XB-70 crash sequence

Space/Science » in reply to Given that one of the XB-70s crashed after it "sucked" an F-104 into it's tail...

XB-70 crash sequence

Larry J — 3/6/2006 8:15:40 PM (archived)

available here.

The F-104N that collided with the XB-70 was flown by NASA chief test pilot Joe Walker. He was on the right side of the XB-70 and got caught in one of the incredibly powerful Xb-70 wingtip vortices. Walker lost control, his plane flipped over the top of the Valkyrie and took out the vertical stabilizers. Both Walker and Major Carl Cross (the XB-70 copilot) were killed - all for a publicity photo-op.

Since the XB-70 was designed as a bomber and featured compression lift, it should've been possible to drop something from directly beneath it where it wouldn't encounter those vortices. As far as I know, no bombs were ever dropped from an XB-70 during the flight test program.

The whole thread (37 posts)

AWST: USAF ran top secret manned orbital missions in 1990's - JimO - 3/6/2006 3:09:27 AM
- DONUTS on ROPE contrails?????? - carl - 3/9/2006 2:21:47 PM
- Somebody's got some explaining to do - Robert - 3/6/2006 11:12:40 PM
  - re: Somebody's got some explaining to do - R.L. - 3/8/2006 5:06:33 AM
- It's hard to hide something that big and loud - Larry J - 3/6/2006 8:33:51 PM
  - My extensive expreience with the XB-70... - et - 3/6/2006 8:43:32 PM
- First take -- glaring implausibilities - JimO - 3/6/2006 12:08:47 PM
  - Common sense... - Tom Brosz - 3/6/2006 5:33:34 PM
    - Common sense for 1986 though? (n/t) - et - 3/6/2006 5:53:50 PM
- R.L., what do you think of the sodium-ion laser comment in the AWST story? - et - 3/6/2006 6:29:46 AM
  - Who knows... - R.L. - 3/8/2006 5:13:04 AM
    - re: Who knows... - Aloha - 3/8/2006 4:45:36 PM
      - Do you have anything of value to contribute? (n/t) - R.L. - 3/9/2006 5:22:58 AM
    - Good point. - et - 3/8/2006 5:26:34 AM
  - Ok serious answer.... - R.L. - 3/6/2006 10:51:31 AM
  - No, it does not work in reverse - R.L. - 3/6/2006 9:29:56 AM
    - re: No, it does not work in reverse - JimO - 3/6/2006 12:10:49 PM
      - :( sorry, I was in a silly mood - R.L. - 3/6/2006 7:14:20 PM
      - An orange herring if you will? - et - 3/6/2006 6:24:55 PM
- Boron toothpaste? - et - 3/6/2006 6:23:00 AM
  - Ok, so Boron fuels might be old news... - et - 3/6/2006 6:22:16 PM
- So what, we're talking about an "Aurora" plus "White Knight" type carrier system? - et - 3/6/2006 4:16:09 AM
  - Given that one of the XB-70s crashed after it "sucked" an F-104 into it's tail... - et - 3/6/2006 6:20:45 PM
    - XB-70 crash sequence - Larry J - 3/6/2006 8:15:40 PM
      - More XB-70 Photos - Peter Bruener - 3/10/2006 7:11:34 AM
        
        Scale - Peter Bruener - 3/10/2006 7:31:26 AM
      - It doesn't fit, or does it? - et - 3/6/2006 8:50:23 PM
        
        Hard to tell - Larry J - 3/6/2006 10:11:10 PM
        
        Ah. Ok. - et - 3/6/2006 10:31:46 PM
        
        re: Ah. Ok. - et - 3/6/2006 10:32:14 PM
        
        All that matters... - ljk - 3/7/2006 3:40:39 PM
        
        Interesting post from FPSPACE list - ljk - 3/7/2006 7:37:08 PM
        
        It's hard to judge size when there's no frame of reference - Larry J - 3/7/2006 9:27:00 PM
        
        That's no wrench... - et - 3/7/2006 11:03:02 PM
        
        A link to the sketch of the "wrench" - ljk - 3/9/2006 3:52:37 PM
        
        Blackstar: False Messiah From Groom Lake - ljk - 3/10/2006 12:09:47 PM
        
        Six blind men in a zoo: Aviation Week's mythical Blackstar - ljk - 3/13/2006 5:34:52 PM

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