The X-15 Rocket Plane

NORTH AMERICAN X-15 ROCKETPLANE Late in the year of 1954, the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics (NACA) issued a requirement for an air-launched manned research vehicle with a maximum speed of more than Mach 6 and a maximum altitude of more than fifty miles. North American Aviation Incorporated was awarded the contract for the new research vehicle, the X-15. Developed under USAF Project MX-1226, three X-15s were built and together made 199 flights during a research program which lasted from 1959 to 1968, exceeding all speed and altitude goals set. The X-15 was designed to fly at speeds of Mach 6 and altitudes up to 250,000 feet. The aircraft went on to reach a maximum speed of Mach 6.7 and a maximum altitude of 354,200 feet. Mach 6 is about one mile per second and flight above 265,000 feet qualifies an Air Force pilot as an astronaut. The X-15 made its public appearance on 15 October 1958 at North American's Los Angeles facility and the first of the three X-15s arrived at Edwards AFB two days later. On 10 March 1959, with project pilot A. Scott Crossfield at the controls, the X-15 made its first captive-carry flight under the right wing of a B-52 carrier aircraft. On 8 June 1959, it made its first glide flight, reaching a speed of 522mph (Mach 0.79) from a release altitude of 52,341 feet. During a test flight, the X-15 would be air-launched by NASA's converted B-52 at an altitude of 45,000 feet and a speed of 500 mph. Generally, there were two types of flight profiles: high-speed or high-altitude. High-speed flights were usually conducted below an altitude of 100,000 feet and flown as a conventional airplane using aerodynamic controls. High-altitude flights began with a steep, full-power climb to leave the atmosphere. This was followed by up to two minutes of "coasting up" to peak altitude after the engine was shut down. High-altitude flights usually lasted for 2-5 minutes as it made a ballistic arc before reentering the atmosphere. A reaction control system, employing hydrogen peroxide thrusters located on the nose and wings, was used to maintain attitude above the atmosphere. A typical research flight lasted about 10 or 11 minutes while covering nearly 400 miles along a course that stretched from Smith Ranch, Nevada to Edwards Air Force Base. The X-15 program made many accomplishments, here is list of some of its contributions to space flight: First use of a full-pressure suit for spaceflight. First use of reaction controls for maneuvering in space. First use of a flight control system that automatically blended aerodynamic and reaction controls. Development of thermal protection for hypersonic reentry. Development of the first large, restartable, and throttleable rocket engine. Development of an inertial guidance system. Demonstration of a pilot's ability to operate in "micro-gravity". Demonstration of the first piloted reentry-to-landing from space. Acquisition of hypersonic acoustic measurements, which influenced structural design criteria for Mercury capsule. Verification of the validity of hypersonic wind tunnel data, which were later used in the design of the Space Shuttle. Description Manufacturer: North American Designation: X-15 Type: X Plane (Special Research/Experimental A/C) First Flew: Jun 8 1959 Specifications Length: 50' 3" 15.32 M Height: 11' 7" 3.53 M Wingspan: 22' 4" 6.81 M Empty Weight: 11374.0 lbs 5158.00 Kg Gross Weight: 31275.0 lbs 14183.0 Kg Propulsion No. of Engines: 1 Powerplant: Reaction Motors XLR-99 rocket engine Thrust: 57000 lbs Performance Range: 275 miles 442.00 Km Max Speed: 4104.00 Mph 6608.00 Km/H 3571.89 Kt Ceiling: 314750 Ft 95931.0 M

i know this curently holds the record for speed by an aircraft but isnt it a rocket?

originally posted by: WestPoint23
i know this curently holds the record for speed by an aircraft but isnt it a rocket?

The X-15 currently holds the record for the fastest speed attained by a suborbital rocket-powered plane. The MicroCraft X-43 is now the fastest air-breathing aircraft ever flown.