This post is mostly about the X-15, but I notice this little fellow in the news as well today. It's a short read with a picture.
Anyway, on to the X-15. First the good stuff which is this video. As you can see, this fabulously beautiful air/spacecraft was carried aloft by another fabulously beautiful aircraft, the B-52, which after 60 years still causes knees to knock all over the enemy-sphere. The X-15 itself flew from 1959 to 1968 and would achieve a height of 67 miles and speed of Mach 6.7.
The X-15 presentation lasts 6:10 and the rest of the video goes on to talk about the contributions leading up to landing on the moon, which are interesting also.
Notice the chase planes are F-104 Starfighters. The X-15 work contributed to every exceptional high speed aircraft used since, as well as the space shuttle of course.
Here are some more pictures, these first two are from the Smithsonian Air and Space Museum. They'll get bigger if you click on them.
The Pilots - From Here
- The 12 pilots of NASA, the Air Force, Navy, and North American Aviation who flew in the program are listed in the order of their first flights, along with their total flight numbers.
- A. Scott Crossfleld, NAA, 14 flights
- Joseph A. Walker, NASA, 25 flights
- Robert M. White, USAF, 16 flights
- Forrest S. Petersen, USN, 5 flights
- John B. McKay, NASA, 29 flights
- Robert A. Rushworth, USAF, 34 flights
- Neil A. Armstrong, NASA, 7 flights
- Joe H. Engle, USAF, 16 flights
- Milton 0. Thompson, NASA, 14 flights
- William J. Knight, USAF, 16 flights
- William H. Dana, NASA, 16 flights
- Michael J. Adams, USAF, 7 flights
Notice Neil Armstrong, the man to land first on the moon at Tranquility base.
This site is NASA's photo collection
Here are a few but many more are on the site.
Being towed into service..
Hanging on the B52 prior to launch. What a ride..
The cockpit reminds me of my first go cart that I built...
Neil Armstrong posing with the beauty after a test flight...
After engine failure caused pilot Jack McKay to land at Mud Lake, Nevada. A Prang as the British would say.
None of the pilots were ever hurt, but a couple got itchy butts apparently....
UPDATE: GO HERE for a sheet of thumbnails that you can click on and get high resolution images. Much Better Pictures.
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Hey Kid - I bet you're like me and watch a lot of the Military Channel. Great plane
ReplyDeleteDeanO, yea, I don't watch much TV anymore, and when I do it is the Military Channel a lot, then shows like 'How It's Made', the 'science channel, and other informational presentations.
ReplyDeleteI just can't even watch TV drama anymore, and don't even bring up reality shows and most of the rest of it. I simply don't want to waste anymore time watching shows that present bullshit. Like no wonder 52% of the population voted for the obama...
I'd watch the animal stuff, but I simply cannot sit and watch stories about people who grossly abuse animals. Especially since the law has few options of dealing with these evil vermin effectively or justifiably.
If PETA wanted to make a real impact, they'd stop worrying about Chicken farmers and lobby for laws that really have some teeth in regard to animal abusers. IN the spirit of MADD eh?
So, how'd I get on this subject? :)
TV is more background noise for me whilst I work on different projects but I always find the Military Channel has something that intrigues my attention. I know you said you don't watch much but did you catch the series on Tank Overhaul? That was great Televison
ReplyDeleteWell, I watch Military Channel a good amount...Sorry if I misled.
ReplyDeleteI DID see the tank overhaul. Loved it. :)
Deano- PS, I also watch Build it Bigger. Your tank comment reminded me..
ReplyDeleteWorking on large scale is fascinating. When I was a teenager, I had a friend who worked for a little while at a crane repair shop. He told me about how they would open up a gearbox and Walk Inside to file down burrs on the gear teeth and such. Always found that stuff interesting.
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Planes and Horses-I could read all day about both and not notice the time ..thanks for this and for the links ...
ReplyDeleteCarol-CS
Carol-CS, I'm glad you enjoyed. I sure love the stuff as well.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteI absolutely loved the aircraft of the 50's and 60's. My father worked for Grumman Aerospace in Bethpage, LI. I worked there one summer punching out parts for all kinds of planes, even the lunar module. I used to walk through the plant looking at planes that were brought in from Viet Nam - all shot up. They were repaired at one end of the building; the lunar module was being assembled behind where I worked (in the punch press section).
ReplyDeleteSig, that sounds like a Great time.
ReplyDeleteNow that you mention Grumman, I remember my dad and I building a very large model of the F3F.
Beautiful plane. Had retractable landing gear and all.
I also remember my Dad at the fence at one of the Blue Angels shows when the pilots came up afterward signing posters and such, and my dad asked one pilot how much he liked flying the jet and the pilot said he actually enjoyed flying his piper cub a lot more. So, I think the older planes get over looked a lot was my thought here.