NORTH AMERICAN XB-70 VALKYRIE IN PICTURES: AMERICA’S COLD WAR MACH 3 NUCLEAR BOMBER
Book ID/图书代码： 10567026C00012
English Summary/英文概要： Flying at 70,000 feet, carrying nuclear weapons at Mach 3+ for thousands of miles, the North American Aviation XB-70 Valkyrie was not merely going to redefine military aviation, but the very nature of warfare itself. The XB-70 flew so fast and so high it would only appear on radar screens for a fleeting moment, making it impossible for enemy controllers to direct their interceptors to the target before it flew out of range.
When it was first designed in the 1950s, the enemy, meaning at the time the Soviet Union, had no aircraft that could match the XB-70’s capabilities, rendering it almost invulnerable. But, just as the US was developing its technologies, so too were the Soviets.
The introduction of their first surface-to-air missiles led to the US adopting low-level missions to sneak under radar. This effectively neutralised the XB-70’s main characteristics and, ultimately, the programme, which had cost the United States a staggering $800 million, the equivalent to $8.4 billion in modern terms, was cancelled.
In this book, the renowned aviation historian and author Graham M. Simons explores the full story of the development of this remarkable supersonic bomber through a unique collection of images. He reveals the many challenges that the North American engineers faced, particularly with regards to engines and fuel, all of which are fully explained.
As well as the technical and operational characteristics of the XB-70, Mr Simons includes first-hand testimony and analyses the accidents and incidents the aircraft were involved in. A detailed timetable allows the reader to comprehend the XB-70’s protracted history.
A beautifully elegant machine, just two of the ground-breaking XB-70s were produced, the first flight taking place on 21 September 1964. In this magnificent, full colour book this unique supersonic aircraft can be seen in all its glory.
Chinese Summary/中文概要： 北美航空的XB-70“瓦尔基里”能够在7万英尺高空以超过3马赫的速度携带核武器飞行数千英里，它的出现不仅将重新定义军事航空，更将彻底改变战争本身的性质。XB-70的飞行高度与速度使其在雷达屏幕上仅闪现瞬间，敌方的防空系统还来不及引导截击机拦截，就已飞离攻击范围。
1950年代设计之初，作为假想敌的苏联尚无任何飞机能与之匹敌，这使得XB-70几乎无懈可击。然而，就在美国全力推进研发的同时，苏联的军事技术也在同步发展。
随着苏联首批地对空导弹的部署，美军转向采用低空突防战术以规避雷达探测。这一转变使得XB-70的核心优势，高空高速性能，失去用武之地，最终导致这项耗资8亿美元（相当于现今84亿美元）的庞大计划宣告终止。
在这部著作中，著名航空历史学家格雷厄姆·M·西蒙斯通过一批珍贵的影像资料，完整呈现了这款卓越超音速轰炸机的研发历程。他深入剖析了北美航空工程师面临的多重挑战，特别是在发动机与燃料系统方面的技术难题，并对此进行了详尽解读。
除了阐述XB-70的技术与作战特性，西蒙斯还收录了亲历者的证言，分析了该机型涉及的事故与事件。书中附有详细的时间表，帮助读者理解XB-70曲折漫长的研发历史。
这款设计精妙的战机仅生产了两架原型机，首飞于1964年9月21日。在这部印制精美的全彩图集中，读者可以全方位领略这架独一无二的超音速飞机的辉煌风采。(ZY)
Awards/获奖情况：
About the Author/作者介绍： 格雷厄姆·M·西蒙斯是剑桥郡达克斯福德世界著名航空博物馆的创始人之一。1960年代末，他在此地观看电影《不列颠空战》的拍摄时，对航空产生了浓厚兴趣。凭借工程学背景，他逐步加入多个航空协会，并曾任职于英国航空保护委员会，后期更在某航空组织担任工程总监。格雷厄姆将写作热情与制作技艺相结合，创作并出版了涵盖多元主题的航空史著作。
GRAHAM M. SIMONS was one of the founders of the world-famous aviation museum at Duxford near Cambridge where his interest was piqued watching the making of the film Battle of Britain there in the late 1960s. From this, and with an engineering background, he progressed to membership of a number of aviation societies, including sitting on the British Aviation Preservation Council, eventually taking the position of Engineering Director with one group. Graham combines his love of writing with his skills in production to create and publish aviation histories focused on a variety of subjects.
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