North American X-15 National Air and Space Museum photo D Ramey Logan. The X-15 was based on a concept study from Walter Dornberger for the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics (NACA) for a hypersonic research aircraft. The requests for proposal were published on 30 December 1954 for the airframe and on 4 February 1955 for the rocket engine. The X-15 was built by two manufacturers: North American Aviationwas contracted for the airframe in November 1955, and Reaction Motors was contracted for building the engines in 1956.
Like many X-series aircraft, the X-15 was designed to be carried aloft and drop launchedfrom under the wing of a NASA B-52 mother ship. Air Force NB-52A, „The High and Mighty One“ (serial 52-0003, AKA Balls Three), and NB-52B, „The Challenger“ (serial 52-0008, AKA Balls 8) served as carrier planes for all X-15 flights. Release took place at an altitude of about 8.5 miles (13.7 km) and a speed of about 500 miles per hour (805 km/h). The X-15 fuselage was long and cylindrical, with rear fairings that flattened its appearance, and thick, dorsal and ventral wedge-fin stabilizers. Parts of the fuselage were heat-resistant nickel alloy (Inconel-X 750).[5] The retractable landing gear comprised a nose-wheel carriage and two rear skids. The skids did not extend beyond the ventral fin, which required the pilot to jettison the lower fin (fitted with a parachute) just before landing. #airbus #usairforce #instagramaviation #boeing #avporn #airforce #armedforces #fighter #fighterjet #fighterhelmet #fighterpilot #fighteraircraft #ejectionseat #military #militaryjet #militaryaircraft #us #usa #usn #usnavy #jet #aircraft #aviation #airplane #avgeek #avporn #soldier #gopro #goprohero #selfie #nasa by philippetondeur