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Mach 3 Paint Stripper by Stan Stokes.
Originally conceived in the early 1950s as a replacement for the B-52 (which incorrectly was forecast by Gen. Curtis LeMay to have a limited lifespan) the B-70 Valkyrie began life as Weapon System 110A. It was designed to have the same range as the B-52, but with as high a maximum speed as possible to avoid enemy defensive fighters or missiles. However, with the advent of intercontinental ballistic missiles, and the resulting debate over the cost effectiveness and efficacy of manned bombers, the funding for the B-70 program began to be cut. These cuts seemed academic at the time because engineers had not been able to overcome the many technical problems associated with the bombers design objectives. In 1956 a report from the NACA (National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics – which would later become NASA) revealed that Mach speeds of between 3 and 5 should be obtainable by an aircraft riding its own shock wave. North American Aviation engineers discovered this report and immediately .........
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