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Aviation History
1963
1963 - 0148.PDF
136 FLIGHT International, 24 January 1%$ Missiles and Spaceflight HIGHER YET WITH THE X-15 PRESENT plans call for pushing the X-15 rocket-powered research aircraft to an altitude of 400,000ft "in two more steps," members of the Instititue of Aeronautical Sciences and American Rocket Society were told by Joseph A. ("Joe") Walker at a regional joint meeting in Cincinnati, Ohio, late last year. "The X-15 is limited to those speeds achieved so far," Mr Walker declared, "but it can be flown higher without exceeding the present limits of the powerplant." He explained that there are today no plans to put the X-15 into any kind of orbit [this was considered back in 1958—Ed], though plans had been underway to develop an orbiting aircraft for future testing before the X-20 Dyna-Soar programme was approved for US Air Force development. The NASA pilot, who has been flying X-15s since March 1960, said the aircraft is achieving its goal of probing problems of high- altitude and high-speed flight so that results can be assimilated into commercial and military aircraft of the future. Information from the X-15 is being used in connection with development of the In addition to further work on aerodynamic heating, at least one of the three X-15s will be tested with the adaptive control system (Flight, November 30, 1961), now being installed. Aircraft No 1 is currently undergoing modification for stellar photography. Mr Walker explained that the pilot does not see the stars shining during flight toward space because of sunlight filling the cockpit and reflect ing off the X-15"s gleaming black surface. "It is like being in the presence of a powerful light and trying to look at something beyond," he explained, "so we have a special need for this kind of photography." Three North American X-I5s have been built, The "Flight International" drawing above is not based on any one specimen, but is typical of all the aircraft as currently in operation. An earlier drawing, with the Reaction Motors XLRI I rocket engine, was published in this journal on May 8th, 1959. Small inset drawings illustrate the thermal insulation around the nose, and the stable platform for the inertial guidance system RS-70 (XB-70A), and there exists very close liaison between Ed wards AFB where the X-15s are flown, and North American Avia tion Inc, developer of both the X-15 and the RS-70. "We have learned a lot about aerodynamic heating," Mr Walker declared, "and our programme for the X-15s in the future calls for us to learn a lot more." He noted that 1,200CF on the leading edge of the wings was quite common during experimental flights, and a maximum of 1,300°F was achieved on one occasion. "As the airplane heats up during acceleration, it pops and bangs like an old iron stove," the NASA pilot said, adding, "we can feel the heat through our well-insulated flight suits." Other tests will be run using infra-red and ultra-violet light to define the horizon for the pilot. And finally, there will be research on a variety of heat-resistant materials for use on the leading edge^ of wings of high-speed aircraft. Aircraft 1 and 2 will be modified for this new research work, while No 3 will continue the present research programme to expand the flight envelope. The specially-fitted B-52, used as a mother ship to carry the X-l 5 aloft, is now commanded by S/L Harry Archer, RAF. The big bomber cannot use flaps in getting off the ground (they wouW interfere with the upper vertical fin of the X-15), and according!. Continued on page 131
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