Air force, became the first pilot to fly faster than mach 6 when he flew the number two north american aviation x15 hypersonic research rocketplane, 566671, to mach 6. The story of the north american x 15, which offers a detailed 276page history of this remarkable aircraft. Find art you love and shop highquality art prints, photographs, framed artworks and. The air force selected north american to develop three x15 research aircraft in september 1955. After its initial test flights in 1959, the x 15 became the first winged aircraft to attain hypersonic velocities of mach 4, 5, and 6 four to six times the speed of sound and to operate at altitudes well above. The x 15, shown in figure 111, is the only true manned hypersonic airplane flown to date. Oclcs webjunction has pulled together information and resources to assist library staff as they consider how to handle coronavirus. The x15 set speed and altitude records in the early 1960s, reaching the edge of outer space and returning with valuable data used in aircraft and spacecraft design.
To explore space and atmospheric flight at hypersonic speed and altitude 250,000 feet u. Sep 20, 2017 more important than records, however, were the x 15 s probing of hypersonic aerodynamic performance and heating rates, research into structural behavior during high heating and high flight loads. The x15 set speed and altitude records in the 1960s, reaching the edge of outer space and returning with valuable data used in aircraft and spacecraft design. After winning an industrywide competition, north american aviation designed and built the x15. Everyday low prices and free delivery on eligible orders. Numerous and frequentlyupdated resource results are available from this search. Boostglide trajectories are a class of spacecraft guidance and reentry trajectories that extend the range of suborbital spaceplanes and reentry vehicles by employing aerodynamic lift in the high upper atmosphere. Reliable information about the coronavirus covid19 is available from the world health organization current situation, international travel. In february 1949, at white sands, the rocket reached a speed of 8,288. Hi, today i am presenting you the story of the north american x15, it was one of most important nasa program back in the time and gave to nasa many important innovations for. The vehicle, however, burned on atmospheric reentry, and only charred remnants were found. After its initial test flights in 1959, the x15 became the first winged aircraft to attain hypersonic velocities of mach 4, 5, and 6 four to six times the speed of sound and to operate at altitudes well above. It was rocket powered, and started flight by being dropped from a b52, so it was purely a research airplane.
The story of a rocket test pilot, by scott crossfield, the world publishing company, 1960. The x 15 rocket plane book also available for read online, mobi, docx and mobile and kindle reading. In december 1903, the first heavierthanair flight took place at kill devil hills, north carolina. The north american x 15 was a hypersonic rocketpowered aircraft operated by the united states air force and the national aeronautics and space administration as part of the x plane series of experimental aircraft. Mar 02, 2019 hi, today i am presenting you the story of the north american x 15, it was one of most important nasa program back in the time and gave to nasa many important innovations for its conquest of space. The x15 debuted on october 15, 1958, and between june 8, 1959, and october 24, 1968, more than a dozen pilots in three x15s flew 199 missions, successively passing mach 3 1960, mach 4 and 5 1961, and mach 6 1963. The x 15 was operated under several different scenarios including attachment to a launch aircraft, drop, main engine start and acceleration, a ballistic flight into thin airspace, reentry into thicker air, and an unpowered glide to landing. National advisory committee for aeronautics and national aeronautics and.
The x 15 reached 314,750 feet in july of 1962 piloted by joe walker. The north american x15 was a hypersonic rocketpowered aircraft operated by the united. Despite the fact that it is one of the most celebrated experimental aircraft ever flown, most historical writings have always had a rather peculiar blind spot regarding the x15 program. Hypersonic flow theory presents the fundamentals of fluid mechanics, focusing on the hypersonic flow theory and approaches in theoretical aerodynamics. The x15 rocket plane tells the enthralling yet littleknown story of the hypersonic x15, the winged rocket ship that met this challenge and opened the way into humancontrolled spaceflight. The story of a rocket test pilot, by scott crossfield, the world publishing. The x15, shown in figure 111, is the only true manned hypersonic airplane flown to date. The north american x 15 was a rocketpowered aircraft operated by the united states air force and the national aeronautics and space administration nasa as part of the x plane series of experimental aircraft. The first manufactured object to achieve hypersonic flight was the twostage bumper rocket, consisting of a wac corporal second stage set on top of a v2 first stage. Hypersonic aircraft the x15, other hypersonic studies. I n early 1950s, a several highspeed flight researches were being proceeded by different agencies, the nacas hypersonic research, the air forces project 1226 and the navys d558 program. Jul 30, 2003 forwardthinking researchers also decided to design the airplane to fly to the edge of space, long before the manned space program had begun in earnest. While that book is a more polished and indepth affair than this manual, this book is nonetheless a very solid reference work in its own right. The x 15 set speed and altitude records in the 1960s, reaching the edge of outer spac.
The x15 photo scrapbook collects photographs that could not be included in hypersonic due to space limitations. The x15s pioneering flights set records that still have not been broken four decades later, including a top speed of mach 6. The final x15 flight occurred in october of 1968, a full three years before i was even born, so it wasnt like it was a program that was present during my upbringing. Russia is the first country to deploy a hypersonic nuclear missile. The story of the north american x15 revised edition specialty press. The reliability of the x15 in free flight has been exceptionally good. Impingement and interference heating on the x152 research airplane pdf. Nobody was seriously hurt and north american subsequently. North american x15 wikimili, the best wikipedia reader. The first flight was by scott crossfield in june of 1959.
The air force selected north american to develop three x 15 research aircraft in september 1955. The first xlr99 engine flight in november, 1960 started to expand the x 15 performance envelope to the design goals. Those of us in the program at flight 190 thought that the x15 would continue. The flights did not go without some troubles, including a cracked airframe after a hard, overweight landing after an emergency, and the loss of x 15 3 and the tragic death of usaf pilot michael adams in november, 1967 when his x 15 entered a hypersonic spin, breaking. North american x 15 hypersonic experimental aircraft photographic print.
Pdf north american x 15 download full pdf book download. In 1954, langley team of naca gathered those similar researches from military services and aerospace industries, combined with the air force and navy to launch the new project 1226 competition. A 200th x15 flight had been scheduled, but after several delays, the decision was made to end the program. The x15 was born on october 5, 1954, when the national advisory committee for aeronautics decided on the need for a manned hypersonic research airplane. After 199 flights, the national aeronautics and space administration cancelled the x15 hypersonic research program. Indian hypersonic glide vehicle hgv202f in development. That craft was the x15, designed by north american aviation. This book discusses the assumptions underlying hypersonic flow theory, unified supersonichypersonic similitude, twodimensional and axisymmetric bodies, and circular cylinder. The worlds fastest rocket plane and the pilots who. In june 1959, the fabled x15 hypersonic research aircraft first took to the air in the skies over edwards air force base, california. In x15, the exciting story of the x15 the iconic rocket plane of the cold war space race is recounted by john anderson, curator of aerodynamics at the smithsonian national air and space museum. From 1959 through 1968 a decadelong research program employed the north american aviation x15 to explore hypersonic flight and technologies needed for space flight. In the joint x15 hypersonic research program that nasa conducted with the air force, the navy, and north american aviation, inc. And luddites can still order hard copies of the x15 book, along with a cd or a pdf.
The last actual flight attempt was 12 december 1968, but snow at several of the dry lakes used as emergency landing areas continue. These and countless events like them have marked the history of flight in the united. There is no real reason i should have a fascination with the x15 project. In the joint x 15 hypersonic research program that nasa conducted with the air force, the navy, and north american aviation, inc. From 1959 through 1968 a decadelong research program employed the north american aviation x 15 to explore hypersonic flight and technologies needed for space flight. Despite the fact that it is one of the most celebrated experimental aircraft ever flown, most historical writings have always had a rather peculiar blind spot regarding the x 15 program. The north american x15 was a rocketpowered aircraft operated by the united states air force and the national aeronautics and space administration nasa as part of the xplane series of experimental aircraft. In june 1959, the fabled x 15 hypersonic research aircraft first took to the air in the skies over edwards air force base, california.
More important than records, however, were the x15s probing of hypersonic aerodynamic performance and heating rates, research into structural behavior during high heating and high flight loads. The x15 program investigated piloted hypersonic flight in the areas of aerodynamic performance and heating rates, structural behavior during high heating and high flight loads, hypersonic stability and control during exit from and reentry of the. The north american x15 was a hypersonic rocketpowered aircraft operated by the united states air force and the national aeronautics and space administration as part of the xplane series of experimental aircraft. The last actual flight attempt was 12 december 1968, but snow at several of the dry lakes used as emergency landing areas continue reading north. The story of the north american x15 revised edition specialty press jenkins, dennis, landis.
Pdf download north american x 15 x planes free ebooks pdf. The story of the north american x15, which offers a detailed 276page history of this remarkable aircraft. The x 15 photo scrapbook collects photographs that could not be included in hypersonic due to space limitations. An indepth history of the x 15 program may be found in hypersonic. The x 15 s pioneering flights set records that still have not been broken four decades later, including a top speed of mach 6. Pdf download the x 15 rocket plane free unquote books. Aug, 2016 a project by north american and nasa to construct a prototype to reach a top speed of mach 6 or 4,520 mph 7,274 kmh at an altitude of almost 100,000 feet in 1961. During the 1950s and 1960s, this flight research was expanded with numerous other u. With the soviet unions launch of the first sputnik satellite in 1957, the cold war soared to new heights as americans feared losing the race into space. See more ideas about experimental aircraft, fighter jets and aircraft. This was the 45th flight of the x15 program, and bob whites 11th flight. X 1 to x 45, by jay miller, midland counties publishing, 2001.
In most examples, boostglide roughly doubles the range over the purely ballistic trajectory. The present historical account of the x 15 hypersonic research aircraft development program, which began in 1952 with the determination by nacas committee on aeronautics to attempt speeds of mach. In others, a series of skips allows range to be further extended, and leads to the. An indepth history of the x15 program may be found in hypersonic. Forwardthinking researchers also decided to design the airplane to fly to the edge of space, long before the manned space program had begun in earnest. Download now this is the most extensively researched history of the x15 program yet produced, written with the cooperation of surviving x15 pilots as well as many other program principals. The x15 set speed and altitude records in the 1960s, reaching the edge of outer space and returning with valuable data used in. The north american x15page contains all related products, articles, books, walkarounds and plastic scale modeling projects dedicated to this aircraft. The north american x15, a rocketpowered research aircraft, bridged the gap between manned flight in the atmosphere and space flight.
A concise history of the x15 research airplane by dennis r. Find art you love and shop highquality art prints, photographs, framed artworks and posters at. The story of the north american x15 specialty press by dennis r. Nasa releases first free ebook, on history of x15 rocket plane. North american x15 rocketpowered aircraft north american. The north american x15 rocketpowered research aircraft bridged the gap between manned flight within the atmosphere and manned flight beyond the. A project by north american and nasa to construct a prototype to reach a top speed of mach 6 or 4,520 mph 7,274 kmh at an altitude of almost 100,000 feet in 1961. The main obstacle this book has to overcome is dennis jenkins and tony landis superb hypersonic.
The north american x 15, a rocketpowered research aircraft, bridged the gap between manned flight in the atmosphere and space flight. Nasa x15 hypersonic research program archives page 3 of. Nasa x15 hypersonic research program archives page 3 of 5. The present historical account of the x15 hypersonic research aircraft development program, which began in 1952 with the determination by nacas committee on aeronautics to attempt speeds of mach. Japanese hypersonic glide vehicle hyper velocity gliding projectile hvgp see also.
X15 contributions to aerospace x15tale of the tape. The x 15 set speed and altitude records in the early 1960s, reaching the edge of outer space and returning with valuable data used in aircraft and spacecraft design. High speed strike weapon hssw usa prompt global strike pgs usa arclight missile usa darpa falcon project usa boeing x 51 usa north american x 15 usa wu14 china. The x 15 was a research program and changes were made to various systems over the course of the program and between the different models. The story of the north american x15 revised edition specialty press jenkins, dennis, landis, tony on. Apr 28, 2014 north american x15 rocketpowered aircraft north american aviation usaf, nasa envelope.
North american x15 hypersonic experimental aircraft photographic print. The story of the north american x15 revised edition. Hypersonic flight is flight through the atmosphere below about 90 km at speeds above mach 5, a speed where dissociation of air begins to become significant and high heat loads exist. Offices hypersonic revolution, no one has space shuttle to proceed much. Past history has shown that the majority of problem areas and aborted flights occur. The story of the north american x15 by jenkins and landis. This experimental space plane was on the cutting edge of hypersonic aerodynamics, and its winged reentry from space foreshadowed the development of the space shuttle decades later. The north american x 15 page contains all related products, articles, books, walkarounds and plastic scale modeling projects dedicated to this aircraft. The x 15 program investigated piloted hypersonic flight in the areas of aerodynamic performance and heating rates, structural behavior during high heating and high flight loads, hypersonic stability and control during exit from and reentry of the. X1 to x45, by jay miller, midland counties publishing, 2001. Download the x 15 rocket plane in pdf and epub formats for free. North american x15 hypersonic experimental aircraft.