The XB-70 (2019)
19 comments
·February 25, 2025runjake
Enginerrrd
> Also that simplicity is king. Complexity is the enemy.
As someone that has managed engineering teams for large projects, I 100% agree. One of the issues with computers IMO is that it has made bad engineering easier. Back when you had to check everything with a slide-rule, you had a real appreciation for the skill and engineering prowess and experience to make things absolutely dead simple.
bdamm
True, but also modeling and iteration does lead you to unexpected solutions that can in turn solve complex problems that you couldn't have imagined could be solved. Landing rockets being an easy one, but that kind of iterative approach has been put to work in all kinds of fields.
rqtwteye
"Also that simplicity is king. Complexity is the enemy."
That's what worries me about a lot of the shiny, super high tech, super expensive weapons systems of the US. These are fine against an overmatched enemy when you can fly back to a safe place for doing the necessary maintenance. This may change when there is a war against a capable enemy that can strike closer to home. The US has always had the advantage that the homeland was safe but that may change in the future. And once you lose a B-2 bomber it's very hard to replace.
Syonyk
> ...especially when someone is particularly passionate about them.
The engineer-type brain is very much prone to "... in order to prove we can," as opposed to "Because we should. Or because this is useful. Or because this even does the job claimed."
Across a range of fields. A/B testing "engagement hacks" falls into this category, as far as I'm concerned. It was certainly successful at the stated goals.
gedy
I agree with you, but the issue afaik is that B-52 was more flexible whereas the B-70 was basically single purpose and basically obsoleted by ICBMs.
B-52s were able to pivot to new roles so have stayed around.
I'm humbled for us laughing at the one guy assigned to B-52 maintenance role when was in USAF training over 30 years ago "That old thing? Ha!". Who would have guessed..
Syonyk
That era of aviation was nuts. I wish I was around for it. Men with slide rules working out the limits of material science, aerodynamics, and everything else, all at once. Because it wasn't enough to just push one limit, you had to push half a dozen others to get things to that first limit. And the rate of advance was just staggering.
The XB70 flew in late 1964. Concorde was doing revenue flights in 1976, cruising at Mach 2, with passengers being served luxury food.
> The Air Force learned that pushing the technological envelope resulted in plane that was difficult to build, difficult to maintain, difficult to fly, and perhaps even more importantly, was incredibly expensive; the program cost nearly 1.5 billion dollars, or around 11 million dollars per flight.
And nothing has changed. Pushing the limits is expensive. Always has been, always will be.
mandevil
My favorite bit of design from this era went something like this: "ooohhh, we need something that can handle high heat. How about using a radioactive metal for it?" and so Mag-Thor was born (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mag-Thor): Magnesium plus Thorium. It's creep resistant up to 350C! And it's only mildly radioactive! That's not a problem, right?
Actually used on the BOMARC and D-21's ramjet engines- which is why you don't originals of their engines on display anywhere.
tqi
"got a job with the Flight Propulsion Division of General Electric in Evendale (just outside of Cincinnati), initially working night shift in the Controls and Accessories department... the engine required the efforts of hundreds of engineers to design everything from a new turbofan and compressor, to new fire-suppression systems, to a special high-temperature fuel. Exactly what part my dad worked on is unclear; I always thought it was an oil pan, but my older brother was sure it was an oil pump."
This small detail peaked my curiosity - did GE have white collar workers on the night shift? If so, that is super interesting to me.
ben7799
I have a love/hate relationship with this plane.
In 2014 I got to visit the AF Museum in Dayton, OH. With all the exceptional exhibits there it is completely obvious the XB-70 is THE crown jewel in that museum.
And it snowed while we were visiting and they shut down the hangar with the XB-70 because it required a shuttle ride.
So now I still have on my bucket list to see it.
lizknope
I went in 2010. Took the bus onto the air base to the experimental plane hangar. We only had 1 hour. I could have easily spent 3 hours there.
I mainly wanted to see the YF-23 but here's a pic I took with a fisheye lens of the back of the YF-23 with the XB-70 above. I think they have since moved the planes to a different hangar.
yabones
Go back, it's so worth it. I stood under those six massive turbojets and looked up in absolute awe. It's a miracle that they didn't cut it up for scrap and left a really fabulous museum piece when the project ended.
pinewurst
Because we're not the British or Canadians who felt they had to make their military R&D decisions irreversible by destroying all the evidence (e.g. TSR2, Avro Arrow, etc).
JKCalhoun
Always good to have a reason to return.
(I tell my family that on every stop on our road trips & vacations.)
ferguess_k
The Cold War era was the dream of engineers of all participant countries, I figured. Are we close to another one? Just wanna make sure it doesn't turn into a hot one.
ge96
A beautiful plane, shame those 6 engines in line is unreal to see.
Similar vibe would be the B1-lancer for engine although in 2s
null
As someone who once worked on B-52s, I find it amusing how many "successors" it has outlasted. And I know why, because I worked on many of those, too.
It has taught me to be skeptical of unproven claims and promises, especially when someone is particularly passionate about them. Also that simplicity is king. Complexity is the enemy.
I have great respect for the XB-70. It's the only strategic bomber I haven't worked on or even seen in person, and it holds a certain "alternate reality" mystique for me.