1/200 XB-70 Valkyrie AV-1 Prototype No. 2 NASA 20001 by Dragon

The futuristic-looking XB-70 Valkyrie was part of the US experimental aircraft program. It was designed to be a nuclear-armed deep-penetration strategic bomber able to fly at speeds of Mach 3+ at altitudes of 21,000m. Such parameters would have put it beyond the reach of then-current enemy interceptor aircraft. The six-engine XB-70 was developed by North American Aviation in the late 1950s. Two prototype aircraft, each operated by just two crewmen, were built before the B-70 bomber program was cancelled in 1961. The project’s demise was caused by the advent of high-altitude surface-to-air missiles (SAM) and the introduction of intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBM) that made such a design redundant. Dragon’s new 1/200 scale model depicts the second XB-70A prototype to be built. Air Vehicle 2 (AV-2) was completed on October 15, 1964 and its first flight occurred on July 17 the following year. During tests, it reached a top speed of Mach 3.08 in 1966.

The sleek shape of the XB-70A with its canard surfaces and delta wings has been beautifully captured in miniature by Dragon Warbirds. The hinged wingtips that could increase directional stability have also been replicated. The model carries the correct US Air Force serial no. 62-0207 and all markings have been painted accurately. The second prototype achieved 46 flights before disaster befell on June 8, 1966. During a close-formation photo shoot for General Electric, an F-104 collided with AV-2 and the copilot was killed in the ensuing crash. However, Warbirds has resurrected the XB-70 with this model, allowing collectors to commemorate the important contribution it made to US air flight.