X-15 Pics

[ACarey]

I thought about doing a book on parasite aircraft

[The Inspector]

With a very few modifications,(most of them at least preliminarily worked out) a two seat version of this could have been our first manned spacecraft, but the Mercury program interrupted the progress by NASA deciding that SPAM belonged in a can, not piloting an aircraft as missiles were 'sexier'.

[Jerry O'Neill]

One of the most successful research programs ever.
Jerry

[The Inspector]

Lets see now, 199 flights, Max altitude reached 354,200 ft (just over 67 miles straight up) and 4520 MPH. (Mach 6.7) Flown by 12 men,including Neil Armstrong (which is where he was awarded his astronaut wings) with one fatality, Mike Adams who reentered the thicker atmosphere sideways due to a failed component on his first flight. 2 of the three built survive, #1 in NASM in D.C. and the other #3 @ NMUSAF, Adams was flying #2.

This has been my #1 favorite aircraft for 40 years.

[James D]

Anyone have a link to the picturess of the heat damage on the X15 from air friction?

[The Inspector]

You can find some pictures of the heat damage on GOOGLE.
Crossfield was awarded a standard 5 lb. building brick ground to a point on one end and on a stand by the Soaring Society as a tongue in cheek award for his first sucessful glide flight in the X-15 I understand he kept it on his desk.

[SaxMan]

I've always had a soft spot for the X-15. I did a report on the X-15 when I was in Elementary School and called it "America's First Space Shuttle". It took man literally to the brink of our atmosphere. It would have been interesting had there been continued development of the X-15 instead of going with the missle/capsule route.

[TAdan]

2 of the three built survive, #1 in NASM in D.C. and the other #3 @ NMUSAF, Adams was flying #2.

This has been my #1 favorite aircraft for 40 years.

I did not realize that just three were built and only two survive. I am very lucky that I have seen both on display.

[The Inspector]

OOPSIE!! I put out some bad info! 566670 #1 IS @ NASM, 566671 #2 is @ NMUSAF and was converted to A-2 configuration by stretching it 29 inches after a very serious crash with John McKay flying. 566672 #3 was the aircraft Mike Adams was flying on his 7th flight when it broke up. Most of 672 are buried in a secret place on the grounds of Edwards, a few pieces are on display @ the Edwards Museum, and in the San Diego Aerospace Museum. A few pieces are/were on display @ a restaurant in the Palmdale/Lancaster area but that info is a bit old and may not be reliable info.

'Just bring me that Crow sandwich and a beer willya?'

[Rick65]

The X-15 hugely excited me as a kid. It along with the A-12/SR71 (less known at the time) encapsulated the drive faster and higher.
So much more exciting than a rocket and space ship, except possible the moon landings.

There is good information on the X-15 on the NASA web site including a large downloadable article
X-15 Extending the Frontier of Flight

http://www.nasa.gov/pdf/470842main_X_15 ... Flight.pdf

[James D]

Good info Inspector. Did you GOOGLE that by using GOOGLE?

[The Inspector]

That, and my own X-15 info books which includes a very thick volume about all the contract bid proposals and decisions, designs offered, (did you know that DOUGLAS' D-558-3 offering would have used magnesium skins ) and phases of all the missions and a very cool DVD of the 3 aircraft over the length of the program.