5/31/2023 0 Comments X b to sat converter![]() I bet equipping an aircraft equivalent to the third frame with current avionics, flight instruments and engine technology would to this day be a feasible option to develop further into an SST. Nevertheless, it was a very impressive aircraft and one of the great technological leaps in aviation history. The L-2000 and B2707 had supersonic L/Ds in the 8-8.5 range, and given that both Boeing and Lockheed were aware of the XB-70's compression lift design but chose not to implement it, I doubt the XB-70's L/D was even that high. Wave drag takes such a bite out of L/D ratios that even today's most advanced supersonic designs have L/Ds of 10-11 compared to subsonic airliners that routinely achieve ratios in the 18-22 range. I've seen this quote on an XB-70 website, but the claim is not backed up with a source and the physics of supersonic flight make this (virtually) impossible. ![]() The XB-70, at supercruise with its wingtips bent down, had the highest lift/drag ratio of any powered aircraft flown, and only had ever been exceeded by modern sail planes.
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