At the Edge of Space
Page 38
Sixth pilot to leave program.
Flew flights 93, 96, 99, 101, 108, 113, 116, 120, 122, 125, 133, 136, 142, 144
“PETE” KNIGHT
Flew for 35 1/2 months from September 30, 1965 to September 13, 1968.
Made 16 flights:
All flights with LR-99 engine
Achieved: Maximum Mach number of 6.70
Maximum speed of 4520 MPH
Maximum altitude of 280,500 feet
Flew in Phase VIII & IX (research and scientific experiment phase and X-15A-2 envelope expansion phase).
Made first flight with dummy scramjet.
Made first flight with ablative coating.
Made first flight with complete high-speed configuration.
Made emergency landing at Mud Lake due to failure of both APUs.
Tenth pilot to fly X-15.
Still flying at program termination.
Flew flights 151, 152, 160, 162, 164, 167, 170, 175, 180, 184, 186, 188, 190, 194, 196, 198.
BILL DANA
Flew for 35 1/2 months from November 4, 1965 to October 24, 1968.
Made 16 flights:
All flights were made with the LR-99 engine
Achieved: Maximum Mach number of 5.53
Maximum speed of 3,897 MPH
Maximum altitude of 306,900 feet
Flew in Phase VIII (research and scientific experiment phase). Made last flight in X-15.
Made emergency landing at Silver Lake due to low fuel line pressure.
Eleventh pilot to fly X-15.
Last pilot to fly X-15.
Flew flights 156, 161, 165, 168, 172, 174, 178, 181, 183, 185, 189, 192, 193, 195, 197, 199.
MIKE ADAMS
Flew for 13 months from October 6, 1966 to November 15, 1967.
Made 7 flights:
All flights made with LR-99 engine
Achieved: Maximum Mach number of 5.59
Maximum speed of 3,822 MPH
Maximum altitude of 266,000 feet
Flew in Phase VIII (research and scientific experiment phase).
Made emergency landing at Cuddeback Lake due to rupture of bulkhead in liquid oxygen tank.
Twelfth pilot to fly X-15.
Tenth pilot to leave program.
Flew flights 173, 176, 177, 179, 182, 187, 191.
Appendix 3
Aircraft Availability
Only two aircraft, the number one and the number two, were flying during the first forty-five flights. The number three aircraft was extensively damaged, in an explosion during an engine ground run prior to its first flight. It was rebuilt and it made the forty-sixth flight of the program on its first flight. All three aircraft were flying from the forty-sixth flight through the seventy-fourth flight when the number two aircraft was extensively damaged in a landing accident at Mud Lake.
The number one and number three aircraft made the next thirty-three flights (75-109), while the number two aircraft was being rebuilt and modified. The number two made the 109th flight and then all three aircraft continued to fly until the 188th flight. The number two aircraft was damaged during the 188th flight by the excessive heating generated by shock waves off the dummy scramjet. Although the aircraft was repaired, it never flew again. Three flights later, the 191st, the number three aircraft was destroyed in flight due to excessive g loads following recovery from a hypersonic spin. The number one aircraft flew the last eight flights of the program (192–199).
Appendix 4
Typical X-15 Flight Plan
Scheduled Date: Jan. 13, 1965
Flight No.: 3-39-62
Pilot: Milton O. Thompson
Purpose: To obtain data for the following programs.
1. Non-uniform, 3 dimensional flow field measurements—(Bob Quinn & Murray Palitz)
2. Surface discontinuity heat transfer test—e.g. compartment—(Joe Watts)
3. Skin friction—(Darwin Garringer)
4. Boundary-layer noise—(Tom Lewis)
5. Landing Gear Door modification checkout—(Dick Rosecrans)
Instrumentation Engineer—Febo Bartoli
Launch: Hidden Hills on magnetic heading 235°, MH-96 Adaptive, R.C. “OFF”, BCS “OFF” heading vernier “Standby,” ventral off. Launch Point Coordinates: 35° 55’N; 115° 39’W.
Scheduled Date: Jan. 13, 1965
Flight No.: 3-39-62
Notes:
1. θ vernier will be set at 25°, α crosspointer will null at 4.5°.
2. Emergency Lake: Cuddeback.
3. Flight duration: Approximately 8 minutes.
4. Flight plan based on 59,500# thrust—Engine #103.
Minimum thrust = 31,500#.
Total burn time at 100% = 82 sec.
Launch wt. = 33,750#
Burnout Wt. = 15,550#.
Figure 8. Map for Flight 3-39-62
Ground Rules for No Launch:
1. Radio, Radar, or TM malfunction.
2. FCS malfunctions as indicated on Analyzer check list.
3. Malfunction of ball nose.
4. Malfunction of inertial platform.
Alternate Situations After Launch: