Northrop-McDonnell Douglas YF-23A Black Widow II under the nose of the North American XB-70 Valkyrie
Inside the R&D Gallery at the National Museum of the United States Air Force (www.nationalmuseum.af.mil/).
From the website:
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This. Thing. Is. HUGE. Seriously, this is just the NOSE. It is sitting on the ground -- you can see the intakes at the bottom of this photo, where the body starts to lower to the ground. It was too big to get a full shot -- you'll see it lurking (or rather, looming) throughout these R&D Gallery photos, so perhaps through that you'll get a sense of its sheer size.
Inside the R&D Gallery at the National Museum of the United States Air Force (www.nationalmuseum.af.mil/).
From the website:
The F-15 is a twin-engine, high-performance, all-weather air superiority fighter. First flown in 1972, the Eagle entered U.S. Air Force service in 1974. The Eagle's most notable characteristics are its great acceleration and maneuverability. It was the first U.S. fighter with engine thrust greater than the basic weight of the aircraft, allowing it to accelerate while in a vertical climb. Its great power, light weight and large wing area combine to make the Eagle very agile.
The F-15 has been produced in single-seat and two-seat versions in its many years of USAF service. The two-seat F-15E Strike Eagle version is a dual-role fighter that can engage both ground and air targets. F-15C, -D, and -E models participated in OPERATION DESERT STORM in 1991, accounting for 32 of 36 USAF air-to-air victories and also attacking Iraqi ground targets. F-15s also served in Bosnia (1994), downed three Serbian MiG-29 fighters in OPERATION ALLIED FORCE (1999), and enforced no-fly zones over Iraq in the 1990s. Eagles also hit Afghan targets in OPERATION ENDURING FREEDOM, and the F-15E version performed air-to-ground missions in OPERATION IRAQI FREEDOM.
In 1980 the F-15A on display (S/N 76-027) was delivered to the 27th Tactical Fighter Squadron, 1st Tactical Fighter Wing, at Langley Air Force Base, Va., and it is painted in the colors of that squadron. It was delivered to the museum in 1996.
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The XB-70, one of the world's most exotic airplanes, was conceived for the Strategic Air Command in the 1950s as a high-altitude bomber that could fly three times the speed of sound (Mach 3). Because of fund limitations, only two were built, not as bombers, but as research aircraft for the advanced study of aerodynamics, propulsion and other subjects related to large supersonic aircraft.
The Valkyrie was built largely of stainless-steel honeycomb sandwich panels and titanium. It was designed to make use of a phenomenon called "compression lift," achieved when the shock wave generated by the airplane flying at supersonic speeds supports part of the airplane's weight. For improved stability at supersonic speeds, the Valkyrie could droop its wingtips as much as 65 degrees.
The No. 1 XB-70 made its initial flight on Sept. 21, 1964, and achieved Mach 3 flight on Oct. 14, 1965. The No. 2 airplane first flew on July 17, 1965, but on June 8, 1966, it crashed following a mid-air collision. The No. 1 airplane continued in its research program until flown to the museum on Feb. 4, 1969.
Northrop-McDonnell Douglas YF-23A Black Widow II under the nose of the North American XB-70 Valkyrie
Inside the R&D Gallery at the National Museum of the United States Air Force (www.nationalmuseum.af.mil/).
From the website:
~
This. Thing. Is. HUGE. Seriously, this is just the NOSE. It is sitting on the ground -- you can see the intakes at the bottom of this photo, where the body starts to lower to the ground. It was too big to get a full shot -- you'll see it lurking (or rather, looming) throughout these R&D Gallery photos, so perhaps through that you'll get a sense of its sheer size.
Inside the R&D Gallery at the National Museum of the United States Air Force (www.nationalmuseum.af.mil/).
From the website:
The F-15 is a twin-engine, high-performance, all-weather air superiority fighter. First flown in 1972, the Eagle entered U.S. Air Force service in 1974. The Eagle's most notable characteristics are its great acceleration and maneuverability. It was the first U.S. fighter with engine thrust greater than the basic weight of the aircraft, allowing it to accelerate while in a vertical climb. Its great power, light weight and large wing area combine to make the Eagle very agile.
The F-15 has been produced in single-seat and two-seat versions in its many years of USAF service. The two-seat F-15E Strike Eagle version is a dual-role fighter that can engage both ground and air targets. F-15C, -D, and -E models participated in OPERATION DESERT STORM in 1991, accounting for 32 of 36 USAF air-to-air victories and also attacking Iraqi ground targets. F-15s also served in Bosnia (1994), downed three Serbian MiG-29 fighters in OPERATION ALLIED FORCE (1999), and enforced no-fly zones over Iraq in the 1990s. Eagles also hit Afghan targets in OPERATION ENDURING FREEDOM, and the F-15E version performed air-to-ground missions in OPERATION IRAQI FREEDOM.
In 1980 the F-15A on display (S/N 76-027) was delivered to the 27th Tactical Fighter Squadron, 1st Tactical Fighter Wing, at Langley Air Force Base, Va., and it is painted in the colors of that squadron. It was delivered to the museum in 1996.
~
The XB-70, one of the world's most exotic airplanes, was conceived for the Strategic Air Command in the 1950s as a high-altitude bomber that could fly three times the speed of sound (Mach 3). Because of fund limitations, only two were built, not as bombers, but as research aircraft for the advanced study of aerodynamics, propulsion and other subjects related to large supersonic aircraft.
The Valkyrie was built largely of stainless-steel honeycomb sandwich panels and titanium. It was designed to make use of a phenomenon called "compression lift," achieved when the shock wave generated by the airplane flying at supersonic speeds supports part of the airplane's weight. For improved stability at supersonic speeds, the Valkyrie could droop its wingtips as much as 65 degrees.
The No. 1 XB-70 made its initial flight on Sept. 21, 1964, and achieved Mach 3 flight on Oct. 14, 1965. The No. 2 airplane first flew on July 17, 1965, but on June 8, 1966, it crashed following a mid-air collision. The No. 1 airplane continued in its research program until flown to the museum on Feb. 4, 1969.