Originally Posted by
elmshoot
I didn't think of the B-70 so much as a prototype but as a research aircraft..... and to scare the crap out of the Soviets!
Sparky
Actually, the B-70 was supposed to be used as a high altitude supersonic nuclear bomber to hit targets in the Soviet Union. The thought was that using high speeds and altitudes, it would be impossible to stop. That all changed when the Russians shot down a U-2 and captured its pilot, alive. The Pentagon then scrubbed the program in preference to low altitude aircraft that could use terrain to hide their approach. This was the basis of several subsequent aircraft programs, leading up to the F-111(originally designed as a fighter), B-1 and B-2