the x-15 research airplane

8/7/2019 The X-15 Research Airplane

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T H E -15R E S E A B C B~

A I R P L A N E

NATIONAL AERONAUTICS AND SPACE ADMINISTRATION

T H E - tSR E E A B C 8 =---=-----=

A I R P L A N E



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NASA test pilot Joseph A. Walker (right) heads for the X-15,which is hooked under the right wing of the big 8 -52 mother plane.NASA test pilot Joseph A. Walker (right) heads for the X-15,which is hooked under the right wing of the big 8-52 mother plane.


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THE X 15 RESEARCH AIRPLANE

IT IS 1 MINUTE to zero in an X-15 countdown that bega n 24 hours ago. Tucked under the right wing of aB- 52 aircraft, the X - I5 is about 45,000 fee t above Mu dLake , Nev. Th e X - I5 pilot i s making his final checkout:

At 1 minute - "Prime switch to PRIME."

At 40 seconds- "Precool switch to PRECOOL." "Igniter idle ON . "

At 10 seconds- "Pump idle ON. "

At 5 seconds- "Launch light ON. "

Th e B-5 2 pilot moves the mast er arming switch to ON .Th e X-I5 pilot is in his radio countdown:

"3 - 2 - I - L A U N C H ! " - - 2 2 . 6 '

X-1S RESEARCH AIRPLANE

DESIGN M A X I M U M VELOCITY4 ,000 MP H

DESIGN ALTITUDE - 47 MILES

STRUCTURAL TEMPERATURE TO REACH1, 2 0 0 DEGREES FAHRENHEIT

AIRCRAFT WEIGHT, LBLAUNCH 33 ,000LANDING 14,700

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The 8-52 in flight with the X-15 under its wing.

Th e three hooks that support the X-15 open. TheX-IS drops rapidly away.

Th e X-15 pilot opens the throttle of the 57,000-pound-thrust rocket engine. He pulls back the stick.

In an 84-second surge of power reaching more than500,000 horsepower, the X-15 accelerates from 600 tomore than 4,000 miles an hour, and climbs steeply to150,000 feet. Th e fuel gone now, momentum drives

the aircraft in a ballistic arc up to 314,750 feet (morethan 59 miles), above all bu t a minute trace of theearth's atmosphere.

Th e sky shades to dark blue. Th e pilot sees th ehorizon a a curve, an d ca n make out in one sweepingglance Monterey Bay an d part of the Gulf of California,which are some 500 ground miles apart.

As the X-15 continues on its ballistic path, the pilotbecomes weightless. This experience contrasts sharplywith what he felt when the engine was still firing an dhe was pressed hard into his seat by the force of 3 .6G.

With little atmosphere surrounding the craft, heknows its conventional aerodynamic controls have noeffect. So he uses the h ydrogen peroxide jets set in thenose and wings. To point the plane downward, for example, he uses the jets on top of the nose. He maneuvers the X-15 in the near vacuum of space where noconventional airplane could fly.

Ahead lies a critical part of his flight mission-reentryinto the earth's atmosphere. Any object entering thisatmosphere from space at high speed is subjected to ai r


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friction, acceleration, an d dynamic pressure that buildup tr emendous heat. Th e X-1S outer structure is madeof Inconel X, a nickel-steel alloy that withstands temperatures up to 1,200 F. But entry heating could exceed that temperature, and the combination of thermalan d ai r load s might cause some structural failure unlessit descende d precisely along a predetermined path.

As the black craft pierces increasingly thicker atmosph ere, its st ub b y wings grow dull cherry red and its struc-

ture pops like a hot stove. Gravity forces becomes sogreat that th e pilot finds ar m movement of the centercontrol stick extremely difficult, and he keeps the planeon course with a hand- and wrist-controlled side stick.

Despite the extreme heat on the outer skin, temperatures in the pilot's cabin and the instrument compartment remain comfortable. This condition is the resultof a specially constructed system in which liquid nitrogen at 300 0 below zero F. is used.

The X-1S drops free.

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MAX . DYNAMIC PRESSURE(THAT IS . PRESSURE CAUSED BY

MOVEMENT THROUGH THE ATMOSPHERE)1. 00 0 lBS . PER SO . fT .

CLIMB ANGLE 35

Flight profile of the X-1S.


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As atmospheric density increases, the pilot again usesaerodynamic controls. Sometimes here he also uses thehydrogen peroxide je t system .

Ahead, he sees his landing field, the flat expanse ofRogers Dry Lake at Edwards, Calif., some 200 milesfrom the starting point of his launch . To slow theplane, he opens speed brakes near the tail. About 2miles from touchdown, he jettisons the ventral fin extending under the tail (this fin has contributed to stability during high-speed flight bu t would interfere withlanding) an d lowers hi landin g gear-a conventionalnose wheel an d two steel skids toward the rear.

Th e pilot touches down at about 210 miles an hour.He lands nose high, the skids hitting the ground first,bu t almost immediately the nose gear touches. Th eplane comes to a stop almost a mile across the lake bedfrom the touchdown point.

Besides breaking world speed an d altitude records foraircraft, th e rocket-powered X-15 has also already surpassed its own design speed of 4,000 m.p.h. an d designaltitude of 250,000 feet. I t has flown faster than 4,100m.p.h. an d higher than 314,000 feet-and it can be expected to go higher.

But the setting of speed an d altitude records is notthe real purpose of the X-IS. Th e program procedurefollowed has been generally to increase the speed an dthe altitude of flights on an "incremental performance"basis . That is, flights were designed to reach increasingly higher speeds or altitudes to permit the taking ofpractical-size "bites" of data on the hypersonic environ-

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ment while building a fund of increasing pilot experience.

Part airplane, part spacecraft, the X-IS is the onlyvehicle of its kind in the world. It is 50 feet long, 22.6feet wide, and 13 feet high. It is a winged vehicle controlled by a pilot on board. Intended solely for research, it serves as a proving vehicle for theories developed by such techniques as mathematical computations an d wind tunnel tests.

Until now, X-15 flights have produced much information needed in designing high-altitude hypersonic

Skids down, nose up, fuel spent, the X-15streaks in for a dr y lake be d landing.

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operational aircraft. They have provided a greatamount of data on the physiological and psychologicalreactions of men to space Right an d to th e piloting ofhigh-speed, high-altitude aircraft. They have helpedtremendously in space sciences programs.

Th e pilot plays the key role in every X-15 flight.He no t only carries out the programmed tests bu t alsouses his judgment an d experience in solving unanticipated problems. His observation and judgment add to,interpret, and enrich the data gathered by the plane'sresearch instruments.

Ho w do we get information from X-15 flights? Whatkind of information is it?

During each flight, instruments in the airplane andinside the pilot's pressure suit transmit to ground stations a constant stream of data on aircraft operation an dth e pilot's physiological condition . Data on the X-15includ e readings on aerodynamic heating and stress onstructure, powerplant behavior , electrical system operation, stability, and control. Pilot checks cover suchmeasu reme nts as heart action, body temperature, r adiation, respiration, an d pulse. Th e pilot's own observations supplement and clarify instrument data. Information from each flight is completely documented for

later analysis.Three gro und radar stations-at Ely and Beatty, Nev .,

an d Edwards, Calif.-receive the flight data. Th eX-15 is always within range of at least one of thesestations.

At th e NASA Flight Research Center Radio Station,Edwards Air Force Base, research engineers closely

Copyright 1962, National Geographic Society . Painted by Robert W.Nicholson, Staff Artist. Reproduced by Special Permissi o n.


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watch aircraft performance, and a physician checksdata on the pilot. I f anything seems amiss, the pilot isnotified an d alternate procedures are recommended.Thus, in a sense, skilled research engineers and a capableflight surgeon accompany the X-IS pilot on everymISSIOn.

This is one of many measures to assure pilot safety .His instrume nt panel also alerts him to danger. Greenlights tell hi m that everything i working right. I f agreen light winks off and a harsh orange ligh t comes on,the pilot at once knows what is wrong and can ac t accordingly. Fo r example, an orange light warns himthat pressure at the fuel pump is too low to run the engine at full thrust . Appropriate action: the pilot reduces thrust.

Th e pilot's pressure suit inflates automatically if cockpi t pressure fails. This suit has its own atmosphe re andin effect becomes a pressurized cabin.

In extreme emergency, a rocket -powered ejection seatwould hurl th e pilot free of the airplane-at speeds upto four times that of sound . Folding fins and telescopicbooms prevent dangerous tumbling during catapult andstabilize the seat. At a safe altitude, a timer wouldopen the pilot's parachute and release the seat .

Safety factors were high among the considerationsthat determined locating the X-15 High Range (flightcorridor), which stretches across the Mojave Desert between Wendover, Utah, and Edwards, Calif. This areais dotted with many level dry lake beds, in reach foremergency landings.

A careful step-by-step program has been followed inbringing the X-15 safely up to design performance.The plane was first airlifted in "captive" flights in whichit did not separate from the B-52. Then came a powerless glide flight to check control and landing, and finallythe powered flights at gradually increased speeds andaltitudes.

Since June 1959, when the first planned glide flightwas made, 74 flights have re ulted from 126 attempts.

Pilot Walker being zipped into his inner flight suit,which will air-condition him and protect him against Gforces and decompression.

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("Attempt" here means any case when the B-S2 carrying the X-IS goes aloft and an X-IS drop is intended.)Th e flights have been m?-de by seven pilots-threecivilian NASA research pilots, two Air Force pilots, oneNavy pilot , an d one commercial pilot during contractordemonst ra t ion trials.

In a "follow-on" research program announced byNASA in April 1962, the X-IS assumed an additionalrole as a "service" airplane for carrying out new experiments in aeronautical an d space sciences. This program is based on X-IS capacity for extremely highspeeds and for altitudes beyond the earth's atmosphere.

To get maximum information from each flight, datafor some of the new studies will be gathered duringflights already scheduled. Th e X - IS will carry additional equipment for that purpose .

On e new project on which work began at once wasan experiment in ultraviolet stellar photography. Onearth and at the lower altitudes ultraviolet rays of thestars are obscured by ozone in the earth's atmosphere.Th e Orbiting Astronomical Observatory (OAO), oneof NASA's major projects , is designed to take stellarphotographs as it orbits the earth far above the distorting atmosphere. Th e X - IS mission includes a supporting role in the stellar photography program , as aforerunner of OA O an d as a flying test bed to check ou tthe kind of equipment used in OAO. Now plannedis a series of X-IS stellar photographic flights to altitudes above 40 miles, to supplement OA O work in astudy of the origin an d composition of the stars.

On e important advantage sought in the new X-ISproject is the pilot's ability to orient the aircraft withrespect to the stars above the ozone layer an d the capability of the aircraft to return to that altitude an d repeatthe experiment.

Fo r these flights, new instrumentation has been installed in the X - 15. It consists of a platform with fourcameras, mounted in the instrument bay behind thepilot's cockpit. Clamshell doors covering the bay canbe opened by a cockpit control as the X-15 leav es theatmosphere. Th e pilot then maneuvers the X-IS intothe right position to photograph a target star. As theplane follows its ballistic trajectory "over the top," thecameras can take a continuous series of photographs indifferent ultraviolet wavelengths.

Photographs have b een taken in the past from sounding rockets, but the spinning action these rockets requirefor stabilization usually prevents precise orientation forselected targets . Occasionally, too , the photo information is lost when the payload is not recovered afterthe shot.

By a similar method, a horizon scanner studies lightacross the spectrum . Th e object here is to gather information on means of accurate sensing an d to developimproved attitude and guidance references for earthorbiting spacecraft.

An alphatron ionization gauge mounted in a smallwingtip pod measures atmosphe re density above 100 ,000feet. A similar pod houses equipment for measuringmicrometeorites. In several other experiments infrared

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and untraviolt data at the extremes of the X-IS's higheraltitude capability will be investigated.

The program also includes evaluation of advancedvehicle systems and structural materials. An electricstick controller will be tested for possible application inmanned spacecraft.

The X-1S is the harvest of ideas and work extendingover the last decade. In May 1952 the National Ad-

visory Committee for Aeronautics (NACA), whichlater formed the nucleus of the National Aeronauticsand Space Administration (NASA), directed its laboratories to begin studies of manned hyper onic flight athigh altitudes. In May 1954, NACA established performance requirements for a research craft that wouldassist in these studies.

Technicians assist Maj. Robert A. Rushworth with his helmet after an X-15 flight.

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The X-1S pilots: (begin

lower left and clockwise) Maj.Robert A. Rushworth, USAF;Maj. Robert M. White, USAF;Milton O. Thompson, NASA;Joseph A. Walker, NASA;and John B. McKay, NASA.

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X-15 FLIGHT LOG

MaximumFlight - - S p e e d - - Altitud e

Date Number * Pilot Mach No . M .P .H . (in feet) Remarks

6 - 8-59 1-1-5 Crossfield .79 52 2 37 ,550 Planned glide flight.9-17-59 2-1-3 2.11 1 ,393 52,341 First powered flight .

10-17-59 2-2-6 2 .15 1,419 61 , 78111 - 5-59 2-3-9 1.00 66 0 45,462 Engine fire ; fuselage structural failure on

landing .1-23-60 1-2-7 2 .53 1 ,66 9 66 ,84 42-11-60 2-4-11 2 .22 1,466 88 ,11 62 - 1 7 ~ 0 2-5-12 1 .57 1 ,036 42 ,64 03-17-60 2-6-13 2 .15 1 ,41 9 52 ,64 03 - 2 5 ~ 0 1-3-8 Walker 2 .00 1 , 32 0 48 ,63 0 First Govt. flight.3-29-60 2-7-15 Crossfield 1 .96 1 ,293 49,9823-31-60 2-8-16 2 .03 1 ,340 51,3564 - 1 3 ~ 0 1-4-9 White 1 .94 1 ,255 48 ,00 04-19-60 1-5-10 Walker 2 .56 1 ,68 9 59,4965- 6-60 1-6-11 White 2 .20 1,452 60,9385-12-60 1-7-12 Walker 3 .19 2 ,111 77 ,8825 - 1 9 ~ 0 1-8-13 White 2 . 31 1,590 108,9975 - 2 ~ 0 2-9-18 Crossfield 2 .20 1,452 51,2828 - 4-60 1-9-17 Walker 3 .31 2 ,19 6 78,1128-12-60 1-10-19 White 2 .52 1 ,77 2 13 6 ,5008-19-60 1-11-21 Walker 3.13 1 ,98 6 75 ,98 29 - 1 0 ~ 0 1-12-23 White 3.23 2,182 79 ,8649 - 2 3 ~ 0 1-13-25 Petersen 1 .68 1 ,108 53 ,04 3

10-20-60 1-14-27 1 .94 1 ,280 53 ,8001 0 - 2 8 ~ 0 1-15-28 McKay 2 .02 1,333 50,70011 - 4-60 1-16-29 Rushworth 1.95 1 ,282 48 ,90 011-15-60 2-10-21 Crossfield 2.97 1 ,960 81 ,20 0 First flight with XLR99 design engine .11-17-60 1-17-30 Rushworth 1 .90 1,254 54,75011-22-60 2-11-22 Crossfield 2 .51 1 ,65 6 61 ,90 0 First restart w ith XLR99 design engine .1 1 - 3 ~ 0 1-18-31 Armstrong 1 .75 1,155 48 ,84012 - 6-60 2-12-23 Crossfield 2.85 1,881 53 ,37 412 - 9 ~ 0 1-19-32 Armstrong 1 .80 1 ,188 50 ,09 5

2 - 1-61 1-20-35 McKay 1 .88 1 ,24 2 49 ,78 02 - 7 ~ 1 1-21-36 White 3 .50 2 ,275 78 ,15 0 Last LR11 flight .3 - 7-61 2-13-26 4.43 2,905 77,450 First Govt . XLR99 flight.3 - 3 ~ 1 2-14-28 Walker 3 .95 2 ,76 0 16 9 ,60 0

124-21-61 2-15-29 White 4 .62 3 ,074 105,0005-25-61 2-16-31 Walker 4 .90 3 ,30 0 10 7 , 5006-23-61 2-17-33 White 5 .27 3 ,60 3 10 7 ,70 08 - 1 ~ 1 1-22-37 Petersen 4 .11 2 ,735 78,200

See fo otn o te a t end of ta ble. u. S. GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE : 1963 0 - 671490

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Date

9-12-619-28-61

10 - 4-6110-11-6110-17-6111 - 9-6112-20-61

1-10-62

1-17-624 - 5-624-19-624-20-624-30-625- 8-625-22-626 - 1-626 - 7-626-12-626-21-626-27-626-29-627-16-627-17-627-19-627-26-628- 2-628- 8-628-14-628-20-628-29-629-28-62

1 0 - 4-6210 - 9-6210-23-6211 - 9-62

FlightNumber *

2-18-342- 19-351-23-39

2-20-361-24-402-21-373-1-21-25-44

3-2-33-3-71-26-463- 4 - 81-27-482-22-401-28-492-23-431-29-503-5-93-6-101-30-512-24-441-31-523-7-122-25-451-32-533-8-162-26-463-9-182-27-472-28-482-29-50

3-10-192-30-513-11-202-31-53

X-1S FLIGHT LOG-Continued

Maximum- - S p e e d - - Altitude

Pilot Mach No. M .P.H. (in feet) Remarks

Walker 5.25 3,614 114,300Petersen 5 .30 3,600 100,800Rushworth 4 . 30 2,830 78,000 Flight made wilh lower ventral off.

White 5 .21 3,647 217,000 Outer panel of left windshield cracked .Walker 5 .74 3,900 108,600White 6.04 4,093 101,600 Design speed achieved .Armslrong 3.76 2,502 81 ,00 0 First flight for X-15 No.3 .Petersen .97 645 44,750 Emergency landing on Mud Lake afte

engine failed to light .Armstrong 5 .51 3,765 133,500

" 4 .06 2,830 179,000Walker 5.69 3,866 154,000Armstrong 5 .31 3,789 207,500Walker 4 .94 3,489 246,700 Design alt. flight.Rushworth 5 .34 3 .524 70,400

" 5.03 3,450 100,400White 5.42 3,675 132,600Walker 5.39 3,672 103,600

White 5 .02 3,517 184,600" 5.08 3,641 246,700

Walker 5.92 4,105 123,700 Highest speed achieved .McKay 4 .95 3,280 83,200Walker 5.48 3,733 107,000White 5 .04 3,784 314,750 FAI world alt. record .McKay 5.11 3,375 84,500Armstrong 5 .82 3,954 100,000Walker 4.99 3,443 107,000Rushworth 4 .39 2,898 90,000Walker 5.13 3,784 197,000Rushworth 5.22 3,443 87 ,00 0 L

" 5 .21 3,443 97,000McKay 4.08 2,693 67,000Rushworth 4 .91 3,375 106,000McKay 5 .38 3,716 129,000Rushworth 5.57 3,81 8 134,000McKay .95 62 0 45,200 Emergency landing on Rogers Dry Lake

after engine power failure. Plane badl ydamaged by skid .

* Flight aclivity co de: First number is X-15 airplane number . Second number is flight number for lhe specified airplaneThird number is X-15 /B-52 airborne mission number.


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