SQ Wings L2080

SQ Wings L2080 is a 1/200 scale diecast model of the North American Aviation XB-70 Valkyrie AV-1, serial number 62-0001, the first prototype, during a joint NASA/USAF research program circa the late 1960s.

Second Flight Research Program

AV-1 was part of the second joint flight research program conducted by the United States Air Force (USAF) and NASA that ran from April 25, 1967, until the last flight of the XB-70 in 1969. The program focused on controlling structural dynamics.

Managing structural dynamics in aerospace engineering is crucial to enhancing aircraft stability and performance. Accomplished through active control systems that utilise sensor data to continuously adjust control surfaces, thereby improving stability, performance, and maneuverability.

XB-70 Valkyrie

The XB-70 Valkyrie is an American six-engine, delta-winged aircraft equipped with canards, intended as the prototype for the B-70, a nuclear-armed, deep-penetration supersonic strategic bomber. It has a cruise speed of Mach 3+ at altitudes of 21,000 m (70,000 ft).

Initially believed to be safe from interceptors due to its exceptional performance. However, with the introduction of Soviet surface-to-air missiles and intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs) in the late 1950s, the relevance of nuclear bombers started to decline. As a result, the Air Force cancelled the B-70 program in 1961.

Two prototypes, designated XB-70A, were later constructed to explore the effects of long-duration, high-speed flight. The first flight took place on September 21, 1964. Test flights for the XB-70 occurred from 1964 to 1969. In 1966, one of the prototypes crashed after colliding with an F-104 Starfighter. The remaining Valkyrie is part of the National Museum of the United States Air Force.

Among the interesting features of the XB-70 were its use of compression lift and the outer wing sections, which could hinge downward by 65 degrees. This design enhanced the aircraft’s directional stability at supersonic speeds and provided additional compression lift.

The Valkyrie used six General Electric YJ93 afterburning turbojet engines mounted side by side under the wings.