The x 15 rocket plane tells the enthralling yet littleknown story of the hypersonic x 15, the winged rocket ship that met this challenge and opened the way into humancontrolled spaceflight. North american x 15 rocket plane was an experimental aircraft project. Later x planes supported important research in a multitude of aerodynamic and technical fields, but only the north american x 15 rocket plane of the early 1960s achieved comparable fame to that of the x 1. The x 15 weighed about 14,000 pounds empty and approximately 34,000 pounds at launch. The worlds fastest rocket plane and the pilots who ushered in the space age by richard passman and john anderson 2014, hardcover at the best online prices at ebay. Nasa releases first free ebook, on history of x15 rocket. The x 15 was a small rocket powered aircraft, 50 feet long with a wingspan of 22 feet. Jul 15, 20 recently released is the x15 rocket plane. Interestingly for a cold war program, the x15 and its flights were unclassified.
Jul 05, 2010 editor robert godwin discusses the x15 rocket plane and his book x15 the nasa mission reports. The x15 rocket plane contains important information about the program, the plane, and the people involved, that can be found nowhere else. The x15 rocket plane cancelled hiller aviation museum. The x 15 with the lr99 motor the x 15 is perhaps the most ambitious aircraft ever created. Nasa releases first free e book, on history of x15 rocket plane in addition to its many popular twitter streams, iphone apps and opportunities for citizens to participate in scientific programs. Drawing on interviews with with the soviet unions launch of the first sputnik satellite in 1957, the cold war soared to new heights as americans feared.
Because of the large fuel consumption of its rocket engine, the x15 was air launched from a b52 aircraft at about 45,000 feet and speeds. Editor robert godwin discusses the x15 rocket plane and his book x15 the nasa mission reports. The first xlr99 engine flight in november, 1960 started to expand the x15 performance envelope to the design goals. Wilma s ross the x 15 was a high speed airplane that paved the way to outer space. Like other rocket planes, the x15 was launched in midair from a b52 mothership at about 45,000 feet. The x 15 rocket plane puts a human face on the feats of science and engineering that went into the x 15 program, many of them critical to the development of the space shuttle. After completing its initial test flights in 1959, the x15 became the first winged aircraft to attain velocities of mach 4, 5, and 6 four, five, and six times the speed of sound. The x 15 set speed and altitude records in the 1960s, reaching the edge of outer space and returning with valuable data used in. The first xlr99 engine flight in november, 1960 started to expand the x 15 performance envelope to the design goals. This book puts a human face on the feats of science and engineering that went into the x15 program, many of them critical to the development of the space. The x15 rocket plane tells the enthralling yet littleknown story of the hypersonic x15, the winged rocket ship that met this challenge and opened the way into humancontrolled spaceflight. This book gives a fascinating and superbly detailed look into x15.
John carver edwards, book verdict john carver edwards book verdict 20615. X15 personnel a photo commemorating all three x15s being flown during the same week. North american x15a2 national museum of the united states. The x15 rocket plane tells the story of the hypersonic x15, the. John carver edwards, book verdict book verdict john carver edwards. Use features like bookmarks, note taking and highlighting while reading the x15 rocket plane. The x15 was the first winged rocket ship to take astronauts into space and back again. By the time of the apollo 11 moon landing, 31 american astronauts had flown into space eight of them astronautpilots of the x 15.
Once its powerful rocket ignited, the x15 streaked upward to the limits of the atmosphere, then glided unpowered to land on a dry lake bed. It was the first aircraft to attain velocities of mach 4, 5 and 6. Mounted under the wing of a b52 jet bomber, on that day the x15 and crossfield were carried to an altitude of 11,445 meters 37,550 feet, and then released. The x15 rocket plane is an engaging account of americas push into space before pilots became astronauts, and america began a new era of exploration beyond the earth to the moon. During its research program the aircraft set unofficial world speed and altitude records of 4,520 mph mach 6. After completing its initial test flights in 1959, the x 15 became the first winged aircraft to attain velocities of mach 4, 5, and 6 four, five, and six times the speed of sound. Book about x15 rocket plane released general aviation news. North american x15 rocket plane was an experimental aircraft project. The worlds fastest rocket plane and the pilots who ushered.
It had a conventional fuselage, but an unusual wedgeshaped vertical tail, thin stubby wings and unique side fairings that extended along the fuselage. That time an x15 rocket plane entered hypersonic spin at. Flying the first wings into space by michelle evans. The x15 with the lr99 motor the x15 is perhaps the most ambitious aircraft ever created. The x15 rocket plane restores these pioneers, and the others who made it happen, to their rightful place in the history of spaceflight.
The author interviewed a number of people involved in the program. It was designed in the mid1950 s, at a time when, to the public, rocket ships meant gleaming silver stilettos with sweptback fins, filled with astronauts in bubbleheaded spacesuits, doing battle against aliens bent on the overthrow and subjugationor annihilationof earth. This book offers a very thorough history of the x15 program. The men who flew this amazing plane became the usafs first astronauts. Ross 1994 crestwood housemacmillan maxwell macmillan other books containing x15 or xplane content. Divin x15, the exciting story of the x15the iconic rocket plane of the cold war space raceis recounted by john anderson, curator of aerodynamics at the smithsonian national air and space museum. Make sure you also check out the companion website for the book, assembled by author michelle evans. Powering apollo into history, published by springerpraxis. It was built to push the limits of flight and explore the possibilities of space travel. The authors succeed in explaining the technical details in a way that even a lay reader can understand.
Apr 29, 20 michelle evans is the president of mach 25 media and author of the x15 rocket plane. Mar 18, 2014 mounted under the wing of a b52 jet bomber, on that day the x 15 and crossfield were carried to an altitude of 11,445 meters 37,550 feet, and then released. Author michelle evans discusses her book flying the first wings into space at the griffith observatory. Powered by an xlr99 engine capable of producing 70,000 pounds of thrust at peak altitude, the x 15 pushed the envelope for manned aircraft past the post office. The second x15 rocket plane is shown with two external fuel tanks. An extremely desirable 8 x 10 limitededition photograph, signed by neil armstrong, robert white and scott crossfield. Pdf the x 15 rocket plane download full pdf book download. Another x15 pilot, neil armstrong, later became the first man to walk on the moon. Flight to high altitude represented about twothirds of the 199 x15 flights. Drawing on interviews with with the soviet unions launch of the first sputnik satellite in 1957, the cold war soared to new heights as americans feared losing the race into space. Powered by an xlr99 engine capable of producing 70,000 pounds of thrust at peak altitude, the x15 pushed the envelope for manned aircraft past the post office. The north american x 15 rocket powered research aircraft bridged the gap between manned flight within the atmosphere and manned flight beyond the atmosphere into space. Nov 15, 20 in x 15, the exciting story of the x 15 the iconic rocket plane of the cold war space race is recounted by john anderson, curator of aerodynamics at the smithsonian national air and space museum. The worlds fastest rocket plane and the pilots who.
The north american x 15 was a hypersonic rocket powered aircraft operated by the united states air force and the national aeronautics and space administration as part of the x plane series of experimental aircraft. This book is the story not only of the test pilots, but the engineers, technicians, and managers at north american aviation, which was the prime. The enthralling yet littleknown story of the hypersonic x15, the winged rocket ship that met this challenge and opened the way into human controlled spaceflight. The north american x15 rocketpowered research aircraft bridged the gap between manned flight within the atmosphere and manned flight beyond the atmosphere into space. This experimental space plane was on the cutting edge of hypersonic aerodynamics, and its winged reentry from space foreshadowed the development of the space shuttle decades. The worlds fastest rocket plane and the pilots who ushered in the space age lays out the case for why the x15 was and continues to be such an important aircraft. In the joint x 15 hypersonic research program that nasa conducted with the air force, the navy, and north american aviation, inc. It was the first winged vehicle to fly a human into space and return to a runway landing. X15 rocket aircraft x15 research results, with a selected bibliography, by. Each chapter for each x15 program pilot and includes interviews with the pilot andor family members. Evans literally spent decades and crisscrossed the country to interview the principals in the story, as well as mining details from volumes of the programs documentation and from other sources. Tons more photos and additional details on the program. Mar 14, 2016 another x15 pilot, neil armstrong, later became the first man to walk on the moon. North american aviation x 15 x 15a2 ben guenther, jay miller, terry panopalis 1985, aerofax, inc.
Nasa releases first free ebook, on history of x15 rocket plane. Much of x15 is made up of sometimes dense technical details that explain how the aerodynamic properties of the aircraft enabled it to fly so fast and so high mach 6. The north american x15 was a hypersonic rocketpowered aircraft operated by the united states air force and the national aeronautics and space administration as part of the xplane series of experimental aircraft. Nasa continues to stay ahead of the government pack. The x15 completed 199 missions between 1959 and 1968. The flights did not go without some troubles, including a cracked airframe after a hard, overweight landing after an emergency, and the loss of x153 and the tragic death of usaf pilot michael adams in november, 1967 when his x15 entered a hypersonic spin, breaking. The worlds fastest rocket plane and the pilots who ushered in the space age by john anderson, a curator at the smithsonians national air and space museum, and richard passman, a volunteer historian there, is designed to be an introduction to the x15 and a companion to the x15 that is on display at the museum. With the soviet unions launch of the first sputnik satellite. Michelle evans is the president of mach 25 media and author of the x15 rocket plane.
It was designed in the mid1950s, at a time when, to the public, rocket ships meant gleaming silver stilettos with sweptback fins, filled with astronauts in bubbleheaded spacesuits, doing battle against aliens bent on the overthrow and subjugation or annihilation of earth. Aerospace pilot charles coombs 1964 william morrow and company. The x15 rocket plane flying the first wings into space michelle evans. And, finally, it introduces us to the largely unsung pilots of the x 15. By the time of the apollo 11 moon landing, 31 american astronauts had flown into space eight of them astronautpilots of the x15. The x15 rocket plane puts a human face on the feats of science and engineering that went into the x15 program, many of them critical to the development of the space shuttle. In x15, the exciting story of the x15 the iconic rocket plane of the cold war space race is recounted by john anderson, curator of aerodynamics at the smithsonian national air and space museum. A very interesting book about the pilots that flew the x15 rocket plane. The north american x15 was a hypersonic rocketpowered aircraft 50 ft long with a wingspan of 22. Aug 30, 2014 the x 15 rocket plane was a research spacecraft that made 199 flights over the course of nearly a decade between the late 1950s and the late 1960s.
John carver edwards, book verdict engle and armstrong devotees wont be disappointed with the. The x 15 rocket plane restores these pioneers, and the others who made it happen, to their rightful place in the history of spaceflight. The x15 was a small rocketpowered aircraft, 50 feet long with a wingspan of 22 feet. Wilma s ross the x15 was a high speed airplane that paved the way to outer space. The flights did not go without some troubles, including a cracked airframe after a hard, overweight landing after an emergency, and the loss of x 15 3 and the tragic death of usaf pilot michael adams in november, 1967 when his x 15 entered a hypersonic spin, breaking. John carver edwards, book verdict engle and armstrong devotees wont be disappointed with the stories about their heroes in this tome. Feb 05, 2014 author michelle evans discusses her book flying the first wings into space at the griffith observatory. Try searching on jstor for other items related to this book. The nasa mission reports by apogee books, north american x15 rocket plane pilots flight operating instructions by periscope films, always another dawn by crossfield, the x15 rocket plane by evans, x15 photo scrapbook, landis and jenkins, hypersonic by jenkins and landis, x15. And, finally, it introduces us to the largely unsung pilots of the x15. X15 rocket plane pilots flight operati by periscope film.
The nasa mission reports by apogee books, north american x 15 rocket plane pilots flight operating instructions by periscope films, always another dawn by crossfield, the x 15 rocket plane by evans, x 15 photo scrapbook, landis and jenkins, hypersonic by jenkins and landis, x 15. Anthony young is the author of the saturn v f1 engine. Pdf download the x 15 rocket plane free unquote books. By the time of the apollo 11 moon landing, thirtyone american astronauts had flown into spaceeight of them astronautpilots of the x15. A peoples history of spaceflight kindle edition by evans, michelle l. The book also reveals details about the plane throughout the book.
Jenkins pdf at nasa items below if any are from related and broader terms. A concise history of the x15 research airplane 2000, by dennis r. Eventbrite ieee buenaventura section presents the x15 rocket plane, flying the first wings into space thursday, january 16, 2020 at westlake village campus. An edwards afb flight test historical foundation limited edition print. The x15 rocket plane is featured on page 15 of the university of nebraska press springsummer 20 catalog.
Later xplanes supported important research in a multitude of aerodynamic and technical fields, but only the north american x15 rocket plane of the early 1960s achieved comparable fame to that of the x1. The x15 weighed about 14,000 pounds empty and approximately 34,000 pounds at launch. North american x15a2 national museum of the united. With the soviet unions launch of the first sputnik satellite in 1957, the cold war soared to new heights as americans feared losing the race into space. X15 rocket plane the nasa mission reports part 2 youtube. The x 15 completed 199 missions between 1959 and 1968. The x15 rocket plane, flying the first wings into space.
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