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North American X-15 
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X-15 with ablative paint and external tanks X-15A-2 with full scale ablative and external tanks installed parked in front of hangar. August 4, 1967. In June 1967, the X-15A-2 rocket-powered research aircraft received a full-scale ablative coating to protect the craft from the high temperatures associated with hypersonic flight (above Mach 5). This pink eraser-like substance, applied to the X-15A-2 aircraft (56-6671), was then covered with a white sealant coat before flight. This coating would help the #2 aircraft reach the record speed of 4,520 mph (Mach 6.7). |
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X-15A-2 next to paint shop at Edwards AFB X-15A-2 is rolled out of the paint shop after having the full scale ablative applied at NASA Dryden Flight Research Center, Edwards AFB. June 23, 1967 In June 1967, the X-15A-2 rocket-powered research aircraft received a full-scale ablative coating to protect the craft from the high temperatures associated with hypersonic flight (above Mach 5). This pink eraser-like substance, applied to the X-15A-2 aircraft (56-6671), was then covered with a white sealant coat before flight. This coating would help the #2 aircraft reach the record speed of 4,520 mph (Mach 6.7). |
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North American X-15 with external fuel tanks 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. After receiving an ablative coating to protect the craft from the high temperatures associated with high-Mach-number supersonic flight, the X-15A-2 was then covered with a white sealant coat. NASA Dryden Flight Research Center, Edwards AFB, 1965. |
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X-15 with pilots and crew X-15 with pilots and crew, in Cockpit, Edward "Ed" Nice, on Ladder, Thomas "Tom" McAlister, Back Row, left to right: William Clark, Edward "Ed" Sabo, Donald "Don" Hall, Billy Furr, Allen Dustin, Raymond "Ray" White, George E. Trott, Alfred "Al" Grieshaber, Merle Curtis, LeRoy "Lee" Adelsbach, Allen Lowe, Jay L. King, Lorenzo "Larry" Barnett. Kneeling, left to right: Byron Gibbs, Price "Bob" Workman, Ira Cupp, John Gordon, Edwards AFB, July 16, 1962. |
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X-15 Crew and personnel, Edwards AFB X-15 personnel commemorating all three X-15's being flown during the same week. February 7, 1961 Back Row, left to right: John "Bill" Lovett, John E. Huntington, Homer Hall, Robert E. "Bob" Allen, Lorenzo "Larry" Barnett, Charles "Charlie" Russell, Sylvester Weeks Kneeling, left to right: Gilbert "Gil" Kincaid, George E. Trott, Joseph "Joe" Huxman, Willard Glasscock |
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North American X-15 during high speed flight X-15 #2 (56-6671) launches away from the B-52 mothership with its rocket engine ignited. The white patches near the middle of the ship are frost from the liquid oxygen used in the propulsion system, although very cold liquid nitrogen was also used to cool the payload bay, cockpit, windshields and nose. |
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X-15 landing at Edwards with F-104 chase plane North American Aviation X-15 followed by a Lockheed F-104A Starfighter chase plane, the North American X-15 ship #3 (56-6672) sinks toward touchdown on Rogers Dry Lake following a research flight. In the foreground is green smoke, used to indicate wind direction. The F-104 chase pilot joined up with the X-15 as it glided to the landing. The chase pilot was there to warn the X-15 pilot of any problems and to call out the altitude above the lakebed. F-104 aircraft were also used for X-15 pilot training to simulate the landing characteristics of the rocket-powered airplane, which landed without engine power since the rocket engine had already burned all of its propellant before the landing. The F-104s could simulate the steep descent of the X-15 as it glided to a landing, they did this by extending the landing gear and speed brakes while setting the throttle to idle. |
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X-15 with B-52 mothership fly's overhead As crew members secure the X-15 rocket-powered aircraft after a research flight, the B-52 mothership used for launching this unique aircraft does a low fly-by overhead. The X-15s made a total of 199 flights over a period of nearly 10 years 1959 to 1968 and set unofficial world speed and altitude records of 4,520 mph (Mach 6.7) and 354,200. Information gained from the highly successful X-15 program contributed to the development of the Mercury, Gemini, and Apollo piloted spaceflight programs, and also the Space Shuttle program. |
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X-15 research flight with ramjet engine This photo shows the X-15A-2 (56-6671) on a research flight with a ramjet engine attached to the bottom of its wedge-shaped vertical tail. One of the experiments planned for the X-15A-2 involved tests of a functional ramjet at speeds above Mach 5. This photo was taken with a dummy ramjet. On this research flight, the X-15A-2 did not carry the two drop tanks used on its Mach 6.7 flight. It also had not yet been covered with an ablative coating. The X-15A-2 made several flights with the dummy ramjet, leading to the record Mach 6.7 flight on October 3, 1967. Delays in producing the operational ramjet, aerodynamic heating damage to the aircraft during the record flight (despite the ablative coating), and the end of the X-15 program in 1968 resulted in no flights with the actual ramjet. |
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X-15 Pilot Scott Crossfield makes emergency landing on Rosamond Dry Lake A series of ground and in-flight accidents occurred during the X-15's contractor program, fortunately without injuries or even greatly delaying the program. On 5 November 1959 a small engine fire started and forced pilot Scott Crossfield to make an emergency landing on Rosamond Dry Lake. The X-15, not designed to land with fuel, came down with a heavy load of propellants and broke its back, grounding this particular X-15, ship #2 (56-6671), for three months. |
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X-15 Pilot Jack McKay makes emergency crash landing on Mud Lake On 9 November 1962, an engine failure forced Jack McKay, a NASA research pilot, to make an emergency landing at Mud Lake, Nevada, in the second X-15 (56-6671); its landing gear collapsed and the X-15 flipped over on its back. McKay was promptly rescued by an Air Force medical team standing by near the launch site, and eventually recovered to fly the X-15 again. Test pilot Jack McKay injuries were more serious than at first thought, eventually forced his retirement from NASA. The aircraft was sent back to the manufacturer, where it underwent extensive repairs and modifications. It returned to Edwards in February 1964 as the X-15A-2, with a longer fuselage (52 ft 5 in) and external fuel tanks. |
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Test pilot Joseph Walker next to X-15 aircraft Joe Walker is seen here after a flight in front of the X-15 #2 (56-6671) rocket-powered research aircraft. Joseph A. Walker was a Chief Research Pilot at the NASA Dryden Flight Research Center during the mid-1960s. He joined NACA in March 1945, and served as project pilot at the Edwards flight research facility on such pioneering research projects as the D-558-1, D-558-2, X-1, X-3, X-4, X-5, and the X-15. He also flew programs involving the F-100, F-101, F-102, F-104, and the B-47. Walker made the first NASA X-15 flight on March 25, 1960. He flew the research aircraft 24 times and achieved its highest altitude. He attained a speed of 4,104 mph (Mach 5.92) during a flight on June 27, 1962, and reached an altitude of 354,200 feet (67.08 miles) on August 22, 1963 (his last X-15 flight). This was one of three flights by Walker that achieved altitudes over 50 miles. Walker was killed on June 8, 1966, when his F-104 collided with the XB-70. |
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Test pilot William J. "Pete" Knight with X-15 aircraft Air Force test pilot William J. "Pete" Knight is seen here in front of the X-15A-2 aircraft (56-6671). Pete Knight made 16 flights in the X-15, and set the world unofficial speed record for fixed wing aircraft, 4,520 mph (mach 6.7), in the X-15A-2. He also made one flight above 50 miles, qualifying him for astronaut wings. |
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X-15 test pilots Milton Thompson, William Bill Dana and John Jack McKay NASA test pilots Milton O. Thompson, William H. "Bill" Dana, and John B. "Jack" McKay are seen here in front of the #2 X-15 (56-6671) rocket-powered research aircraft. Among them, the three NASA research test pilots made 59 flights in the X-15 (14 for Thompson, 16 for Dana, and 29 for McKay). |
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NASA X-15 test pilot clown around in front of aircraft The X-15 test pilots clown around in front of the #2 aircraft.From left to right: USAF Capt. Joseph Engle, USAF Maj. Robert Rushworth, NASA test pilot John "Jack" McKay, USAF Maj. William "Pete" Knight, NASA test pilot Milton Thompson, and NASA test pilot William Dana. |
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NASA X-15 test pilots Engle, Rushworth, McKay, Knight, Thompson and Bill Dana NASA X-15 test pilots, left to right; Air Force Captain Joseph H. Engle, Air Force Major Robert A. Rushworth, NASA pilot John B. "Jack" McKay, Air Force pilot William J. "Pete" Knight, NASA pilot Milton O. Thompson, and NASA pilot Bill Dana. Of their 125 X-15 flights, 8 were above the 50 miles that constituted the Air Force's definition of the beginning of space "Engle 3, Dana 2, Rushworth, Knight, and McKay one each." NASA used the international definition of space as beginning at 62 miles above the earth. Color photograph. |
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X-15 test pilots Engle, Rushworth, McKay, Knight, Thompson and Bill Dana X-15 test pilots, left to right; Air Force Captain Joseph H. Engle, Air Force Major Robert A. Rushworth, NASA pilot John B. "Jack" McKay, Air Force pilot William J. "Pete" Knight, NASA pilot Milton O. Thompson, and NASA pilot Bill Dana. Of their 125 X-15 flights, 8 were above the 50 miles that constituted the Air Force's definition of the beginning of space "Engle 3, Dana 2, Rushworth, Knight, and McKay one each." NASA used the international definition of space as beginning at 62 miles above the earth. |
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NASA test pilot Bill Dana next to X-15 aircraft NASA research pilot Bill Dana is seen here next to the X-15 #3 rocket-powered aircraft after a flight. William H. Dana is Chief Engineer at NASA's Dryden Flight Research Center, Edwards, California. Formerly an aerospace research pilot at Dryden, Dana flew the F-15 HIDEC research aircraft and the Advanced Fighter Technology Integration F-16 aircraft. Dana flew the X-15 research airplane 16 times, reaching a top speed of 3,897 miles per hour and a peak altitude of 310,000 feet (almost 59 miles high). |
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NASA X-15 test pilot Bill Dana after flight NASA research pilot Bill Dana is seen here wearing space suit, next to the X-15 rocket-powered aircraft after flight. William H. Dana is Chief Engineer at NASA's Dryden Flight Research Center, Edwards Air Force Base. Formerly an aerospace research pilot at Dryden, Dana flew the F-15 HIDEC research aircraft and the Advanced Fighter Technology Integration/F-16 aircraft. Dana flew the X-15 research airplane 16 times, reaching a top speed of 3,897 miles per hour and a peak altitude of 310,000 feet (almost 59 miles high). |
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NASA test pilot Joe Engle first to fly X-15 in space Captain Joe Engle is seen here next to the X-15-2 (56-6671) rocket-powered research aircraft after a flight. Engle made 16 flights in the X-15 between October 7, 1963, and October 14, 1965. Three of the flights, on June 29, August 10, and October 14, 1965, were above 50 miles, qualifying him for astronaut wings under the Air Force definition. (NASA followed the international definition of space as starting at 62 miles.) Engle was selected as a NASA astronaut in 1966, making him the only person who had flown in space before being selected as an astronaut. First assigned to the Apollo program, he served on the support crew for Apollo 10, and then as backup lunar module pilot for Apollo 14. In 1977, he was commander of one of two crews who were launched from atop a modified Boeing 747 in order to conduct approach and landing tests with the Space Shuttle Enterprise. |
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