Inzane 2018

[Fastman71]

My wife Vanessa tells me my life revolves around planes, trains and automobiles.  Then I remind her of my love for motorcycle riding and our Valkyrie.

As a lover of flying and a huge fan of airplanes, I found a commonality between airplanes and motorcycles, specifically the Valkyrie.

In the late 50's North American Aviation got a contract to build 3 prototype Mach 3 bombers for the Air Force.  She was called the XB-70 Valkyrie. I have loved this plane since I was a kid!

Only 2 were eventually built before the project was killed off by Curtiss LeMay in favor of ICBM's. 

One was lost in 1966 due to a midair collision during a photo shoot.  The sole remaining Valkyrie is now housed in a new wing of the Air Force Museum in Dayton Ohio.

What are the commonalities you ask?  The Valkyrie aircraft and the Valkyrie motorcycle both are unusual in appearance.  The bike has 6 cylinders, the plane has a 6 pack of J-97 jet engines.  Both are fast too, but I overstate the obvious.

Here's my thought and a challenge: Have the 2018 Inzane in Dayton.  We talk to the curators of the Museum and see if we could arrange a group photo of our Valkyrie bikes with the Valkyrie bomber in the background.

It's a long shot, but it could also be a lot of fun to do.  It would also be a once in a lifetime opportunity too.

Let me know what you think.  Its a long way off, so there's plenty of time to get this together.....

Oh yea, we don't have to have Inzane there either.  We could do this as an independent event as well..

Fast Eddie

[Valker]

The cafeteria at the museum is "The Valkyrie Cafè". I grew up 15 miles from Fairborn (the small town where it actually is). I have physically seen the Valkyrie take off and land at Wright Patt! The sound was unbelievable.

[Smokinjoe-VRCCDS#0005]

Top speed: 2,056 mph



Length: 189′



Wingspan: 105′ 0″



Range: 4,287 mi



Cruise speed: 1,988 mph

[John Schmidt]

I always have to chuckle when I see certain planes with a speed redline listed. The B-58 was a good example. I was at Ellsworth AFB at Rapid City, SD many years ago when some hotshot general took one up for a spin so he could collect his flight pay I guess. The plane came back with some of the paint scorched off and when asked about it, he just laughed and said "you'll find the advertised redline is often just a suggestion." He didn't expand on that and the ground crew didn't ask further. Had a young hotshot captain say the much same thing about an F-104 once when I was at Lowery AFB in Denver. I've often wondered what the REAL redline was for the XB-70, B-58, and others. Bet they aren't what is disclosed by the media. 

[NewValker]

Couple years ago my buddy and I rode to Dayton to visit the USAF Museum. We had planned to spend 1 day there. We spent 2, opening to closing! 
The museum offers a bus ride onto the base to see 2 hangers of R&D aircraft and the retired Air Force 1's. Bus is staffed with an armed guard as no pics are allowed until you are in the hangers.
It was kind of freaky to stand next to the spot that President Johnson was sworn in on Air Force 1. You see that iconic pic your whole life, then you're standing at that very spot.
Standing under the XB-70 was unbelievable! You could drive a minivan thru the intakes. That's 1 on each side. They backed it into the hanger with 6 inches clearance to the back wall and less that a foot to the hanger doors.
The museum has every bird the AF flew, well worth the visit!
Craig

[baldo]

Couple years ago my buddy and I rode to Dayton to visit the USAF Museum. We had planned to spend 1 day there. We spent 2, opening to closing! 
The museum offers a bus ride onto the base to see 2 hangers of R&D aircraft and the retired Air Force 1's. Bus is staffed with an armed guard as no pics are allowed until you are in the hangers.
It was kind of freaky to stand next to the spot that President Johnson was sworn in on Air Force 1. You see that iconic pic your whole life, then you're standing at that very spot.
Standing under the XB-70 was unbelievable! You could drive a minivan thru the intakes. That's 1 on each side. They backed it into the hanger with 6 inches clearance to the back wall and less that a foot to the hanger doors.
The museum has every bird the AF flew, well worth the visit!
Craig

Hmmmmm....that's on the way to Montana, isn't it?