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.