Derived metrics
Computed by aircraft.fyi from the core specification, see how we calculate these.
How big is it, really?
The North American XB-70 Valkyrie's wingspan, against things you already know the size of.
The numbers
| Length | 56.62 m |
|---|---|
| Wingspan | 32.00 m |
| Height | 9.14 m |
| MTOW | 246,365 kg |
| Speed | Mach 3.02 (3,219 km/h) |
| Engines | 6 × GE YJ93 |
| First flight | 21 September 1964 |
| Built | 2 (1 survives) |
Put the XB-70 next to something
Last verified: 2026-07-14 · Spot an error? business@luck.fyi
What makes it different
The XB-70 was designed to outrun anything: a strategic bomber cruising at Mach 3 at 70,000 feet, its six engines fed by a single vast intake, its wingtips folding down 65 degrees in flight to trap its own shockwave and ride it, compression lift, used by no other aircraft before or since.
Missiles made it obsolete before it flew; the programme was cut to two research aircraft. They flew beautifully and terribly: Valkyrie 2 was destroyed in 1966 when a chase plane was pulled into its wingtip vortex during a photo shoot, killing two pilots.
The survivor made its last flight in 1969 straight into the US Air Force Museum in Dayton, where it remains, 56.62 metres of white titanium and stainless steel, the fastest very large aircraft ever built.
North American XB-70 Valkyrie, the short answers
How fast is the North American XB-70 Valkyrie?
Is the North American XB-70 Valkyrie still in production?
How big is the North American XB-70 Valkyrie?
The North American XB-70 Valkyrie line
AV-1
AV-2
Who flies the North American XB-70 Valkyrie
No current operators, this aircraft's flying days are over. The operators of record are below.