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Proceedings of the X-15 First Flight 30th Anniversary Celebration
Appendix A: X-15 Flight Log
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NASA Facts
National Aeronautics and
Space Administration
Ames Research Center
Dryden Flight Research Facility
P.O. Box 273
Edwards, California 93523
AC 805 258-8381
X-15, WORLD'S FIRST HYPERSONIC RESEARCH AIRCRAFT
The X-15 was a small rocket-powered aircraft, 50 feet long with a wingspan of 22 feet. It had a conventional fuselage, but an unusual wedge-shaped vertical tail, thin stubby wings and unique side fairings that extended along the fuselage. The X-15 weighed about 14,000 pounds empty and approximately 34,000 pounds at launch. The rocket engine, which was controlled by the pilot, was capable of developing 60,000 pounds of thrust.
The X-15 research aircraft was developed to provide inflight information and data on aero-thermodynamics, aerodynamics, structures, flight controls and the physiological aspects of high-speed, high-altitude flight. A follow-on program utilized the aircraft as a testbed to carry various scientific experiments beyond the Earth's atmosphere on a repeated basis.
For flight in the dense air of the usable atmosphere, the X-15 utilized conventional aerodynamic controls. For flight outside of the appreciable Earth's atmosphere, the X-15 used a ballistic control system. Eight hydrogen peroxide thrust rockets, located on the nose of the aircraft controlled pitch and yaw. Four other rockets were located on the wings for roll control.
Because of the rapid fuel consumption, the X-15 was air launched from under the wing of a B-52 aircraft at 45,000 feet at a speed of about 500 miles per hour. Depending on the mission and engine throttle setting, the rocket engine provided thrust for the first 80 to 120 seconds of flight. The remainder of the normal 10-11 minute flight was powerless and ended with a 200 mile-per-hour glide landing.
Usually, one of two types of X-15 flight profiles were f1own: a high-altitude flight plan that called for the pilot to climb steeply after launch or a speed profile that called for the pilot to push over and maintain a level altitude. First flown June 8, 1959, the three X-15 aircraft made 199 powered flights, concluding with the last flight on Oct. 24, 1968. Flight maximums of 354,200 feet in altitude and a speed of 4,520 miles per hour were obtained.
The airframe manufacturer was North American Rockwell, Inc. Thiokol Chemical Corp. manufactured the power plant. The program was a joint NASA-USAF-USN effort.
Three X-15 aircraft were built. The number I aircraft now is displayed in the Smithsonian's National Air and Space Museum, Washington, D.C. Aircraft number 2 is on display at the Air Force Museum at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio. The third aircraft was destroyed in a fatal accident in November 1967.
Total cost of the X-15 program, including development of the three aircraft, was about $300 million.
X-15 FLIGHT LOG
Flight number stands for: X-15 number - Free flight number - B-52 carry number
NO. DATE FLIGHT
NO. PILOT MACH - MPH MAX.
ALT.
FT.MSL REMARKS
1 6-2-59 1-1-5 Crossfield 0.79 - 522 37,550 planned glide flight
2 9-17-59 2-1-3 Crossfield 2.11 - 1393 52,341 first powered flight
3 10-17-59 2-2-6 Crossfield 2.15 - 1419 61,78
4 11-5-59 2-3-9 Crossfield 1.00 - 660 45,462 engine fire; fuselage structural failure on landing
5 1-23-60 1-2-7 Crossfield 2.53 - 1569 66,844
6 2-11-60 2-4-11 Crossfield 2.22 - 1466 88,116
7 2-17-69 2-5-12 Crossfield 1.57 - 1036 52,640
8 3-17-60 2-6-13 Crossfield 2.15 - 1419 52,640
9 3-25-60 1-3-8 Walker 2.00 - 1320 43,630 first research flight
10 3-29-60 2-7-15 Crossfield 1.96 - 1293 49,992
11 3-31-60 2-8-16 Crossfield 2.93 - 1340 51,356
12 4-13-60 1-4-9 White 1.91 - 1254 48,000
13 4-19-60 1-5-10 Walker 2. 56 - t 639 59,496
14 5-5-60 1-6-11 White 2.20 - 1452 60,933
15 5-12-60 1-7-12 Walker 3.19 - 2111 77,382
16 5-19-6O 1-8-13 White 2.31 - 1590 108,997
17 5-26-60 2-9-18 Crossfield 2.20 - 1452 51,282
18 8-4-60 1-9-17 Walker 3.31 - 2196 78,112
19 8-12-60 1-10-19 White 2.52 - 1772 136,500
20 8-19-60 1-11-21 Walker 3.13 - 1986 75,982
21 9-10-60 1-12-23 White 3.23 - 2182 79,864
22 9-23-60 1-13-25 Petersen 1.68 - 1108 53,043
23 10-20-60 1-14-27 Petersen 1.94 - 1280 53,800
24 10-28-60 1-15-28 McKay 2.02 - 1333 50,700
25 11-4-60 1-16-29 Rushworth 1.95 - 1237 48,900
26 11-15-60 2-10-21 Crossfield 2.97 - 1960 81,200 first flight with XLR-99 design engine
27 11-17-60 1-17-30 Rushworth 1.90 - 1254 54,750
28 11-22-60 2-11-22 Crossfield 2.51 - 1656 61,900 first restart with XLR-99 design engine
29 11-30-60 1-18-31 Armstrong 1.75 - 1155 43,840
30 12-6-60 2-12-23 Crossfield 2.35 - 1331 53,374
31 12-9-60 1-19-32 Armstrong 1.39 - 1138 50,095
32 2-1-61 1-20-35 McKay 1.83 - 1211 49,780
33 2-7-61 1-21-35 White 3.50 - 2275 78,159
34 3-7-61 2-13-26 White 4.43 - 2905 77,450
35 3-30-61 2-14-28 Walker 3.95 - 2760 169,600
36 4-21-61 2-15-29 White 4.62 - 3074 105,009
37 5-25-61 2-16-31 Walker 4.95 - 3307 197,500
38 6-23-61 2-17-33 White 5.27 - 3603 107,700
39 8-10-61 1-22-37 Petersen 4.11 - 2735 73,200
40 9-12-61 2-18-34 Walker 5.21 - 3613 114,300
41 9-28-61 2-19-35 Petersen 5.39 - 3600 101,390
42 10-4-61 1-23-39 Rushworth 4.30 - 2330 73,000 flight made with lower ventral off
43 10-11-61 2-20-35 White 5.2l - 3647 217,090 outer panel of left windshield cracked
44 10-17-61 1-24-49 Walker 5.74 - 3900 108,600
45 11-9-61 2-21-37 White 6.04 - 4193 101,500 design speed achieved
46 12-20-61 3-1-2 Armstrong 3.76 - 2502 81,000
47 1-10-62 1-25-44 Petersen 0.97 - 645 44,7510 emergency landing on Mud Lake after engine failed to light
48 1-17-62 3-2-3 Armstrong 5.51 - 3765 133,500
49 4-5-62 3-3-7 Armstrong 4.12 - 2S50 130,000
50 4-19-62 1-26-46 Walker 5.69 - 3866 154,000
51 4-20-62 3-4-8 Armstrong 5.31 - 3739 207,590
52 4-30-62 1-27-48 Walker 4.94 - 3439 246,700 design altitude flight
53 5-8-62 2-22-40 Rushworth 5.34 - 3524 70,400
54 5-22-62 1-28-49 Rushworth 5.03 - 3450 100,400
55 6-1-62 2-23-43 White 5.42 - 3675 132,690
56 6-7-62 1-29-59 Walker 5.39 - 3672 103,699
57 6-12-62 3-5-9 White 5.02 - 3517 184,600
58 6-21-62 3-6-10 White 5.93 - 3641 246,700
59 6-27-62 1-30-51 Walker 5.92 - 4104 123,700 unofficial world speed record
60 6-29-62 2-24-44 McKay 4.95 - 3290 33,200
61 7-16-62 1-31-52 Walker 5.37 - 3674 107,299
62 7-17-62 3-7-14 White 5.45 - 3822 314,750 FAI world altitude record
63 7-19-52 2-25-15 McKay 5.18 - 3474 85,250
64 7-26-62 1-32-53 Armstrong 5.74 - 3939 98,900
65 8-2-62 3-8-16 Walker 5.07 - 3439 144,500
66 8-8-62 2-26-46 Rushworth 4.40 - 2943 90,877
67 8-14-62 3-9-18 Walker 5.25 - 3747 193,600
68 8-20-62 2-27-47 Rushworth 5.24 - 3534 38,990
69 8-29-62 2-28-48 Rushworth 5.12 - 3447 97,200
70 9-28-62 2-29-50 McKay 4.22 - 2765 69,200 this and all following flights without lower ventral
71 10-4-62 3-10-19 Rushworth 5.17 - 3493 112,200
72 10-9-62 2-39-51 McKay 5.46 - 3716 130,290
73 10-23-62 3-11-20 Rushworth 5.47 - 3764 134,500
74 11-9-62 2-31-52 McKay 1.49 - 1019 53,950 emergency landing at Mud Lake
75 12-14-62 3-12-22 White 5.65 - 3742 141,400
76 12-20-62 3-13-23 Walker 5.73 - 3793 160,400
77 1-17-63 3-14-24 Walker 5.47 - 3677 271,700 first civilian flight above 50 miles
78 4-11-63 1-33-54 Rushworth 4.25 - 2864 74,400
79 4-18-63 3-15-25 Walker 5.51 - 3770 92,500
80 4-25-63 1-34-55 McKay 5.32 - 3654 105,500
81 5-2-63 3-15-26 Walker 4.73 - 3433 209,400
82 5-14-63 3-17-28 Rushworth 5.20 - 3600 95,600
83 5-15-63 1-35-56 McKay 5.57 - 3956 124,290
84 5-29-63 3-13-29 Walker 5.52 - 3853 92,000 inner panel of left windshield cracked
85 6-19-63 3-19-30 Rushworth 4.97 - 3539 223,700
86 6-25-63 1-36-57 Walker 5.51 - 3911 111,80,0
87 6-27-63 3-20-31 Rushworth 4.89 - 3425 285,099
88 7-9-63 1-37-59 Walker 5.07 - 3631 226,400
89 7-18-63 1-33-61 Rushworth 5.63 - 3925 104,300
90 7-19-63 3-21-32 Walker 5.59 - 3710 347,300
91 8-22-63 3-22-36 Walker 5.58 - 3794 354,200 unofficial world altitude record
92 10-7-63 1-39-63 Engle 4.21 - 2834 77,300
93 10-29-63 1-40-64 Thompson 4.10 - 2712 74,403
94 11-7-63 3-23-39 Rushworth 4.40 - 2925 82,300
95 11-14-63 1-41-65 Engle 4.75 - 3296 99,900
96 11-27-63 3-24-41 Thompson 4.94 - 3310 39,300
97 12-5-63 1-42-67 Rushworth 6.06 - 4013 101,000
98 1-8-64 1-43-69 Engle 5. 32 - 3616 139,900
99 1-16-64 3-25-42 Thompson 4.92 - 3242 71,000
100 1-28-64 1-44-70 Rushworth 5.34 - 3613 107,400
101 2-19-64 3-26-43 Thompson 5.29 - 3519 78,690
102 3-13-64 3-27-44 McKay 5.11 - 3392 76,000
103 3-27-64 1-45-72 Rushworth 5.63 - 3827 101,509
104 4-8-64 1-46-73 Engle 5.01 - 3468 175,009
105 4-29-64 1-47-74 Rushworth 5.72 - 3906 101,600
106 5-12-64 3-28-47 McKay 4.66 - 3934 72,800
107 5-19-64 1-48-75 Engle 5.92 - 3494 195,800
108 5-21-64 3-29-49 Thompson 2.90 - 1865 64,200 premature engine shutdown at 41 sec.
109 6-25-64 2-32-55 Rushworth 4.59 - 3104 33,300
110 6-30-64 1-49-77 McKay 4.96 - 3334 99,690
111 7-8-64 3-30-50 Engle 5.05 - 3520 170,400
112 7-29-64 3-31-52 Engle 5.33 - 3623 78,990
113 9-12-64 3-32-53 Thompson 5.24 - 3535 31,209
114 8-14-64 2-33-56 Rushworth 5.23 - 3590 103,390
115 8-26-64 3-33-54 McKay 5.65 - 3863 91,099
116 9-3-64 3-34-55 Thompson 5.35 - 3615 71,600
117 9-21-64 3-35-57 Engle 5.59 - 3813 97,000
118 9-29-64 2-24-57 Rushworth 5.20 - 3542 97,300
119 10-15-64 1-50-79 McKay 4.56 - 3043 34,900
120 10-30-64 3-36-59 Thompson 4.66 - 3113 94,600
121 11-30-64 2-35-69 McKay 4.66 - 30139 37 290
122 12-9-64 3-37-69 Thompson 5.42) - 3723 92,409
123 12-10-64 1-51-91 Engle 5.35 - 3675 113,201
124 12-22-64 3-33-61 Rushworth 5.55 - 3593 81,200
125 1-13-65 3-39-62 Thompson 5.49 - 3712 99,4-)0
126 2-2-65 3-40-63 Engle 5.71 - 3996 98,201
127 2-17-65 2-36-63 Rushworth 5.27 - 3511 95,100
128 2-26-65 1-52-35 McKay 5.40 - 3750 1 53,609
129 3-26-65 1-53-36 Rushworth 5.17 - 3590 101,900
130 4-23-65 3-41-64 Engle 5.49 - 3530 79,700
131 4-28-65 2-37-64 McKay 4.30 - 3273 92,600
132 5-18-65 2-33-66 McKay 5.17 - 3541 102,100
133 5-25-65 1-54-33 Thompson 4.37 - 3418 179,900
134 5-28-65 3-42-65 Engle 5.17 - 3754 299,600
135 6-15-65 3-43-66 Engle 4.59 - 3404 244,700
136 6-17-65 1-55-39 Thompson 5.14 - 3541 108,500
137 5-22-65 2-39-70 McKay 5.64 - 3933 155,990
138 6-29-65 3-44-67 Engle 4.94 - 3432 239,600
139 7-8-65 2-40-72 McKay 5.19 - 3659 212,600
140 7-20-65 3-45-65 Rushworth 5.40 - 3760 105,400
141 8-3-65 2-41-73 Rushworth 5.16 - 3692 208,700
142 8-5-65 1-56-93 Thompson 5.15 - 3534 103,290
143 8-10-65 3-46-70 Engle 5.20 - 3550 271,000
144 8-25-65 1-57-96 Thompson 5.11 - 3604 214,109
145 8-26-65 3-47-71 Rushworth 4.79 - 3372 239,600
146 9-2-65 2-42-74 McKay 5.16 - 3570 239,300
147 9-9-65 1-58-9-7 Rushworth 5.25 - 3534 97,20.0
148 9-14-65 3-48-72 McKay 5.03 - 3519 239,039
149 9-22-65) 1-59-99 Rushworth 5.13 - 3550 100,300
150 9-23-65 3-49-73 McKay 5.33 - 3732 295,600
151 9-30-65 1-60-99 Knight 4.06 - 2718 76,699
152 10-12-65 3-50-74 Knight 4.62 - 3108 94,490
153 10-14-65 1-61-101 Engle 5.09 - 3554 266,500
154 10-27-65 3-51-75 McKay 5.06 - 3519 236,990
155 11-3-65 2-43-75 Rushworth 2.31 - 1500 70,600 first flight with empty external tanks
156 11-4-65 1-62-103 Dana 4.22 - 2765 80,200
157 5-6-66 1-63-104 McKay 2.21 - 1434 63,490 premature engine shutdown at 31 seconds
158 5-18-66 2-44-79 Rushworth 5.43 - 3699 99,019
159 7-1-66 2-45-81 Rushworth 1.54 - 1023 45,000 first heavy tank flight engine shutdown at 32 seconds
160 7-12-66 1-64-107 Knight 5.34 - 3652 130,000
161 7-13-66 3-52-78 Dana 4.71 - 3217 96,100
162 7-21-66 2-46-83 Knight 5.12 - 3569 192,309
163 7-28-66 1-65-103 McKay 5.19 - 3702 241,301
164 8-3-66 2-47-84 Knight 5.03 - 3449 249,000
165 8-4-66 3-53-79 Dana 5.34 - 3693 132,700
166 8-11-66 1-66-111 McKay 5.21 - 3590 251,000
167 8-12-66 2-43-95 Knight 5.02 - 3472 231,100
168 8-19-66 3-54-90 Dana 5.20 - 3617 173,000
169 8-25-66 1-67-112 McKay 5.11 - 3543 257,509
170 8-30-66 2-49-36 Knight 5.21 - 3543 100,200
171 9-8-66 1-69-113 McKay 2.44 - 1692 73,200 premature engine shutdown at 38 seconds
172 9-14-66 3-55-32 Dana 5.12 - 3536 254,200
173 10-5-66 1-69-116 Adams 3.00 - 2990 75,400
174 11-1-66 3-56-83 Dana 5.46 - 3750 306,900
175 11-18-66 2-50-89 Knight 5.33 - 4250 98,900 unofficial world's speed record
176 11-29-66 3-57-86 Adams 4.65 - 3120 92,000
177 3-22-67 1-70-119 Adams 5.59 - 3322 133,190
178 4-26-67 3-58-87 Dana 1.80 - 1163 53,400
179 4-28-67 1-71-121 Adams 5.44 - 3720 167,000
180 5-8-67 2-51-92 Knight 4.75 - 3193 97,690
181 5-17-67 3-59-39 Dana 4.30 - 3177 71,100
182 6-15-67 1-72-125 Adams 5.12 - 3606 229,300
183 6-22-67 3-60-90 Dana 5.44 - 3611 82,200
184 6-29-67 1-73-126 Knight 4.17 - 2870 173,009 Electrical failure climbing through 107,000 - landed at Mud Lake, Nev.
185 7-20-67 3-61-91 Dana 5.44 - 3693 84,400
186 8-21-67 2-52-96 Knight 4.94 - 3368 91,000 Full ablative second engine light
187 8-25-67 3-62-92 Adams 4.63 - 3115 84,4QO
188 10-3-67 2-53-97 Knight 6.70 - 4520 102,100 Unofficial world's speed record, (full ablative , tanks , dummy ramjet, mechanical eyelid)
189 10-4-67 3-63-94 Dana 5.53 - 3897 251,100
190 10-17-67 3-54-95 Knight 5.53 - 3356 280,500
191 11-15-67 3-65-97 Adams 5.2O - 3570 266,009 Fatal accident, aircraft destroyed
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192 3-1-68 1-74-130 Dana 4.36 - 2373 104,500
193 4-4-68 1-75-133 Dana 5.27 - 3610 197,500
194 4-26-68 1-76-134 Knight 5.00 - 3545 207,010
195 5-11-68 1-77-136 Dana 5.15 - 3563 220,199
196 7-16-68 1-78-133 Knight 4.79 - 3332 221,510
197 8-21-68 1-79-139 Dana 5.01 - 3443 267,500
198 9-13-68 1-30-140 Knight 5.37 - 3723 254,100
199 10-24-63 1-31-141 Dana 5.33 - 3716 255,000
X-15 PILOTS IN ORDER OF CHRONOLOGICAL FLIGHT AND NUMBER OF FLIGHTS
A. Scott Crossfield NAA 14
Joseph A. Walker NASA 25
Robert M. White USAF 16
Forrest S. Petersen USN 5
John B. McKay NASA 29
Robert A. Rushworth USN 34
Neil A. Armstrong NASA 7
Joe H. Engle USAF 16
Milton O. Thompson NASA 14
William J. Knight USAF 16
William H. Dana NASA 16
Michael J. Adams USAF 7
X-15 FLIGHT DATA
Fastest Speed (basic aircraft) 6.06 Mach Flight Number 1-42-67
4104 mph, N=5.92 Flight Number 1-30-51
Fastest Speed (with tanks) 4520 mph, 6.70 Mach Flight number 2-53-97
Highest Altitude 354,200 feet, 67.08 miles Flight Number 3-22-36
Total Flight Time 30 hrs, 13 min, 49.2 sec
Total Distance Flown 41,763.8 st. miles
Total Flights 199
TIMES ABOVE MACH
Hrs:Mins:Secs
(Cumulative)
1 2 3 4 5 6
18:23:11.6 12:13:50.0 8:51:12.8 5:57:23.8 1:27:15.8 0:01:16.8
