The downing of Francis Gary Powers' U2 didn't "cause a shift from manned bombers to ballistic missiles," it illustrated something the US knew all along, that anti-aircraft missiles would someday be able to take out very high-flying aircraft. Ballistic missiles for nuclear weapons delivery had been a dream for both sides for years, and by the early 1960s had become practical, which the Valkyrie was not.
Still, it is one of the most beautiful aircraft ever to fly.
If you're traveling near Dayton Ohio or near Wright-Patterson Air Force Base ever I HIGHLY recommend visiting the National Museum of the United States Air Force.
They have a XB-70 on display and it's amazing how large the plane is! There's also a pretty good documentary on it from Discovery's "Great Planes" (https://www.imdb.com/title/tt2158498/) if you want to nerd out.
This article is about the XB-70 Valkyrie, the headline is weird. Aren't there lots of supersonic planes that were faster than the Concorde? The only reason I can see for the choice is vague visual similarity and the fact that both were painted white, which is pretty weak.
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[ 2.3 ms ] story [ 45.2 ms ] threadStill, it is one of the most beautiful aircraft ever to fly.
They have a XB-70 on display and it's amazing how large the plane is! There's also a pretty good documentary on it from Discovery's "Great Planes" (https://www.imdb.com/title/tt2158498/) if you want to nerd out.
It was definitely ahead of it's time.