Posts: 1512
From: Washington, DC, USA
Registered: Apr 2003

posted 10-27-2005 07:23 PM               

---

I recently came across a library-excessed xerox of a master's thesis written about the B-70 Valkyrie bomber. It is entitled "A Case Study of Manned Strategic Bomber Acquisition: The B-70 Valkyrie" by Capt. Gary Beatovich at the Air Force Institute of Technology in 1990. It covers the strategic and political events that shaped the formulation of, cancellation of, then the reincarnation and development of two experimental prototypes of the B-70. As many of you know the two prototypes became very historic experimental aircraft at Edwards AFB in the 1960's. The thesis is the first compilation of this kind of strategic/political information on the B-70 and a portion is based on an original interview with Robert McNamara, Secretary of Defense under Presidents Kennedy and Johnson. This thesis is interesting reading for the B-70 aficionado, even though it concentrates on strategic and political issues as opposed to technical and performance info.

If any of you would like to have a xerox copy, just send me a 10x13" SASE (a STURDY envelope, this thing weighs over a pound) with $1.84 postage for Media Mail or $5.75 for Priority Mail, within the US. For foreign delivery, please e-mail me first.

Just to ease any discomfort - this thesis is not classified and is clearly marked "Approved for public release; distribution unlimited".

Dennis Dillman
Please e-mail to get address.

[This message has been edited by micropooz (edited October 27, 2005).]

[This message has been edited by micropooz (edited November 12, 2005).]

Posts: 27
From:
Registered: Aug 2005

posted 11-02-2005 08:26 AM            

---

That sounds interesting. The B-70 stirs up passionate feelings among many airplane buffs, who think that the United States should have built it.

I'm not one of those buffs. But I think that its politics are interesting. The B-70 was clearly the logical outcome of Strategic Air Command thinking in the 1950s which held that flying fast and high was the solution to penetrating enemy air defenses, and also held that the manned strategic bomber was the ultimate weapon. Both views did not survive the development of missiles, both to shoot down high-flying aircraft and to carry nuclear warheads.

Posts: 802
From: Columbus, OH USA
Registered: Jun 2002

posted 11-02-2005 08:47 AM               

---

For those interested, we put together a compilation DVD of material and footage on the B-70, some of which is pretty amazing. We did new transfers of all the material.

It's available at http://www.aircraftfilms.com

Mark