[Gort]

Thought you guys would enjoy a little history about Hobby Master’s new F-104N Starfighter; NASA, Dryden FRC, Edwards AFB, California, 1966. This model represents the jet that collided with the XB-70 Valkyrie over Barstow, California, June 1966.

The model ...



The real thing ...



Some background: The Valkyrie was a large supersonic six-engined bomber able to fly at Mach 3 at high altitudes, which conferred unheard of immunity against defending interceptors. On 8 June 1966, the second prototype XB-70 flew in tight formation with four other aircraft (an F-4, F-5, T-38, and F-104) for a photo shoot at the behest of General Electric, manufacturer of all five aircrafts' engines. With the picture taking complete, the F-104 rolled inverted, passed over the top of the Valkyrie, struck it and exploded. The Valkyrie entered a spin and crashed.

The Valkyrie ...




Some interesting facts about the collision:

• Test Pilot Walker, the F-104 pilot, found it difficult to line up off the bomber’s wing. He finally used the XB-70's engine inlet ramp and wing leading edge for visual alignment.

• Moments before the collision, Walker informed mission control he was encountering turbulence near the B-70 while trying to hold formation. He further stated he opposed the mission on grounds that it was far too dangerous and had no scientific value.

• From scratch indentations on the 104's horizontal stabilizer, investigators surmised that the smaller jet’s horizontal stabilizer brushed the leading edge of the ‘70s outer wing. Some speculated that Walker lost orientation and closed formation until the T-tail of the F-104 struck the Valkyrie’s wingtip. As the jet made contact, it rolled inverted over the XB-70s back, shearing off part of one of the bomber’s vertical stabilizers and breaking off the other. It then bounced off the XB-70's left wing, cartwheeled, and exploded into an incandescent plume of flame.

• Amazingly, the XB-70 didn’t ignite into a fireball as well, though it’s fuel cells spewed a dense fog of JP-8 jet fuel. The F-104 ingested JP-4 fuel, which was a much more flammable.

• Al White’s (XB-70 pilot) ejection capsule landed several thousand feet from the crashed XB-70. Rescue personnel flew him to Edwards Hospital, where he recovered from bruises and a back injury. His butt made a perfect impression in the capsule’s metal seat.

• Air Force Maj. Carl Cross (copilot), didn’t survive.

• Officials concluded that a vortex air stream generated by the big bomber sucked Walker’s F-104 into the XB-70s wing. In any event, the USAF lost an expensive plane and two veteran pilots to a corporate brochure.

The rest ...

[1250ships]

I remember seeing this on Wings years ago. There is video of the crash.

OK- found it on Youtube. Crash is about 16 minute into the video:

[Rush104]

Originally Posted by Gort

In any event, the USAF lost a $4 billion plane and two veteran pilots to a corporate brochure.
The rest ...

4 BILLION dollars? What is the source for this number?

[1250ships]

Originally Posted by Rush104

4 BILLION dollars? What is the source for this number?

Wikipedia says $1.5 billion for the program. Those are 1960s dollars of course. For that we got 2 prototypes and a 3rd that was partially complete when the funding was cut.

[forcerecon85]

Wow. Well its good to see another Starfighter. Historic story to it, have unnecessary photo ops come to an end in the USAF after this tragic lesson?