what plane carried the x 15

Did you know this about the X-15 plane?

But here are a few little known facts about the X-15. The X-15 flew so high it needed 'space thrusters'.* The X-15 used conventional aerodynamic controls for flight in Earth’s dense atmosphere, says NASA. But for flight in the thinnest air above 200,000 feet, the X-15 used hydrogen peroxide steam thrusters on the nose and wingtips.

How high did the X-15 rocket fly?

Because the rocket engine consumed large amounts of fuel, the X-15 was air launched from a B-52 research aircraft at about 45,000 feet, flying over 500 mph. Depending on the mission, the rocket engine provided thrust for the first 80 to 120 seconds of flight.

Who built the X-15 bomber?

The X-15 was built by two manufacturers: North American Aviation was contracted for the airframe in November 1955, and Reaction Motors was contracted for building the engines in 1956. Like many X-series aircraft, the X-15 was designed to be carried aloft and drop launched from under the wing of a B-52 mother ship.

Who was the first person to fly x 15?

The first X-15 flight was a captive-carry unpowered test by Scott Crossfield, on 8 June 1959. Crossfield also piloted the first powered flight, on 17 September 1959, and his first flight with the XLR-99 rocket engine on 15 November 1960. Twelve test pilots flew the X-15.

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What pilots flew the X-15?

However, civilian NASA X-15 pilots who flew higher than 50 miles did ultimately receive this recognition. NASA X-15 pilots Bill Dana, Joe Walker and John B. McKay (posthumously) received their astronaut wings during a ceremony at the Dryden Flight Research Center at Edwards Air Force Base, California in July, 2005.

Could the X-15 go to space?

Between June 1959 and October 1968, a dozen pilots made a total of 199 flights in one or another of the three X-15 aircraft. Some of them flew, briefly, above an altitude of 50 miles, at which point they could say they'd been into space. In August 1963, NASA pilot Joe Walker got to 354,200 feet, or 67 miles.

Is the X-15 still the fastest plane?

Still the fastest airplane ever flown, the North American X-15 earned its title 40 years ago, when on October 3, 1967 Air Force Major William “Pete” Knight flew the rocket-powered aircraft to 4,520 mph, Mach 6.72.

Where is the X-15 now?

The X-15A-2 was the fastest X-15 flown, and it is now on exhibit at the Air Force Museum, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio.

What was the fastest plane ever?

Lockheed SR-71 BlackbirdAirplane / FastestThe Lockheed SR-71 "Blackbird" is a long-range, high-altitude, Mach 3+ strategic reconnaissance aircraft developed and manufactured by the American aerospace company Lockheed Corporation. It was operated by the United States Air Force and NASA. Wikipedia

Can a plane go Mach 10?

Sure, there are hypersonic weapons, most of them in testing stages, but to date not a single human was capable of reaching Mach 10 in an aircraft while inside the atmosphere.

What is the fastest fighter jet in the world 2022?

Fastest Jet Fighter: Lockheed Martin's F-22 Raptor.

What is our fastest spaceship?

0:0011:39Inside the Fastest Spaceship Ever Made | The Space Show - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipAnd is the fastest object made by humans in history it's nasa's parker solar probe launched in 2018.MoreAnd is the fastest object made by humans in history it's nasa's parker solar probe launched in 2018. Parker's top speed is a jaw-dropping 430 000 miles per hour.

Who broke Mach 5?

U.S. Air Force Captain Chuck Yeager becomes the first person to fly faster than the speed of sound. Yeager, born in Myra, West Virginia, in 1923, was a combat fighter during World War II and flew 64 missions over Europe.

What is the fastest unmanned aircraft?

X-43NASA X-43X-43RoleExperimental hypersonic UAVNational originUnited StatesDesign groupNASABuilt byMicro Craft (airframe) GASL (engine)4 more rows

How fast did the X-15 fly?

Because the rocket engine consumed large amounts of fuel, the X-15 was air launched from a B-52 research aircraft at about 45,000 feet, flying over 500 mph. Depending on the mission, the rocket engine provided thrust for the first 80 to 120 seconds of flight.

What was the X-15?

The basic X-15 was a single-seat, mid-wing monoplane. The X-15 initially flew with two XLR-11 engines, producing a thrust of 16,380 lb. Later, the Thiokol Chemical Corp. throttleable XLR-99 engine was installed. The XLR-99 provided a maximum thrust of 57,000 lb. and a minimum thrust of 28,000 lb. It was fueled by anhydrous ammonia and liquid oxygen.

What controls did the X-15 use?

The X-15 used conventional aerodynamic control s for flight in the dense air of the usable atmosphere. Rudder surfaces on the vertical stabilizers controlled yaw (i.e., movement of the nose left or right) and canted horizontal surfaces on the tail controlled pitch (i.e., nose up and down) when moving in synchronization or roll when moved differentially.

What is the X-15 made of?

The cabin was made of aluminum and was isolated from the outer structure to keep it cool.

How many X-15s were there?

The X-15 paved the way for America's piloted space program, setting unofficial world records for flight speed and altitude along the way. There were 12 X-15 pilots; five from NASA, five from the Air Force, one from the Navy, and one from North American.

Where was the first X-15?

The first X-15 arrived at the NASA High-Speed Flight Station (now NASA Dryden Flight Research Center) in early 1959. All flights took place within the "high range" east of Edwards Air Force Base, California, and the NASA Flight Research Center.

Where did the X-15 land?

Because the nose wheel lacked steering and the main landing gear employed skids, the X-15 landed on a dry lakebed. The Rogers Dry Lake adjacent to Edwards and Dryden was the intended landing location for all flights, but numerous lakebeds were selected in advance for emergency landings.

How many flights did the X-15 take?

During the X-15 program, 12 pilots flew a combined 199 flights. Of these, 8 pilots flew a combined 13 flights which met the Air Force spaceflight criterion by exceeding the altitude of 50 miles (80 km), thus qualifying these pilots as being astronauts.

What is the fuselage of an X-15?

The X-15 fuselage was long and cylindrical, with rear fairings that flattened its appearance, and thick, dorsal and ventral wedge-fin stabilizers. Parts of the fuselage (the outer skin) were heat-resistant nickel alloy ( Inconel -X 750). The retractable landing gear comprised a nose-wheel carriage and two rear skids.

Why is the X-15 wedge shape used?

A wedge shape was used because it is more effective than the conventional tail as a stabilizing surface at hypersonic speeds. A vertical-tail area equal to 60 percent of the wing area was required to give the X-15 adequate directional stability.

Why did the X-15 have a wedge tail?

The X-15 had a thick wedge tail to enable it to fly in a steady manner at hypersonic speeds. This produced a significant amount of base drag at lower speeds; the blunt end at the rear of the X-15 could produce as much drag as an entire F-104 Starfighter.

What is the X-15?

NASA. Number built. 3. The North American X-15 is a hypersonic rocket-powered aircraft. It was operated by the United States Air Force and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration as part of the X-plane series of experimental aircraft. The X-15 set speed and altitude records in the 1960s, reaching the edge of outer space ...

How did the X-15 work?

The X-15 was operated under several different scenarios, including attachment to a launch aircraft, drop, main engine start and acceleration, ballistic flight into thin air/space, re-entry into thicker air, unpowered glide to landing, and direct landing without a main-engine start. The main rocket engine operated only for a relatively short part of the flight but boosted the X-15 to its high speeds and altitudes. Without main engine thrust, the X-15's instruments and control surfaces remained functional, but the aircraft could not maintain altitude.

What is the Air Force NB-52A?

Air Force NB-52A, "The High and Mighty One" (serial 52-0003), and NB-52B, "The Challenger" (serial 52-0008, a.k.a. Balls 8) served as carrier planes for all X-15 flights. Release of the X-15 from NB-52A took place at an altitude of about 8.5 miles (13.7 km) and a speed of about 500 miles per hour (805 km/h).

Who flew the X-15?

Robert Rushworth flew 34 free flights, the most in the program. Forrest Petersen flew five, the fewest. Robert White was the first person to fly the X-15 above 100,000 feet. Milton Thompson piloted a series of typical flights during the middle of the program.

How many flights did the X-15 take?

The pilots and craft also performed twelve scheduled captive carry test flights and 125 aborted flights (frequently due either to technical problems or poor weather) in which the X-15 did not uncouple from its B-52 mother ship, for a grand total of 336 flights.

What are the numbers on the X-15?

In one, the numbers 1 through 199 were used to chronologically denote the free flights made by any of the three planes. For example, flight 1 (8 June 1959) was made by the X-15-1, flight 34 (7 March 1961) was made by the X-15-2, and flight 49 (5 April 1962) was made by the X-15-3. This convention ignores captive and aborted flights.

What is the flight number on an X-15?

The first part, a number—1, 2 or 3 —would denote the involved X-15 plane. The second part—a number, or "A", or "C"—would denote that individual X-15's chronological free flights; aborted flights were coded as "A", and scheduled captive carry test flights were coded as "C". The third part, a number, would denote the total number of times to-date that the individual X-15 had been taken aloft by a carrier, whether resulting in a free flight or not. For example, the X-15-1 was first taken aloft on scheduled captive test flight 1-C-1, next performed three aborted missions (1-A-2, 1-A-3, and 1-A-4), and then performed its first successful free flight on its fifth time taken aloft (1-1-5).

How many people flew the X-15?

Twelve pilots flew the X-15 over the course of its career. Scott Crossfield and William Dana flew the X-15 on its first and last free flights, respectively. Joseph Walker set the program's top two altitude records on its 90th and 91st free flights (347,800 and 354,200 feet, respectively), becoming the only pilot to fly past the Kármán line, the 100 kilometer, FAI -recognized boundary of outer space, during the program. William Knight set the program's Mach (6.70) and speed (4,520 mph) records on its 188th free flight. Neil Armstrong was the first pilot to fly the program's third plane, the X-15-3. Following his participation in the program, Joe Engle commanded a future spaceplane, the Space Shuttle, on two missions. Robert Rushworth flew 34 free flights, the most in the program. Forrest Petersen flew five, the fewest. Robert White was the first person to fly the X-15 above 100,000 feet. Milton Thompson piloted a series of typical flights during the middle of the program. John McKay was injured in (and recovered from, returning to active flight status) a landing accident which damaged the X-15-2, leading to its refurbishment as the modified X-15A-2. Michael Adams was killed in the program's 191st free flight. Five pilots were Air Force personnel, five were NASA personnel, one (Crossfield) was employed by manufacturer North American, and one (Petersen) was a Navy pilot.

How many flights were made in the X-15-3?

Following this in 2005, NASA retroactively awarded its civilian astronaut wings to Dana (then living), and to McKay and Walker (posthumously). Eleven flights above 50 miles were made in the X-15-3, and two were made in the X-15-1.

How many times did the NB-52 carry an X-15?

On free flights, the NB-52A carried the X-15 aloft 93 times, while the NB-52B carried it aloft 106 times.

Who flew the X-15?

Then, just 20 years later, William “Pete” Knight flew the X-15 hypersonic airplane to a Mach number of 6.7, the fastest speed attained in the X-15. By virtue of this flight, Knight still holds today the world’s speed record in a winged, powered aircraft.

How many test flights did the X-15 have?

This first flight was the beginning of one of the most spectacular test programs of one of the most spectacular airplanes in history. When it ended after 199 test flights, piloted by 12 different test pilots, the X-15 had produced test data in the hypersonic flight regime that would be indispensable to the later design of the space shuttle.

What was the first airplane to fly faster?

During the 20 th century, airplane design was driven by the mantra of “flying faster and higher.” Starting with the historic first flight of the Wright Flyer on December 17, 1903, aeronautical engineers focused on the design of new airplanes to achieve ever-increasing speeds and altitudes. Just 44 years later, on October 14, 1947, Capt. Chuck Yeager made aviation history by becoming the first to fly faster than the speed of sound; he piloted the Bell X-1, the first of a series of specially designed experimental airplanes – the X- airplanes. When the sonic boom from this flight reverberated across the desert at Muroc Dry Lake in California, it opened a powerful new chapter in the history of the airplane – the age of supersonic flight. By the early 1950s, supersonic airplanes had become the central focus of airplane design. In just a few years, the first airplane capable of cruising at Mach 2, the Lockheed F-104 Starfighter, entered service. Designed by the famous Lockheed Skunk Works under the direction of iconic designer Kelly Johnson, this airplane was a beautiful example of excellent supersonic aerodynamics. It sported a slender and streamlined fuselage with a pointed nose, and a very thin short, stubby wing with a leading edge as sharp as a razor blade – all designed to reduce supersonic wave drag on the airplane. Then, just 20 years later, William “Pete” Knight flew the X-15 hypersonic airplane to a Mach number of 6.7, the fastest speed attained in the X-15. By virtue of this flight, Knight still holds today the world’s speed record in a winged, powered aircraft. The X-15 opened yet a new chapter in the history of the airplane – the age of hypersonic flight. The X-15, however, did not reflect the supersonic aerodynamics seen in the Bell X-1 and the Lockheed F-104. Instead, the X-15 had a wider fuselage with a blunted nose as well as a thicker wing with blunt leading edges – all designed to reduce aerodynamic heating to the vehicle. This is a dramatic departure from good supersonic airplane design, and is a good example of the different problems encountered with hypersonic flight.

Why did the X-15 have a wider fuselage?

Instead, the X-15 had a wider fuselage with a blunted nose as well as a thicker wing with blunt leading edges – all designed to reduce aerodynamic heating to the vehicle. This is a dramatic departure from good supersonic airplane design, and is a good example of the different problems encountered with hypersonic flight.

How high was the X-15?

Mounted under the wing of a B-52 jet bomber, on that day the X-15 and Crossfield were carried to an altitude of 11,445 meters ( 37,550 feet), and then released. This first flight was a gliding flight; the rocket powered flights were to come later. Nevertheless, the X-15 reached a speed of Mach 0.79 on its decent to the desert floor below.

How long has the X-15 been in the museum?

After 45 years, no other airplane has flown faster and higher, and it has been a museum piece for four decades. That is food for thought. For more information on the X-15, check out John Anderson's new book, X-15: The World's Fastest Rocket Plane and the Pilots Who Ushered in the Space Age. Disqus Comments.

Which airplanes represent the path to flying faster and higher?

In this Museum, one can also see the other airplanes mentioned above that represent the path to flying faster and higher – the Wright Flyer, the Bell X-1, and the Lockheed F-104. The X-15 is the natural continuation of the quest for speed and altitude.

Who flew the X-15?

The plane was flown by an elite team of just 12 pilots, including Neil Armstrong, who would go on to lead the moon landing in 1969. The X-15 pictured in the skies above California. Credit: NASA.

How many flights did the X-15 take?

Shaped more like a bullet than a conventional airplane, the rocket-powered X-15 completed 199 test flights over nine years, starting in 1959. It could reach the edge of space and then glide back down to Earth, capturing data that informed the design and engineering of later American spacecraft, including NASA's space shuttles.

What is the X-15 made of?

Flying at thousands of miles per hour, the outer skin of the X-15 became very hot due to aerodynamic friction and was therefore made of a special nickel-chromium alloy called Inconel X. "The aircraft heated up to 1,200 degrees Fahrenheit," Gelzer said. "And the pilots could hear it expand behind them.".

How fast was the X-15?

In 1952, when development of the X-15 started, the official air speed record for an aircraft was just under 700 mph. The plane's mission was to reach Mach 5 -- five times the speed of sound, or nearly 4,000 mph. An X-15 rests on Rogers Dry Lake, California, in September 1961 following a mission.

Why was the X-15 designed?

Much of the X-15's design was geared towards being able to fly at high altitudes, where the air is so thin that conventional aerodynamic appendages no longer work. For that reason, the X-15 was equipped with a reaction control system, similar to that later used by space shuttles and the International Space Station.

What is the difference between the X-15 and the X-29?

The X-15 was essentially a rocket with a cockpit, so unlike other planes it wasn't designed to take off from a runway. Instead, it had to be taken to high altitude and released from a mothership, in this case a specially modified B-52 bomber. Grumman X-29: The impossible fighter jet with inverted wings. With the 50-foot-long X-15 tucked ...

How many X-15s were made?

The "X" series consists of more than 60 experimental aircraft produced by US government agencies, including the Air Force and NASA, since the end of World War II. They were often extreme machines, designed to push the envelope, and the X-15 had a particularly ambitious goal.

What was the X-15 equipped with?

The X-15 came equipped with what was basically a tractor seat.

Who was the first pilot to fly the X-15?

Test Pilot Scott Crossfield with the X-15. Bulky, black and hypersonic; the X-15 test aircraft was billed as the U.S.’ first crewed attempt to ply the outer reaches of Earth’s atmosphere and beyond.

What temperature does the Inconel X 15 melt?

Inconel-X, says NASA, would retain most of its strength at 1200° F., a temperature that would melt aluminum and render stainless steel useless.

What is the X-15 made of?

The X-15 would have never been possible without Inconel-X, a new nickel-chrome alloy of the era. The X-15’s outer skin consisted of Inconel-X that was durable and able to withstand the 1200 to 1300 degrees F.-high temperatures that hypersonic flight and reentry from low-Earth orbit can create.

What controls did the X-15 use?

The X-15 used conventional aerodynamic controls for flight in Earth’s dense atmosphere, says NASA. But for flight in the thinnest air above 200,000 feet, the X-15 used hydrogen peroxide steam thrusters on the nose and wingtips.

How high did the X-15 launch?

To conserve the test craft’s precious fuel, a B-52 was used to carry the X-15 up to its ideal launch altitude of some 40,000 feet. There, the pilot and test craft were dropped from a pylon situated underneath the B-52’s right wing.

What was the X-15 credited with?

But the X-15’s peacetime research over the dry lakes of the American Southwest is credited with speeding the way for NASA’s crewed space flight programs, including Apollo. Diagram of the X-15. Credit: NASA.

What is the second X-15 rocket plane?

The second X-15 rocket plane (56-6671) is shown with two external fuel tanks which were added during its conversion to the X-15A-2 configuration in the mid-1960's. (U.S. Air Force photo)

How fast was the X-15?

This was the fastest X-15, reaching Mach 6.7 in October 1967. It was delivered to the museum in 1969.

Why is the X-15 important?

Its purpose was to fly high and fast, testing the machine and subjecting pilots to conditions that future astronauts would face. It made the first manned flights to the edges of space and was the world’s first piloted aircraft to reach hypersonic speeds, or more than five times the speed of sound. The X-15 was an important tool for developing spaceflight in the 1960s, and pilots flying above 50 miles altitude in the X-15 earned astronaut wings.

How many X-15s were built?

Three X-15s were built, and they made 199 flights between 1959-1968. The program was a joint U.S. Air Force/Navy/NASA project, and four of its 12 pilots were U.S. Air Force officers. One pilot, USAF Maj. Michael J. Adams, died in an X-15 crash in 1967.

How long did the X-15 take to land?

Typical flights lasted about 10 minutes.

What was the fastest X-15?

This aircraft is the second of the three X-15s. North American modified it for even greater speed, adding the large orange and white propellant tanks and lengthening the fuselage about 18 inches. This was the fastest X-15, reaching Mach 6.7 in October 1967. It was delivered to the museum in 1969.

Where is the North American X-15A-2?

DAYTON, Ohio -- North American X-15A-2 cockpit at the National Museum of the United States Air Force. (U.S. Air Force photo) PHOTO DETAILS / DOWNLOAD HI-RES 12 of 25. The North American X-15A-2 was moved from the restoration hangar to the museum’s new fourth building on Oct. 2, 2015.

How many missions did the X-15 fly?

Over a period of nearly 10 years beginning in 1959, the titanium-clad X-15 flew 199 missions, reaching more than four-and-a-half times the speed of sound. On several occasions, its single giant rocket motor propelled it beyond the atmosphere out into space and the pilots saw the horizon turn from blue to black as they hurtled beyond our planet’s sky. After less than 10 minutes of flight, they would return to Earth to skid to a halt on the Edwards lake floor. Remarkably, only one test pilot was killed in all those flights.

Who was the pilot of the X-15?

Unlike Nasa’s heavily promoted silver-clad astronauts who flew in the Mercury, Gemini or Apollo capsules, only one X-15 pilot became well known. But not for flying the X-15. “Neil Armstrong is remembered here as a co-worker and X-15 pilot,” says Smith, “and not for what he later went on to become, an astronaut with worldwide fame.”

How much money did Nasa put into the Dream Chaser?

It is not only space tourism companies that are revisiting the concepts of the X-15. Nasa has put more than $100m into the Dream Chaser. Like the Space Shuttle, this spaceplane would be launched into orbit vertically on a rocket and then return to Earth for a runway landing.

How many test flights did the X-15 take?

The X-15 flew 199 test flights in the 1950s and 60s, taking pilots to the very edge of space. (Nasa)

What were the achievements of the X-15?

As well as proving that an aircraft could fly from air to space and back again, other achievements from the X-15 programme include the development of the first space suits, the study of thermal protection systems for re-entering the atmosphere and the application of advanced avionics. Some of the flights were equipped with instruments to observe and study the hostile space environment.

What is the fastest manned aircraft?

The X-15 is the fastest and highest-flying manned aircraft. Decades after its record-breaking flights, it’s inspiring a new generation of space planes.

Where is Virgin Galactic's space plane built?

Virgin Galactic’s spaceplane, which is being built at Mojave, will fly a similar profile to the X-15. Just like the X-15, the company’s SpaceShipTwo will be dropped from beneath a carrier aircraft, to climb under its own power, supersonically, out into space before gliding back to a runway landing. The first flights into space are due to take place later this year.

Overview

Design and development

Operational history

Current static displays

Record flights

Specifications

See also

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