North American B-70 (WS-110A)

[archipeppe]

Absolutely gorgeous illustrations!
That was the earlier NA-number assigned to the XB-70 mockup - the final NA-number assigned to the two XB-70A airplanes as built is NA-278. BTW: Both aircraft should be pure white instead of light gray. Email me at stevepace43@gmail.com and I'll send you proof of the NA-278 number. -SP

OK Steve I've e-mailed


Let me thank you in advance for extra reference, I miss always them so much.



BTW The two aircrafts are anti-flash white, they appear to be grey since they're flying against the Sun (shadowing effect).

Ciao
Giuseppe


P.S. I will also appreciate any other contribution from other ones y helping me to improve my work....

 

[Steve Pace]

How hard would it be to put the sun behind you and leave XB-70A No. 1 pre-NASA? Just a thought. -SP

 

[archipeppe]

How hard would it be to put the sun behind you and leave XB-70A No. 1 pre-NASA? Just a thought. -SP

Good question, I've read a lot of thing about the Tyndall optical effect (it makes an airborne aircraft naturally darker than the background sky, even if it is a stormy one, and such effect increase if you have the aircraft against the Sun that it makes it almost black).


BTW it is difficult to trace a line and say what is wrong and what is right since we are in the odd field of "personal perceptions"..... B)

 

[PlanesPictures]

What about this project. I don't have idea on B-70 undercarriage. Are there some more infos?

 

[archipeppe]

What about this project. I don't have idea on B-70 undercarriage. Are there some more infos?

Interesting, is the first time I see such sketch.
Despite the SR-170 (??) it appears to be a sort of B-70 with a Convair Super Hustler carried underbelly. Probably its source could be Convair rather than North American...

 

[Steve Pace]

I suspect the RS-170 was a crude code for RS-70. It is most likely a Convair division of General Dynamics work. -SP

 

[Michel Van]

So Nice this Picture is
it's got major problems:
that Super Hustler hangs under air intake of B-70
there is not much space for aircraft like this under B-70
were space for B-70 front-wheel ? the Super Hustler is in way.

yes, the RBS version of B-70 for X-20 launcher has similar problem, here were proposed Sled or a launch dolly)

 

[fightingirish]

Original source: Code One Magazine - Super Hustler, FISH, Kingfish, And Beyond (Part 1: Super Hustler)


For other parts, just search: Code One Magazine - Super Hustler


Discussion in this forum: Convair Super Hustler, Fish and Kingfish

 

[archipeppe]

And here it is the XB-70 A/V-2 with the correct NA number thanks to Steve Pace.

 

[archipeppe]

I suspect the RS-170 was a crude code for RS-70. It is most likely a Convair division of General Dynamics work. -SP

Steve, I have a question: the RS-70 denomination was already in use in 1958?
Did not come later on?

 

[Orionblamblam]

And here it is the XB-70 A/V-2 with the correct NA number thanks to Steve Pace.

A detail: AV-2 had five degrees of dihedral added to the wings.

 

[archipeppe]

And here it is the XB-70 A/V-2 with the correct NA number thanks to Steve Pace.

A detail: AV-2 had five degrees of dihedral added to the wings.

Scott, did it was a positive dihedral??
At least it seems so to me looking at the first photo you enclosed..-

 

[Steve Pace]

It's the first time I've ever heard of this.
September 1958 does seem way too early for the RS-70 designation so I'll need more proof before I buy that date. -SP

 

[Orionblamblam]

Scott, did it was a positive dihedral??

Yep. AV-2 looked distinctly different from AV-1 due to the wings being bent upward like that.

 

[GeorgeA]

I suspect the RS-170 was a crude code for RS-70. It is most likely a Convair division of General Dynamics work. -SP

Might it also be a System Requirement (i.e., pre-WS) designation?

 

[archipeppe]

Scott, did it was a positive dihedral??

Yep. AV-2 looked distinctly different from AV-1 due to the wings being bent upward like that.

OK I will correct immediately my AV-2 drawings.
I'm also working on RS-70, did it had the same positive dihedral??

 

[archipeppe]

Here there are the corrected version of the A/V-2 and the ultimate RS-70

 

[archipeppe]

Only a small hint about RS-70: in their book Landis & Jenkins reported that the RS-70 should be covered with a special "opaque silver" coating instead of the anti-flash with proposed for the operational B-70A.


I tried to reproduce it in my drawing.

 

[Steve Pace]

Just a thought here: The SR-71 designation should have been RS-71 and the aircraft is black as you know. The proposed RS-70 in black would be interesting. -SP

 

[archipeppe]

Just a thought here: The SR-71 designation should have been RS-71 and the aircraft is black as you know. The proposed RS-70 in black would be interesting. -SP

Yes, I also think so.


The point is that I didn't found any clue that the eventual operational RS-70 would be painted with the same indigo black of the subsequent RS-71/SR-71 (after Johnson's mistake).....

 

[Steve Pace]

No clue here either - so sad. -SP

 

[Kiltonge]

AvWeek article about assembly problems with the first XB-70, April 1963. States that some of the honeycomb structure was damaged during construction and 'plugs' of the airframe had to be cut out and replaced with welded-in sections.

 

[Hunt@4za]

I know I'm in a little late here, but it turns out that the SEA camo picture is actually fake.



This is actually something somebody made for fun, to be a little funny.

XB-70 Humor

Here's the website, along with a few other goof B-7s, like an Air Force One version, an AWACS B-70, an Arctic Rescue B-70, and a couple other humorous versions.

It's a shame though. It looks great in camo.