The origins of the X-15 can be found in the first rocket powered research plane, the X-1.
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The X-1 was developed in the early 1940's and the Bell Aircraft Corporation built the first fully operational plane in late 1945. The X-1 was developed for the purpose of investigating transonic speed range and determining whether it was possible to break the sound barrier that had been causing pilots to lose control of their aircraft with the build up of pressure at the front of their planes, that acted like a wall of resistance.
| X-1 Statistics | |
| First test flight (glide) | Early 1946 |
| First test flight (powered) | Dec 9 1946, Edwards Airforce Base |
| First supersonic flight | Oct 14 1947 |
The X-15
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Many other research planes were built between the X-1 and the X-15, but only the X-15 made contribution to the space program. The X-15 was built by North American Aviation, now Rockwell International Corporation and was the last in the series that tested the limit of aircraft. It is without question the most advanced and the most successful research plane of all time. Due to its enormous fuel requirement the X-15 was lifted under the wing of a B-52 bomber to around 45,000ft and was then dropped before its rocket engines were fired and testing began. The project was turned over to NASA in 1960 for the government to test the limits of the plane.
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Images showing the carrying and launching of the X-15
| X-15 Statistics | |
| X-15 Factory roll out | Oct 1958 |
| First flight (glide) | June 1959 |
| First flight (powered) | 17 Sept 1959 |
| Record breaking top speed | Mach 6.7 (6.7 times the speed of sound) on Oct 3 1967 |
| Record breaking highest altitude | 354,200ft (about 67 miles) on Aug 22 1963 |
One of the primary purposes of the X-15 was to test the physiological effects on both man and machine of high-speed, high-altitude (near space) flight. The information gathered certainly qualified as high altitude as even under NASA's strict guidelines Joe Walker achieved astronaut status while testing the X-15 by going over the 62 mile mark, which he achieved twice (the US airforce recognises the limit as 50 miles, under this system many of the pilots reached astronaut status, it is interesting that NASA's mark was only passed after they had taken over the X-15 project!).
This plane was to provide extremely useful information on near space flight, and in the future the information this experimental rocket provided would be of crucial significance to the development of the US Space Shuttle program.
All images on this page are courtesy:NASA/DFRC