Valkyrie was one gorgeous looking bird

I'll counter. It's a total failure of engineering and technology. Because whats is the point of engineering and technology if it accomplishes nothing?

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Wolfie_142@reddit

theres all SORTS of good shit there like the SR-71 and Memphis Belle

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80hdis4me@reddit

Strawberry Bitch was one of my favorite ones there. B-24 liberator

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SeeUatX@reddit

Random redditor here! Was Strawberry Bitch the name of the plane? My grandfather piloted 36 B-24 flights. His main plane was called The Shack Rabbit. I bet he would have liked SB!

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roguemenace@reddit

I'm personally a fan of Command Decision.

https://www.war.gov/Multimedia/Photos/igphoto/2002046049/

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80hdis4me@reddit

Hell yeah that thing is awesome. I have gotten to check out Doc quite a bit. Always love getting to check out the B-29.

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Pinksters@reddit

My favorite, The Mighty Earbanger

Look at all that prop pitch

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Mr_Byzantine@reddit

Spent a whole day there and still didn't see it all!

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Apexnanoman@reddit

Yeah it and the B-36 are highlights of any trip to Dayton. Both are awe inspiring in person.

[-]

My first 'proper' air museum trip was last year, to the SAC museum in Omaha. The B-36 is just bonkers, even in person it's tough to comprehend that it was able to fly at one point. My next goal is to get to the Dayton air museum.

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MandolinMagi@reddit

Daytona is a two-three day trip. Carillon Historic Park is nice too, and theres' the Wright Brothers stuff as well.

[-]

Apexnanoman@reddit

Dayton is absolutely amazing. Bring good walking shoes and don't plan on doing it in a single day. It's absolutely massive.

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face404@reddit

The room with 8ish old ICBMs quieted my mind like nothing else. Incredible museum.

[-]

Apexnanoman@reddit

The mk 17 that's sitting underneath the B-36 kinda tripped me out. The B-36 only had one purpose. To carry that bomb. And destroy city each time the bomb bay opened. Pretty creepy to look at that stuff and realize what it was for.

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MandolinMagi@reddit

It's SOOO TALL

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Boeing367-80@reddit

I was driving across country 30 years ago and happened to randomly overnight in Dayton. Back in the day motels had little brochures for local attractions. I was ahead of schedule so went to the AF museum the next day based on seeing the brochure.

Walk into one of those immense hangars and I was like, "hang on... That's a Valkyrie. Wtf? Omigod..."

The whole museum is that way. So many exhibits are examples of aircraft you thought survived only in photos. I had no idea. But the Valkyrie is an obvious standout.

I'm generally more interested in commercial aviation (see my username) but the USAF museum is a must see.

[-]

rocbolt@reddit

A good read about flying it (and crashing in it) here

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ilovea1steaksauce@reddit

That was amazing, thanks.

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I2iSTUDIOS@reddit

My favorite place in the entire world.

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viperfan7@reddit

It's shockingly big

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Prin_StropInAh@reddit

I got to stand under it as a kid. A wonderful day that further fed my love of aircraft

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DependentAgent99@reddit

I stood under it as an adult and 100% agree!

[-]

Packfan1967@reddit

Incredible airplane with only one major flaw; It filled up most of the enemies radar screen as soon as it took off.

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Sensitive_Koala_9544@reddit

Two flaws - add in six gas-GUZZLING engines to maintain and hope they all stay working for intercontinental strike missions. They never got to that point in the program.

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TrippedOnDick@reddit

Eh it worked on Concord. And it's gas guzzling in subsonic regime just like concord. Now once you go supersonic the baby is efficient!

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Theron3206@reddit

I don't think anyone would describe any supersonic aircraft as efficient. Even the best burn fuel like crazy.

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LeftInTheLumberYard@reddit

And new tech honeycomb body panels that liked to un-sandwich themselves at high speed.

[-]

sabresfanfml@reddit

that liked to un-sandwich themselves

It's reddit, you're allowed to say suisandwich'd themselves^^^^^s

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Ironhide90@reddit

All of this sounds solvable now, Time for a new one.

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josh6499@reddit

Now they just strap the bombs to a huge rocket and it ends life on Earth as we know it all by itself.

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Ironhide90@reddit

Yeah but it will not look as cool.

[-]

FlakingEverything@reddit

Better. It was already solved by the 2nd plane. Too bad that one crashed due to no fault of it's own.

[-]

sw04ca@reddit

While at the same time being far more expensive and less capable than the ICBMs that made the strategic bomber an utter irrelevancy in the only mission that it had ever been able to perform successfully (nuclear strike).

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Nannyphone7@reddit

Six engines practically touching each other, so if one goes, they all go.

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GetDown_Deeper3@reddit

True. But it looked great.

[-]

Menethea@reddit

Hey, it works for SpaceX

[-]

Joaquinmachine@reddit

Was there an option to turn off the other engines for low speed cruising? Like running two instead of 6? This thing looks like it wanted to go straight into orbit

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ThePrussianGrippe@reddit

Well if they don’t have enough time to get a lock on it probably doesn’t matter if its radar signature is the size of the sun.

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Packfan1967@reddit

Unfortunately the soviets were already designing missiles to chase the SR-71 and this plane only flies about half as fast.

[-]

CharcoalGreyWolf@reddit

On the other hand, it made the enemy spend massive amounts of money out of fear to build a plane to combat it.

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texasnick83@reddit

On the other, other hand, it made the US spend even massiver amounts of money on their own plane (F15) to combat the enemy's plane (Mig 25). It all started with a bomber that never saw service. Crazy.

[-]

CharcoalGreyWolf@reddit

Agreed. It’s The Butter Battle

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sunsetair@reddit

Enemy created something brutally flawed and spent a fortune on it Presenting the T-4 , the Soviet Valkyrie

[-]

CharcoalGreyWolf@reddit

Also made the MiG-25

[-]

sunsetair@reddit

MiG-25

Was extremely successful at what it was actually designed to do.

But it was not successful at what the West originally feared it could do.

:-)

[-]

CharcoalGreyWolf@reddit

And also mad the Soviets spend a large amount of money on design, production, and maintenance that never fully paid off and was one of many overspends that arguably hastened the demise of the USSR.

[-]

PianistPitiful5714@reddit

It also spawned the F-15 which could do all the things it was feared to do and basically has ruled the skies ever since. Even with the introduction of 5th Gen aircraft, the Eagle has maintained a place of significance in the skies. Her day may be coming, but the US built a jet with the F-15 that more or less dominated air power for a half century. No plane has ever come anywhere close in terms of sheer air to air dominance and numerical supremacy.

[-]

KickFacemouth@reddit

It had beam RCS spikes over 100,000 square meters. That's the equivalent of a metal sphere almost 600 feet in diameter.

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texasnick83@reddit

Well it likely could have outrun most missiles, but I think what really killed the concept (and the concept of intercontinental bombers as a nuclear first strike option in general) were ICBMs.

[-]

Lyuseefur@reddit

Doesn't matter. Close counts in this case.

Close only counts in horse shoes, hand grenades and ... yep. Atom bombs. Guess what she carried?

[-]

emotionengine@reddit

Can't believe they built this absolute unit just for carrying horse shoes! Incredible.

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ImranFZakhaev@reddit

They tried using it for hand grenades, but they always exploded a few seconds after being let go

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libmrduckz@reddit

it could also be retrofit for cornhole… a truly versatile airframe…

[-]

Youngstown_WuTang@reddit

I think stuff like this should be flown and given modern technology to fly (nothing more) because it would look cool as shit at a special plane retirement museum along with many other. It'll probably make a shit load of money also , call it the wonder years of yesterday or something

[-]

derekakessler@reddit

The last surviving example is at the special plane retirement museum: the U.S. Air Force Museum of Flight in Dayton, Ohio.

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notfromchicago@reddit

And if you haven't been GO! Easily top ten coolest thing I've done.

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concreteunderwear@reddit

Reverse stealth. Overwhelm their radars.

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Important_Power_2148@reddit

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ChmeeWu@reddit

Raspberry!

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OddDonut7647@reddit

My favorite part of the entire movie used to be when Dark Helmet threw the mic away, but after literal decades of laughing at that, because I'm slow, I finally noticed at the end of that scene, when the camera starts to zoom in on Dark Helmet, he sees the camera coming and pokes Colonel Sandurz on the chest - who looks at the camera, realizes it's coming, and backs out of the shot. It's obvious once you notice it, but it sailed over my head for so many rewatches, so now it's my favorite bit.

https://i.imgur.com/kh8zyqJ.jpeg

https://i.imgur.com/5jg8f4o.jpeg

That bit, at the end of this clip: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rGvblGCD7qM

Sandruz's expressions are just perfect.

[-]

mysteryofthefieryeye@reddit

What the hell, I come to aviation for some plane time and end up learning something new about Spaceballs?!? lmao

So random but I love it. Thanks!

[-]

OddDonut7647@reddit

<3 <3 <3

Half the time when I post this (which has been like a half dozen times over the course of several years, maybe?) I get lots of "DUUUHHHHHH" replies, so I love it when I get to spread the love for this to someone like you <3 :)

[-]

Extension-Rabbit3654@reddit

Wrong movie but great referrence

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Nu3roManc3r@reddit

You're really a Spaceball... you know that, don't you?

[-]

aiusernamegen@reddit

I'm surrounded!

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LeFishTits@reddit

More like a big boy 😂

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chrisreverb@reddit

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ALaccountant@reddit

If the signatures big enough, can they really tell where it is?

I think we’re on to something here, folks

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supercoolhomie@reddit

“Captain! There’s an aircraft carrier flying straight towards us at 1,739 mph!”

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LivingtheDBdream@reddit

It’s the size of Texas, Mr President

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Flesh_And_Metal@reddit

What is the technical term for reverse stealth?

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Bon-Bon-Boo@reddit

HT⅃AƎTƧ

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blobops@reddit

serever

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PerfectPercentage69@reddit

Jamming. Instead of hiding, you flood the sensors so they can't see anything specific and target it.

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SoyMurcielago@reddit

Ahhh the flood the zone strategy that is proving successful

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MoodooScavenger@reddit

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mershed_perderders@reddit

Lone Star!!

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Rem888@reddit

There's only one man that would dare give me the raspberry.

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Mc9660385@reddit

Visible

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concreteunderwear@reddit

Unstealth

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SwimmingThroughHoney@reddit

Back when the strategy was just "We don't care if you know we're coming. We're moving so fast there's nothing you can do about it".

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TrippedOnDick@reddit

That's basically the strategy of an hypersonic missile.

The fucker glows on radar and Radio Frequency due to plasma envelope when it hits Mach 7.

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sputnikmonolith@reddit

Git gud.

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Bane8080@reddit

They can't get a lock if their radar just says "Yea, there's something west... Where? Like, all of the west."

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UnDopedNrestless@reddit

"Sir! A cardinal direction is heading our way!"

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Horrison2@reddit

This situation is turning south real quick.

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SoyMurcielago@reddit

Are we sure it’s not north by northwest?

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algaefied_creek@reddit

JOHNSON!?

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AngryWWIIGrandpa@reddit

This is the first reddit comment in my history to make me actually cackle. Damn you to hell.

[-]

mynadidas5@reddit

“I said WEST!!”

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aiusernamegen@reddit

The basis for the movie Everything Everywhere All At Once

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9577_Sunset_blvd@reddit

You seem to be under the naive impression that the USAF wouldn’t operate appropriately 1,500 of these if it ever hit full production

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Metahec@reddit

A plane that sexy deserves to be noticed

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p1749@reddit

Passive jamming

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pooter6969@reddit

Hot take: it’s not gorgeous.

Impressive, gigantic, imposing, absurd, insane, powerful, unbelievable feat of engineering.. yes. But it’s not gorgeous. It’s boxy and the proportions are cartoonish. It looks like what 6 year old would draw if you told them to draw the fastest plane in the world. The front cylindrical section of fuselage with the canards looks like it was bolted onto a completely separate delta wing design. The cockpit windows combined with the canards make the “face” of the jet look like a sad bird.

There’s one specific inflight side view that makes the jet look good primarily because it hides the ludicrous proportions of the delta wing.

It’s not gorgeous and I will die on this hill.

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Acceptable-Truth-912@reddit (OP)

Hot take: its gorgeous just like the victor

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pooter6969@reddit

That’s not what a hot take is

[-]

TheBookie_55@reddit

Forgot see her flying with her gear down around Edward’s, either in ‘65 or ‘67. Would have preferred clean but still awesome with the gear down.

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funnyguy99207@reddit

I'd be kinda frightened if I saw that formation in the sky. It totally says that someone has definitely fucked around and is about to find out.

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Gandalf-Esq@reddit

But does the snoot droop?

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ZippyDan@reddit

Where are these high-resolution videos coming from?

I assume this plane hasn't flown in a while.

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prehensilemullet@reddit

So you’re saying, good Rule 34 material?

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Appropriate-Count-64@reddit

What’s interesting is that it would’ve actually have been able to outpace missiles at altitude. It could just straight up fly into contested airspace like it’s nothing. It’s like, the only non stealth bomber ever to be able to make that claim. Though it’s terrible fuel economy and expense to create, plus ICBMs, killed it.

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JonstheSquire@reddit

It could not. That is one reason why it was produced. It absolutely could have been shot down by surface to air missiles.

https://appel.nasa.gov/2015/04/21/this-month-in-nasa-history-nasa-took-over-the-valkyrie-program/

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Appropriate-Count-64@reddit

That’s interesting though, because the SR-71 had a broadly similar flight profile but was never able to be shot down by SAMs. So what made the XB-70 so much more vulnerable? Just its size and Radar signature?

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PotatoFromFrige@reddit

It was fired at in 1981 by a North Korean SA-2, which exploded 2 miles (3.2km) behind it at an altitude of 80,000 ft (24.3km). Do note that at mach 3 the SR-71 was flying at, 2 miles took about 3 seconds, so this was quite a close call.

https://www.cia.gov/resources/csi/static/Lessons-from-Four-North.pdf

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JonstheSquire@reddit

Because the SR-71 never flew over the Soviet Union.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_aerial_reconnaissance_of_the_Soviet_Union

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MrNewking@reddit

Because the SR-71 never flew over the Soviet Union.

Not officially

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Old_Wallaby_7461@reddit

Not unofficially. SR-71 flew courses that took it along the borders. Over the USSR was suicide in the age of the S-200 and the MiG-25

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iamthinksnow@reddit

Also note the the F-111 was a near peer in speed (mach 2.5 max vs 3.08 for the XB-170) and payload, while needing only 2 crew in it's fancy side-by-side cockpit.

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Chicago_Blackhawks@reddit

fascinating

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syngyne@reddit

It's what this guy was named after in the original series (VF-1 Valkyrie)

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JohnTheMod@reddit

On top of that, Hayato Kobayashi flies the actual XB-70 Valkyrie in an episode of Mobile Suit Zeta Gundam.

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closetsquirrel@reddit

This painted black, not the XR-71, is totally the X-Jet.

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NoDoze-@reddit

Imagine how much air was rushing into those intakes for all those engines. Incredible plane.

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tiorzol@reddit

Wowsers. It doesn't even look real it's too cool.

What was the use case for it?

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NCRnchr@reddit

Strategic nuclear bomber. The idea was to fly high and fast enough that air defenses would have trouble shooting it down. Like a nuclear armed SR-71.

However advances in antiaircraft missile technology and the advent of ICBM's ended the project before it went to production.

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StrayWalnut@reddit

That and the fact that the main test aircraft was destroyed in an air disaster. They only ever built two and after the second was destroyed they decided to shelve it for the reasons above. It just wasn't worth rebuilding unfortunately.

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SpeedBlitzX@reddit

Mustard has a pretty in-depth video about the XB 70 Valkyrie!

https://youtu.be/Yl32c352thE?si=TsYinsredfaKxpp2

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drako1117@reddit

Only one was destroyed. Other is in the Air Force museum

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Old_Wallaby_7461@reddit

Valkyrie was cancelled years before the crash. It was canceled as a bomber program before the first flight.

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caustictoast@reddit

Yeah the S200 really fucked the plans for this thing up so thy just gave up and went stealth

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Nannyphone7@reddit

It was obsolete before it flew.

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D2WilliamU@reddit

And the mig25 was cool as shit

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Chicago_Blackhawks@reddit

so cool

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kil0ran@reddit

Not quite as unreal but the UK's V Force bombers were Mach 0.9 capable and converted low level nuclear and conventional bombers. Three different designs - Victor, Valiant, and Vulcan. Vulcan is probably best known but the Victor has an other-worldly look about it, definitely a big influence on manga artists. Designed to fly at 60,000 feet. Three very different responses to the design brief. They could carry conventional weapons too and all saw combat, most recently in 1982 in the Black Buck raids. Had the pleasure of being under the flight line of the Vulcan's final display and final flypast and also a mid-70s display at Greenham Common which was the birth of my interest in aviation, the absolute definition of a visceral experience.

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Weekly_Injury_9211@reddit

The use case was non existent by the time they made it, sadly.

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VanillaTortilla@reddit

Which is funny considering the 52 is still flying like it's going out of style.

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caustictoast@reddit

Yeah but that’s a different use case. The B-52 will only be deployed if we have complete air dominance. Otherwise it’s just a huge sitting duck. This was meant for contested space, but the Mig25 and S200 SAM were enough to get it cancelled

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Old_Wallaby_7461@reddit

52 is flexible. You want it to fly low? Sure, it can do that. Cruise missile carrier? Sure. A zillion conventional bombs? Sure.

B-70 was barely faster than B-52 down low, couldn't carry all of those conventional bombs, couldn't carry cruise missiles hanging from the wings.

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VanillaTortilla@reddit

It was indeed niche, I just find it funny that the 52 is just the eternal aircraft and will fly forever.

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Hobear@reddit

Do you want a Harmonica but in a jet?

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NoGoodMc2@reddit

Super sonic nuclear bomber.

Nuclear weapons weren’t much good if you couldn’t deliver them to a target. B29’s were fine at dropping bombs over Japan during WW2 but by the 50’s high speed super sonic interceptors and USSR being so vast in size we needed a bomber that could penetrate deep into Soviet territory and fast. Unfortunately for the XB-70 icbm tech advanced quickly rendering the aircraft obsolete before they finished deployment.

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StrigiStockBacking@reddit

Supersonic delivery of nuclear weapons. By the time it was done, alternative nuclear warhead delivery platforms were more economical and simpler to operate, so it was cancelled.

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Ok_Rich_9010@reddit

I get it. it's thee party plane

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SouthTexasBoy64@reddit

Beautiful

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Theory_Crafted@reddit

I think it looks like if someone made a paper plane in real life...

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Sickinmytechchunk@reddit

I really want to see the fuel gauge when it uses all 6 burners on take off.

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Feeling-Income5555@reddit

How come the front fuselage was so longing front of the body. It doesn’t seem like the extra length has any real purpose.

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FlyinRyan123456@reddit

I’m happy I can go see her whenever I want.

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Vestat1@reddit

DAMN, she's sexy!!! Made my eyes widen and all 🔥🔥🔥

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horny_on_main2@reddit

The biggest impression I have of this plane is that she could've been an Ace Combat boss if she was bigger. Not that that's a bad thing, mind you.

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Single_Engine_Jockey@reddit

Still is. One of my favorite aircraft at Dayton.

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dpdxguy@reddit

Valkyrie was one gorgeous looking bird

Still is, even though she's grounded. :)

Saw it the first time in the early 70s when my grandfather took me to the National Museum of the US Air Force. Now I live near Dayton and see it every time I have a visitor who's interested.

It's a unique aircraft among four buildings full of interesting and unique air and space craft at the museum.

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iamthinksnow@reddit

She used to sit out front, so you could see her any time you were driving by (or skipping school to go to the museum.)

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dpdxguy@reddit

Yep. When my grandfather took me, I remember walking out to see a B-36, the XB-70 (Valkyrie), and a bunch of other aircraft on one of the old WWII runways.

Glad they're all out of the elements now, though there are still a few static displays at the museum.

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Se2kr@reddit

Why does it look like the Concorde’s cousin?

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HamsterVeil@reddit

Has a SST Concord look.

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TheIdeaArchitect@reddit

Why have I never seen this?

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STEVE_FROM_EVE@reddit

I just can’t agree. Nothing about the plane exhibits aggression. Give me a Warthog, a B-52; something awe inspiring and dangerous.

But goddamn those are some fucking clean lines

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heathe70@reddit

Odd choice for a name though…

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mummifiedclown@reddit

Cue the Blue Danube waltz.

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deleted_by_reddit@reddit

[removed]

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[-]

Cautious_Buffalo6563@reddit

It’s like they tried to make a Buber from a Concorde

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archlich@reddit

A slow concord. Xb70 did Mach 3.1. Concord was 2.

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Cautious_Buffalo6563@reddit

I mean 2 more engines right? Or 4 more?

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archlich@reddit

Just two more

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Cautious_Buffalo6563@reddit

There’s your problem.

And a lot less civil aviation equipment weight probably?

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Almost_Sentient@reddit

That would be a Vulcan. Although I think it might have preceded it.

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egg651@reddit

The Vulcan was subsonic and pre-dates Concorde by nearly 20 years

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Luckynumberlucas@reddit

Spicy concorde

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Complex-Act-8970@reddit

If only

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deleted_by_reddit@reddit

[removed]

[-]

AutoModerator@reddit

To reduce political fighting this post or comment has been filtered for approval. Submission of political posts and comments are not allowed, Rule 7. Political comments can result in a ban.

I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please contact the moderators of this subreddit if you have any questions or concerns.

[-]

TheScottishPimp03@reddit

Best bird ever made. Suck it SR-71!

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truthhurts2222222@reddit

All those exhaust ports at the stern make it look like a Star Destroyer from that angle

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MandolinMagi@reddit

And the X-24 makes a decent A-Wing!

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zsaleeba@reddit

I don't think that's a coincidence, more like it was inspiration for George Lucas.

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DeepPermission4786@reddit

I actually made some titanium parts for the jewel years ago… never saw this vid, thanks!

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ThanosWasRightAnyway@reddit

It does not look like it could carry enough fuel for those engines

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pilostt@reddit

One step away from an imperial cruiser

[-]

MegaPegasusReindeer@reddit

Just needs some bright colours and then could be in r/TerranTradeAuthority

[-]

Hot-Refrigerator6583@reddit

Wish I knew this existed yesterday

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MegaPegasusReindeer@reddit

I think some of the books are available on archive.org. The stories are pretty good and the illustrations are amazing.

[-]

1004Hayfield@reddit

I still think it looks like a bigger version of Clint Eastwood’s Firefox.

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Weekly_Injury_9211@reddit

Klingon……?

[-]

Ok_Interaction_6711@reddit

Yes I thought Klingon Battle Cruiser

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slowpoke2018@reddit

Qapla!

[-]

uslessgodness@reddit

looks like concorde 2.0 'da amurica way'

[-]

MrPdxTiger@reddit

D’amurica way 😁

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M-Div@reddit

So the fastest bird in the inventory was… a duck?

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Invictus7525@reddit

Probably one of the US greatest aviation show offs!! Hold my pocket protector and watch this…

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S4Guy2k@reddit

Having seen this thing in person... my brain had to reset itself when I saw it... because it is staggering that something that large could fly.

[-]

AlarmDozer@reddit

No. This is a variation on a form to test engines, in this case. The form has been used in others. Maybe the X-59? I don’t know. I’ve seen it used elsewhere so you’re not aware of them all.

[-]

Fluffy_Muffins_415@reddit

I wish I could have seen it fly

[-]

Beautiful-Parsley-24@reddit

Same - as long as I wasn't in the chase plane. :)

[-]

melancholy_dood@reddit

"ABSOLUTELY BAD ASS!"

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No-Expression-2404@reddit

My phone just burned a thousand pounds of jet fuel playing that video

[-]

jamesdmays@reddit

Rookie numbers

[-]

Ill-End3169@reddit

this one goes to 11

[-]

Kongbuck@reddit

Why don't we just make 10 faster?

[-]

Ill-End3169@reddit

?

these go to 11

[-]

Substantial-Map-6524@reddit

Not sure id go that far

[-]

Threedawg@reddit

I made my wedding ring out of the one that crashed

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funk-the-funk@reddit

🤯

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cash8888@reddit

Hey, you know how we put 2 of those badass engines on the black bird? Now hear me out, what if we put 6 of them on a plane.

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International_Buy_59@reddit

Looks like the tupolev from temu

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archlich@reddit

Which tupolev? They never made anything remotely like it.

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gedrazeli@reddit

Haha, that Valkyrie's one sleek bird—beats any competition!

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SpecialistPlastic729@reddit

It had to slow down to employ ordinance. If high speed did reduce susceptibility the effect was diminished near the target.

A friend of mine who should know said the cockpit would oscillate around the fuselage centerline at speed because it was basically cantilevered out from the wing. Pilots got airsick due to the constant motion.

A modern control system that used the canards to damp the oscillation would have helped but the state of the art was more primitive

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Lopoetve@reddit

A bunch of they looked AI in air,., but damn, I don’t mind

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BaggyBloke@reddit

Nah - Concorde's ugly grandchild.

Nah only joking - aviation engineering is always awesome, love it!

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mutonzi@reddit

more like concordes mother

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BaggyBloke@reddit

Fair point!

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barkingcat@reddit

Don't make em like they used to.

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bill_delong@reddit

Do the wing tips move up and down?

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mutonzi@reddit

fold down at supersonic speeds so it can ride its own shockwave

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FranklinCheese@reddit

Shit was MASSIVE in person

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Aggravating_Pay1948@reddit

Let's make a petition to bring back the stupid cold war era aircraft.

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Raaazzle@reddit

Like a freaking star destroyer

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BraidRuner@reddit

What could we build if we built it today with all of the advances in materials science?

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luffydkenshin@reddit

Obligatory: My grandfather was on the design team that developed the engines they used on these, the GE YJ93.

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MeLuckyDragon@reddit

They should build another one, just because it is so bad ass and for no other reason!

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koolerb@reddit

Beast

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JasonBourne1965@reddit

Before significant advances in anti-aircraft technology, this baby had the Rooskies peeing their pants every night.

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qiyubi@reddit

1 more engine bro I swear just 1 more it will be redundant enough

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KinksAreForKeds@reddit

"gorgeous"

It was actually a bit goofy-looking, imo. But it was an amazing bird... design- and tech-wise.

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D2WilliamU@reddit

It looks like a skinny dork with bad neck posture

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fiittzzyy@reddit

Literally looks like something straight out of Thunderbirds, so freaking cool...

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Windtalk3r@reddit

It looks like Firefox from the Clint Eastwood movie.

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LT_Ted_Striker@reddit

She's even more impressive in person at the Dayton Airforce museum in Ohio.

Worth a day trip.

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ToeSniffer245@reddit

Still looks like it came out of a Gerry Anderson show

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WhitePantherXP@reddit

It's always looked like something that came out of Russia to me. I don't trust it.

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MeinHerzIn_Flammen@reddit

Looks similar to Tu144 from the front with those canards

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unperturbium@reddit

I wish there was high quality audio of it operating.

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Open_Priority1498@reddit

This dogshit song paired with a random snippet of Oppenheimer isn't high quality enough for you?

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elliotcook10@reddit

It’s called phonk and it’s art

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Stoner_Space_Wizard@reddit

That’s not phonk that’s a lady gaga song 😭😭😭😭

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Mavgaming1@reddit

I think the actual song is a slowed version of the song "Government Hooker".

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elliotcook10@reddit

slowed down, bass boosted, and reverbed to sound like phonk, sorry I didn’t specify

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VanillaTortilla@reddit

Can't spell fart without art.

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MrNewking@reddit

Wait people actually want unedit slop?

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WhitePantherXP@reddit

I've ALWAYS thought this aircraft looked like it was designed by the USSR

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qtpss@reddit

Ride of the Valkyrie indeed.

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bryangcrane@reddit

Ah yes, the era of infinite budgets and politicians who understood complexities of foreign policy.

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Dttison@reddit

Gorgeous? Nah. It looks ugly and weird but it’s so cool I don’t care about that.

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Rex_Mundi@reddit

WE BRAKE FOR NOBODY

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Secret_Cranberry_595@reddit

Shitty gas mileage 😂

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Ok-Wasabi2873@reddit

Klingon Bird of Prey.

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happyexit7@reddit

How much fuel did that use, with all those engines?

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crosstherubicon@reddit

Made Concorde look like the fuel economy model.

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Helmett-13@reddit

"Y-You want how many engines in your delta wing aircraft?"

"All of them...wait."

"...I worry what you just heard was, 'Give me a lot of engines.' What I said was, 'Give me all the engines you have.' Do you understand?"

nods in fear and awe

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Frosty-Improvement-8@reddit

I recognize that Ron Swanson quote anywhere

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Helmett-13@reddit

:)

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CoachDonut82@reddit

Why would anyone build planes with anything other than breakfast foo... I mean all the engines they have?

People are idiots, Leslie.

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Fijihot@reddit

Looks unconventional

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Empire_of_walnuts@reddit

That clip of it flying alongside the Starfighters 😍

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Smoky_Dojo@reddit

What purpose did having the wingtips fold down in flight serve?

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Ill_WillRx@reddit

A couple things, but mainly compression lift at supersonic speeds, trapped shockwaves producing lift.

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hartzonfire@reddit

Concorde’s evil cousin? It reminds me so much of it.

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Elios000@reddit

shame no sim gets compression lift right... this would be such fun to thing fly around in X-plane or MSFS

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TSLAog@reddit

This thing always made me feel like we’re finally building scyfi in real life, legit looks like a spacecraft! Ever since i saw the one in Dayton when I was like 5yo it’s remained my favorite airplane to exist.

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navagrw@reddit

wow i had no idea......reminds me of when i discovered concorde

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mz_groups@reddit

The US Air Force procurement office ordering YJ93 engines:

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airpab1@reddit

Cool looking, but ill conceived

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sharrancleric@reddit

Fuckin flat boi

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K_Linkmaster@reddit

Thanks for the 15 cuts of Liam neeson jumping over a fence.

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PurpD420@reddit

I love the xb70 so much I got a tattoo of it lol

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BassKitty305017@reddit

Little wind direction indicator on the nose 20 seconds into the video? That thing ain’t sticking around at Mach 2.

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aleopardstail@reddit

there are a few seriously beautiful aircraft, not many are American

the XB-70 is however remarkably near the top of the list, this has the "kids cartoon drawing of something fast" look nailed

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kd8qdz@reddit

Nah, it looks like it was built by someone with only 15 hours in KSP.

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concreteunderwear@reddit

I was thinking really really ugly. But I guess once you get soo ugly it becomes good looking to some people.

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PicnicBasketPirate@reddit

I generally agree with you. But that thumbnail shot up her skirt....It did things to me.

That wall of engines......each big enough to make a Mig-25 feel inadequate

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ltsmash1200@reddit

Wish there was still one flying around for air shows.

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No-Rush396@reddit

A beautiful plane, in fact one that was probably ahead of her time, but far, far too expensive to ever operate or fly. Apparently if they had built the airframe entirely from gold, that would have been cheaper than the final version!

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Rocket123123@reddit

It's a bit wrinkly up close but yes a nice looking airplane.

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Kalorama_Master@reddit

As a kid I had a Brazilian board game (War II) that had this plane on the cover. When I moved to the US, I went to the hobby and described the plane. He offered a SR—71. I told him it was bit more like the Concord, he said no such plane existed

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StunningError4693@reddit

Wow. Ist that AI or a new Spaceship?

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HansSprungfeld90@reddit

Sorry guys, I need to ask. AI ruined everything for me. At 19 seconds is this CGI or AI generated? Any source available?

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Orruner@reddit

It's hand-made, free range CGI

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1969Malibu@reddit

I think it's CGI from this video by Mustard https://youtu.be/Yl32c352thE?si=_lPLbEhPXDrGVwQD

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SummerInPhilly@reddit

I’m guessing AI or CGI; that’s where the chase planes crashed into it from. I can’t imagine there’s much XB-70 footage out there the avgeeks in this sub haven’t seen

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fatmaneats17@reddit

I don’t think beautiful is the way to describe this plane. Looks like a adolescence giraffe

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Tasty-Distribution75@reddit

It's like a Lego version of Concorde or the Vulcan bomber.

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Pasco08@reddit

Looks like a concord on steroids.

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rufos_adventure@reddit

it looks like a huge canadian goose. that butt shot of the engine is pure sex!

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robo-dragon@reddit

Always love seeing her in person at Dayton! That row of gigantic engines on the back is the coolest thing! Looks like the ass-end of a sci-fi spaceship!

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DasFreibier@reddit

how does it route the intakes?

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Blurny@reddit

Bagsy not doing the boroscope inspections!!

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Dangerous-Salad-bowl@reddit

I kinda wish what it came in black too. (X15, SR71 etc)

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taruclimber8@reddit

What a majestic beast!

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vampyire@reddit

Got to see it once in person, I did a cross country RV trip and diverted one day to Akron.. 100% worth it!!! the Museum if fantastic

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Malcolm2theRescue@reddit

Sexiest airplane ever built!

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7stroke@reddit

Sorry, but that’s one ugly airplane. I have seen it in person, too. ‘Enormous’ isn’t even the word… it’s a building unto itself.

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Poker-Junk@reddit

I’ve been crushing on that beauty for five decades.

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Maximum-Tap6389@reddit

I think the gov has silently fixed its flaws. Last summer I saw its silhouette strangely fixed over a group of trees by my yard. As my dogs started barking, the massive silhouette disappeared without any noise or making the trees move. The next day a massive group of oaks were flattened on their sides with the root balls up. Oh wait, it could have been a Chinese supersonic weather. balloon.

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KiloCharlieXray@reddit

Hello.👋

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elemental-mind@reddit

*plays Imperial March*

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Super-Resident11@reddit

One of the most beautiful airplanes ever made.

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deleted_by_reddit@reddit

[removed]

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