Two Thumbs Up for everything. P.S.- was in the Audience when President Nixon dedicated the new museum (my Dad stationed at the Air Force Orientation Group, just across the tarmac from the museum). my pal got to stand next to Nixon, his father had been shot down over N.Vietnam, his transmitter came on but went out short time later, he was never heard from or seen after that.
Those old green LOX bottles. That brings back some memories. Used to service those on the EA-6B.
Seeing her flying again but for peaceful porpurses, would be an awesome sight
i am working in the Dayton area now and plan to head over to the museum shortly. I went there way back in 1982 when I was driving from Rhode Island to San Antonio Texas to go to Officer Training School!
"came to the museum" - amazing UNDERSTATEMENT -- it *flew* to the museum - Area A as I recall (Looooong runway) and was moved over Rt 444 to Area B - an adventure in itself.
Very Well Done! Thank you. I followed all these guys through the late 50's and 60's. It was so exciting and they were so good that you did not really appreciate the danger they were actually in. The crash that killed Walker was sad but avoidable. I grew up in aviation and I have been devoted to air safety ever since.
Interior looks as if its still 1969 . Thank you VERY much . P.s. my older bro worked at no. american rockwell downey '64-'70 in photo dept. He and his group developed the space flight images , moon etc . Take care 👍
A fantastic machine way ahead of it’s time. She looks in remarkably good shape both inside and outside.
I was 13 when I saw this plane make it's last landing in 1969 at Right Patterson. My dad was a C-141A pilot from McChord transitioning to the AC-119 Gunship to spend his year in Vietnam.
I remember going into the annex as a child and looking way up there and wondering what was inside that little oval door.
How awesome to see inside this beauty! You have some incredible pieces of aviation history in your collection - I have got to visit one day!
Absolutely fascinated by all of the X-planes. Thanks for this!
Glad you enjoyed it!
How about the behemoth B-36 full interior walk-through? Please!?! Or have you already done it? Either way; thank you for all you do at one of the best museums in the world!
One was done recently!
What a beauty
@Ken Mason Its a "killer" that covers the entire western world , not just the US or the arms industry but almost any bigger company today.
@Ken Mason Your statement is a bit to much and on the extreme side in my opinion, but some are indeed good points :-)
Thank you for this video of the cockpit. I would love to see inside some of the others especially the B36
I've had the privilege of visiting the museum years ago & this aircraft is one of the standout highlights. Thanks for the interior shots!
I was at the museum the day after Martin Luther King Day 2 years ago and had the place almost to myself. I took a lot of pictures. I was exhausted after that. I was there almost all day. I am definitely going back once the covid war is over, if it is over.
Outstanding look into an aircraft that was both ahead of it's time and part of a paradigm that no longer exists.
Never thought I would get to see the inside. Thank you and my goodness is that the definition of information overload!
Such a shame when you think about the passion people showed when designing and manufacturing this aircraft. So much heart and soul went into this project by thousands of people...only to see their work discarded and forgotten.
Must have been heart breaking.
I certainly agree with you!
I'm sure North American and subcontractor employees were paid quite well for their efforts $$$
My heart starts to beat faster when I see this engineering masterpiece! Thanks for this video and greetings from Austria
I’m an wiring assessor for the USN, USMC and some USAF aircraft. I ensure that all electrical wiring systems are installed properly and safely. If those conditions are met I sign the flight clearance approving it for flight. Love my job! With that said at time 4:04 my head exploded. There are so many examples of unsafe wiring in those few seconds of video that I hate to think what the aircraft looks like elsewhere. I am taking into account the age of the aircraft but even that far back standards were written for wiring installation. For examples I notice the stainless steel lines are chafing the wire bundles in the vertical position, wires are running outside clamps and sections are loose allowing chafing. All these examples contribute to an early failure of wiring systems.
I visited your museum in 2015. It's wonderful to see the inside of this piece of aviation history. Thanks for giving us an inside tour!
Coolest bit of technology for its time using compression lift and stainless steel construction to fly at Mach3 several years after the post war period.
Slide rules, white shirts, narrow ties and unfiltered cigarettes.
And people saying about steam gauges forget how fast the digital technology hit everyday life. I worked on DASH 8's built in the late 80's with all analog cockpits. Smart phones were still in the future.
At 1:03 we have a "steam gauge" or mechanical attitude indicator.
-In 1993 I flew Dash-8 turboprops for United Express. One day in Newark we had an 8 year old kid come in the cockpit and look around, and he immediately noticed the "steam gauge" or mechanical attitude indicator. He asked "I thought modern cockpits had ring laser gyros", to which I replied we did, but our airline selected the cheaper mechanical displays instead of an EFIS display, and that the ring laser gyros were still steering the airplane.....
She is one of the most beautiful aircraft ever created. This video was very detailed, and very cool, it was nice to see so many good close up footage of the cockpit.
Pensar que es un avión de 60 o mas años ... y continua impactando.
Un diseño revolucionario, equiparable al del SR 71 ... Cuanta MAGIA en los tableros de diseño y en los talleres ... 👋👋👋👋👍😎🇦🇷
Great music. The shockwave rider is sooo awesome.
This airplane was a BEAST! I would love to fly it.
The EPR and N1 gauges look very similar to those in the first-gen DC-9s.
I just came from a B-36 video. It's really striking how far aviation advanced from the late '40s to late '50s. The B-36 is a relic from a long-bygone era while the cockpit of the XB-70 is that of a relatively modern jet, sharing many instruments with airliners like the mentioned DC-9, 727, 737 etc.
Development of the B-36 began around the time we entered WWII. The B-70 was designed around 1958 - that's many years later. Looking back about the same time from the B-36 and you'll see that America was till building open cockpit biplanes with limited range and payload. With that frame of a reference, a large, all-metal monoplane with a pressurized interior, and capable of carrying huge payloads across the ocean, seems as fantastic as the B-70 does to us. When you realize how little that high speed and altitude adds to the B-70's offensive capability, it's a far less striking aircraft.
I'm not sure what you mean by "relatively modern jet" since the interuors of the DC-9 and Xb-70A look normal for aircraft designed over a century ago. Military aircraft have had glass cockpits for over 30 years.
@@winternow2242 Analogue/mechanical airplanes like the DC-9, 727, DC-10, L 1011 were in service through the 1990s, with some still in service with US budget carriers as late as the 2010s.
If you're over 20 and have flown in your life, you've almost certainly flown on one whereas few people under the age of 50 have flown on pre-jet-age designs like the DC-6/7 or a Constellation. That's what I mean by relatively modern.
You can say, "Well those planes are analogue/mechanical too, so they also have "relatively modern" cockpits, to which I'll resort to the Potter Stewart test: If you've spent any time either flying one IRL or in a good sim like X-Plane, you'll just know the difference when you see it. And it's massive.
Is that Tangerine Dream? PERFECT for the XB-70 !
Fabulous. What an outstanding aviation monument. This beauty deserves all the attention you can to be kept in great shape. Thanks a lot for this glimpse of the inside, rarely seen on picture. Regards from France.
North American also tested those vertical airspeed and altitude indicators, and the fuel management panel which Rockwell used later in the B-1A and B-1B bombers.
I would PAY to be able to go inside the XB70😍what a masterpiece of aviation technology. I don't suppose she has open cockpit events does she? I'm flying over from the UK just for that if she does👌😂
Great footage. Thanks for sharing.