Simviation Forum - X-15...you gotta love this one!

Apr 14^th, 2004 at 1:43pm

Mr. Bones Offline
Colonel

Posts: 4304

the X-15 is called the most successful X-plane ever built. three were made, one crashed but was rebuilt. it was used to fly high and fast! the max speed (which was a record) was Mach6.7. it was the first machine controlled by a human and not a pc or autopilot that went into space and returned safely. i'm not sure, but i thought it went up to 120 000ft. it was carried under a B-52B (the same plane that's still in use today...but NASA has plans to replace it with an H-model) to 40 000ft. from that altitude it climbed to higher altitudes with a rocket engine. the pilots steered in the thin atmosphere with twelve hydrogen peroxide jets.

now my question: is FL1200 space? and if yes, did it really went into space and returned back into our atmosphere like the space shuttle does nowadays?

here's a photo of it taken during landing at Rogers Dry Lake (Edwards AFB). note the special landing gear...

here it is flying at extremely high altitudes:

if you have any interesting information/facts about this plane, please post it here. i want to learn every detail about it. Wink

Raw power...the J-58.&&&&&&My Anet collection.&&

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Reply #1 - Apr 14^th, 2004 at 9:16pm

Rifleman Offline
Colonel
" Full size A/C are just
overgrown models ! "
Tropical island in the Pacific

Posts: 6622

Try this place for starters,............

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/X-15

........then go to Dryden Flight Research Center and see if there is any info there about the X-15..........

BTW, I have seen and touched a real one at the Airforce Museum at Dayton Ohio... 8)

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Reply #2 - Apr 15^th, 2004 at 3:25am

Mr. Bones Offline
Colonel

Posts: 4304

Quote:

BTW, I have seen and touched a real one at the Airforce Museum at Dayton Ohio... 8)

the one with the scramjet? i thought that museum had a 'no touch' policy! Wink

Raw power...the J-58.&&&&&&My Anet collection.&&

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Reply #3 - Apr 15^th, 2004 at 10:38am

Rifleman Offline
Colonel
" Full size A/C are just
overgrown models ! "
Tropical island in the Pacific

Posts: 6622

Actually when I was there, I was with a group flying large models from the runway of Wright-Patterson and when we all went over to the museum after our day was done flyin, they agreed to give us a couple of hours of free time, after closing time in the museum and disregard the ropes as long as we showed the respect the place deserved, as we all would know since we have a diplayed love of aviation with our hobby..........what a fantastic time....open cockpit F-117, X-3 on the floor, X-15 on the floor to drool over....well, you know, just too many to mention.....Oh did I mention the XB-70, the B-36 with Goblin parasite fighter ?.... the fuselage section from Bock's Car ?..... 8)

What a time ! ! ! Shocked

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Reply #4 - Apr 17^th, 2004 at 11:33am

Jared Offline
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I'd rather be flying...
Uniontown, Ohio

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Wow! Someone's jealous!

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Reply #5 - Apr 18^th, 2004 at 2:46am

Ivan Offline
Colonel
No, I'm NOT Russian, I
only like Russian aircraft
The netherlands

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Posts: 6058

The X-15 was limited in height by it's systems... stuff began to fail if they went above certain altitudes

Russian planes: IL-76 (all standard length ones), Tu-154 and Il-62, Tu-134 and An-24RV&&&&AI flightplans and repaints can be found here

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Reply #6 - Apr 18^th, 2004 at 7:20am

Mr. Bones Offline
Colonel

Posts: 4304

i've found a really good video...good quality for that time! it's less than 2mb, so if you want it, just pm me your e-mail and you'll find it in your mailbox Wink

Raw power...the J-58.&&&&&&My Anet collection.&&

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Reply #7 - Apr 18^th, 2004 at 10:56am

Rifleman Offline
Colonel
" Full size A/C are just
overgrown models ! "
Tropical island in the Pacific

Posts: 6622

Quote:

The X-15 was limited in height by it's systems... stuff began to fail if they went above certain altitudes

I think you're right......it ran out of fuel......fuel system fails when empty ???.....and above any appreciable altitude, the aerodynamic flight qualitys start to suffer, but it was equipped with reaction control jets........
.......it was cutting edge, ......you expect things to bend or break when you push beyond "normal" limits... 8)

Here is a little of the basic history of the bird.......56-6671 is the one I touched........
Quote:

The X-15 was flown over a period of nearly 10 years--June 1959 to Oct. 1968--and set the world's unofficial speed and altitude records of 4,520 mph (Mach 6.7) and 354,200 ft in a program to investigate all aspects of manned hypersonic flight. Information gained from the highly successful X-15 program contributed to the development of the Mercury, Gemini, and Apollo manned spaceflight programs, and also the Space Shuttle program.

The X-15s made a total of 199 flights, and were manufactured by North American Aviation.

X-15-1, serial number 56-6670, is now located at the National Air and Space Museum, Washington DC.

North American X-15A-2, serial number 56-6671, is at the United States Air Force Museum, Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio. The X-15-3, serial number 56-6672, crashed on 15 November 1967, resulting in the death of Maj. Michael J. Adams.

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Reply #8 - Apr 18^th, 2004 at 12:10pm

Mr. Bones Offline
Colonel

Posts: 4304

FL3500?!

8) man that's high!

Raw power...the J-58.&&&&&&My Anet collection.&&

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Reply #9 - May 12^th, 2004 at 8:59am

Dan Offline
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Meet Bogart! Thanks CRAIG!
Carmarthenshire, Wales, Uk!

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Cool.... Would love to see a real XF85...
Dan

&&3DMark01 || OCUK - The best UK shop

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Reply #10 - May 12^th, 2004 at 5:46pm

OTTOL Offline
Colonel
Fintas, Kuwait (OKBK)

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Posts: 918

Quote:

now my question: is FL1200 space? and if yes, did it really went into space and returned back into our atmosphere like the space shuttle does nowadays?

Where does space begin?
There is no clear boundary because the atmosphere gradually thins the higher you go.
The lowest artificial satellites can orbit at about 160km (100 miles) above the Earth - but even at this height traces of the atmosphere we breathe are enough to slow them down.

Other orbits:
Space shuttle - 300 km (185 miles)
International Space Station 350 km (220 miles)
Passenger aircraft - 9 km (6 miles)

As the atmosphere has no abrupt cut-off, but rather thins gradually with increasing altitude, there is no definite boundary between the atmosphere and outer space. 75% of the atmosphere exists within 11 km of the planetary surface. In the United States, persons who travel above an altitude of 50 miles (80 kilometres) are designated as astronauts. 400,000 feet (75 miles or 120 kilometres) marks the boundary where atmospheric effects become noticeable during re-entry. The altitude of 100 kilometres or 62 miles is also frequently used as the boundary between atmosphere and space.

.....so I loaded up the plane and moved to Middle-EEEE..........OIL..that is......

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Reply #11 - May 16^th, 2004 at 11:20am

Ivan Offline
Colonel
No, I'm NOT Russian, I
only like Russian aircraft
The netherlands

Gender:
Posts: 6058

X-prize says 100km

Russian planes: IL-76 (all standard length ones), Tu-154 and Il-62, Tu-134 and An-24RV&&&&AI flightplans and repaints can be found here

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