The Valkyrie was a marvel of technical innovation. It could sustain speeds of over 2,000 miles per hour with its six inline turbojet engines with afterburners. Its range was more than 4,000 miles, and it could carry a payload weight of up to 50,000 pounds. Remarkably, the fully-loaded plane weighed in at 542,000 pounds, according to Boeing. And while the plane operated above 70,000 feet, the cabin was pressurized, meaning the flight crew didn’t need to wear special pressure suits like the crews of the SR-71 Blackbird — which would operate at similar speeds and altitudes a decade later — so Valkyries could be quickly scrambled.
The plane traveled so quickly that the air friction caused its outer skin to heat up to incredible temperatures. Engineers had to avoid traditional airplane construction methods and materials, instead opting for a brazed honeycomb of stainless steel and titanium, and fuel was repurposed as coolant and circulated throughout the structure to absorb heat.
But the most advanced feature of the Valkyrie was perhaps its wings. Because the plane flew faster than the speed of sound, it generated shockwaves as it tore through the atmosphere. The Valkyrie’s innovation was to have wings whose outer third could fold down and in up to 65 degrees. Parts of the shockwave then bounced off the wing and back up against the body of the plane, providing additional lift.
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