This is the Valkyrie, one of the greatest flying machines humans have ever built.
Developed in the late 50s as a high speed, high altitude, nuclear armed, strategic bomber, it could fly at speeds of over Mach 3 and at altitudes of 70,000 feet, which theoretically would’ve allowed it to avoid enemy interceptors, the only effective anti bomber weapon at the time.
A few factors led to the cancellation of the program, but even so two prototypes were built for use in supersonic test flights.
Yeah, today is Valkyrie day, on this blog.
(via d-d-d)
Malabo Airport graveyard, in Equatorial Guinea.
the SNECMA Coléoptère (“beetle”), circa 1959 (via)
SpaceShipTwo — First Rocket-Powered, Supersonic Test Flight [HD] (by virgingalactic)
(via suzukichiyo)
(via reretlet)
(via soukaku)
