McNamara set aviation back at least 40 years.

When McNamara cancled the B-70 supersonic bomber he set aviation back at least 40 years. His logic was if a SAM could shoot down a U-2, they could shoot down a B-70 at 80,000 feet flying at 2000 mph. Of course that was totally wrong. A SAM with small guidence fins could not then and probably still cant stay in a turn with a plane like the B-70. There was simply no comparison between a U-2 flying at 500 mph to a B-70 flying 2000 mph. Also the downing of the U-2 was a lucky shot involving a salvo of many SAMS.

In fact on one of my aviation web sites, there is a article on the possible new SR-72. They are claiming that high speed is the “new stealth”. They again point out that a mach 5 airplane with large wing area at 90,000 feet is almost impossible to shoot down with a rocket. A rocket simply doesnt have the wing area to stay with a plane that fast at that altitude in a turn. With stealthy design, that plane would be there and gone, before the Sam missle sites could even get off a shot.

I contend that if we would have produced the B-70 back when it was developed, it would have had tens of thousands of supersonic flight hours on it. That would have translated into the development of American supersonic airliners. It would be the same as the B-47 and the B-52 translating into the 707 and the DC-8. It is a shame one man did so much to damage American aviation.