During the 1950s; at the time Elvis Presley was rocking the world with Hound Dog and the USA was aiming to become the world’s only superpower; plans were being drawn at North American Aviation in Southern California for an incredible Mach-3 strategic bomber. The concept was born as a result of General Curtis LeMay’s desire for a heavy bomber with the weapon load and range of the subsonic B-52 and a top speed in excess of the supersonic medium bomber; the B-58 Hustler. If LeMay’s plans came to fruition there would be 250 Valkyries in the air; it would be the pinnacle of his quest for the ultimate strategic bomber operated by America’s Strategic Air Command. The design was a leap into the future that pushed the envelope in terms of exotic materials; avionics and power plants. However; in April 1961; Defense Secretary McNamara stopped the production go-ahead for the B-70 on grounds of rapid cost escalation and the USSR’s newfound ability of destroying aircraft at extremely high altitude by either missiles or the new Mig-25 fighter. Nevertheless; in 1963 plans for the production of three high-speed research aircraft were approved and construction proceeded. In September 1964 the first Valkyrie; now re-coded A/V-1 took to the air for the first time and in October went supersonic.This book is the most detailed description of the design; engineering and research that went into this astounding aircraft. It is full of unpublished details; photographs and firsthand accounts from those closely associated with the project. Although never put into full production; this giant six engined aircraft became famous for its breakthrough technology; and the spectacular images captured on a fatal air-to-air photo shoot when an observing Starfighter collided with Valkyrie A/V-2 which crashed into the Mojave Desert.The loss of the $750 million aircraft and two lives stopped future development; although there were several attempts to redesign it as an airliner to compete against the European Concorde.
#670102 in Books Osprey Publishing 2015-06-23 2015-06-23Original language:EnglishPDF # 1 9.90 x 5.33 x 7.23l; .52 #File Name: 147280722764 pages9781472807229
Review
5 of 5 people found the following review helpful. As always; Osprey publishing delivers. No doubt I ...By Rama N. ToulonAs always; Osprey publishing delivers. No doubt I am sure more in-depth description of Russian weapon systems could have been added. Still the strength of this book is in the detailed origins of the Spetsnaz. The author dispelled the myth of Russia's most mysterious fighting force and showed the multilayers of this service.10 of 11 people found the following review helpful. Russia's special purpose forces...By HMS WarspiteAs author Mark Galeotti points out; the Spetsnaz; Russia's much-vaunted military special forces; have been the subject of a certain amount of mythologizing over the years; inside and outside Russia. This Osprey Elite Series book is meant to be a corrective as well as a well-written history of Russia's Spetsnaz; including their roles in recent conflicts in Chechnya; Georgia and Ukraine.The introduction makes the crucial point that the Spetznaz are not strictly speaking analogous to U.S. or other Western special forces units. They are special purpose units; meant for reconnaissance and specialized battlefield tasks; although their professionalism in comparison to the rest of the Russian military has often led to their being used in other roles; such as conventional infantry and for stability operations. The bulk of the narrative is a very readable history of the Spetsnaz; from their roots in the Bolshevik Red Army up through the Spanish Civil War; the Second World War; the Cold War; Afghanistan and the conflicts of modern Russia. The text makes the point that the Spetsnaz have often inspired both imitation and competition from other elements of the Soviet/Russian military; especially the Airborne Troops. The text is very nicely supported by an excellent collection of photographs; illustrations; and maps. Some coverage of uniforms and weapons is included. The concise nature of the book (62 pages of text) limits the amount of detail that can be included. The author has a strong background in the subject and is not shy about sharing his knowledge and his opinions. Recommended as an excellent introduction to the topic.0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. Spetsnaz: past and present.By Stone DogAnother good title from Osprey. This Osprey Elite #206 does a good job of introducing the reader to the Spetsnaz; the Soviet/Russian special forces units long compared to those of the West.The author gives the reader an extensive history of the roots of the Spetsnaz units; going back to the days of the Bolsheviks and the Russian Civil War. Normally this would be a good thing; but in this case; it actually took space in this small volume from more recent information and; frankly; I saw as filler.The author does a decent job of evaluating the Spetsnaz in terms of Soviet requirements during the Cold War and how they viewed the Spetsnaz units differently than Western armies viewed their "special forces" units. Again; the author does a good job of briefly looking at the Spetsnaz actions in the Czech crisis of 1968; then looks at their operations during the Afghan War where their reputation was put to the test and; for the most part; showed themselves to be very effective in anti-mujahideen operations.Operations by Spetsnaz after the fall of the "Evil Empire" and subsequent wars in the Caucasus (particularly in Chechnya) are summarized. I found it interesting that some on the muslim side in the Chechnyan conflict had been former members of Soviet Spetsnaz units fighting members of the Russian Spetsnaz!There's a lot of good here including weapons and equipment as well as operations histories and training. It's not perfect and; as stated earlier; spends too much time for my taste on largely irrelevant roots and not enough on more specifics of modern operations. But; all in all; a good Osprey summary on the subject with the usual excellent Osprey photos; illustrations and color plates. Four stars.
