X-15- Record BreakerBackn a joint research program that NASA conducted with the Air Force, the Navy, and North American Aviation, Inc., the X-15 experimental aircraft set the world's unofficial speed and altitude records for crewed flight. Information from the highly successful program contributed to the Mercury, Gemini, Apollo, and Space Shuttle piloted space flight programs. The outer skin of the X-15 was a nickel-chrome alloy called Inconel X, employed in a heat sink structure to withstand the results of aerodynamic heating when the aircraft was flying within the atmosphere. The cabin was made of aluminum and was isolated from the outer structure to keep it cool. NASA FACT SHEET X-15 Accomplishments The distinguished Langley aeronautical researcher John Becker, who was an early advocate of the X-15 program, identified 25 specific accomplishments of the program, including: * First application of hypersonic theory and wind tunnel work to an actual flight vehicle. * First use of reaction controls for attitude control in space. * First reusable super alloy structure capable of withstanding the temperatures and thermal gradients of hypersonic reentry. * Development of a servo-actuated-ball nose flow direction sensor for operation over an extreme range of dynamic pressure and a stagnation air temperature of 1,900° F (for accurate measurement of air speed and flow angle at supersonic and hypersonic speeds). * Development of the first practical full pressure suit for pilot protection in space. * Development of inertial flight data systems capable of functioning in a high dynamic pressure and space environment. * Discovery that hypersonic boundary layer flow is turbulent and not laminar. * Discovery that turbulent heating rates are significantly lower than had been predicted by theory. * First direct measurement of hypersonic aircraft skin friction and discovery that skin friction is lower than had been predicted. * Discovery of hot spots generated by surface irregularities. (These last few discoveries including the Space Shuttle.) * Discovery of methods to correlate base drag measurements with tunnel test results so as to correct wind tunnel data (and thereby improve design criteria for future air- and spacecraft). * Demonstration of a pilot's ability to control a rocketboosted aerospace vehicle through atmospheric exit. * Successful transition from aerodynamic controls to reaction controls and back again. * First application of energy-management techniques (for the positioning of the vehicle for all future reusable launch vehicles following their reentry from space). * Use of the three X-15 aircraft as test beds to carry a wide variety of experimental packages.There were 12 pilots for the program: five from NASA, five from the Air Force, one from the Navy, and one from North American. Generally, pilots used one of two flight profiles -- a speed profile that maintained a level altitude until time for descent to a landing or a high-altitude flight plan that maintained a steep rate of climb until reaching altitude and then descending. The X-15 pilots in order of date of first flight and number of flights were: * Scott Crossfield, North American Aviation, 14 * Joseph A. Walker, NASA, 25 * Robert M. White, USAF, 16 * Forrest S. Petersen, USN, 5 * John B. McKay, NASA, 29 * Robert A. Rushworth, USAF, 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 The X-15 had its share of emergency landings and accidents, but only two produced serious injury or death. On November 9, 1962, Jack McKay experienced an engine failure and landed at Mud Lake, Nevada. The landing gear collapsed, flipping him and the aircraft on its back. Although he recovered from his injuries sufficiently to fly again, he eventually had to retire because of them. On November 15, 1967, during Michael Adams' seventh flight, he entered a spin from which he was able to recover; however, he could not bring the aircraft out of an inverted dive because of a technical problem with the adaptive flight control system. He died in the resultant crash of X-15 number three. Category: Howto Uploaded: November 13th, 2006 @ 7:44 am Author: bry3500 Length: 03:38 Rating: Views: Tags: x-15 nasa Related Video Links:» View Video Comments For X-15- Record Breaker » View bry3500's Other Uploaded Videos Video Thumbnails:Video Embedding Code:* Embed this video on your website, social bookmark, myspace, or blog. |
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