X-15 First Flight: Appendix A

Proceedings of the X-15 First Flight 30th Anniversary Celebration

Appendix A: X-15 Flight Log

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

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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
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