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X-15A-2
X-15A-2

Credit: NASA. 17,207 bytes. 500 x 178 pixels.


Class: Manned. Type: Spaceplane. Nation: USA. Manufacturer: North American.

A crashed X-15 no. 2 was rebuilt to attain even higher speeds. The body frame was stretched, two drop tanks were added, increasing fuel load by 75%. An ablative heat shield was applied for the high speeds that could be attained. The X-15A-2 reached the highest speeds and altitudes of any manned spaceplane until the space shuttle entered service.

The X-15A-2, modified from the number two aircraft and delivered to NASA in February 1964, included among other new features, a 28-in. fuselage extension to carry liquid hydrogen for a supersonic combustion ramjet that was flown (as a dummy) but never tested. It also had external tanks for liquid ammonia and liquid oxygen. These tanks provided roughly 60 seconds of additional engine burn and were used on the aircraft's Mach 6.7 flight. While adding to the speed the X-15 did achieve, the tanks also increased the aircraft's weight to almost 57,000 lb and added significantly to the drag experienced by the aircraft in flight.


Specification


X-15A-2 Chronology


01 February 1964 The X-15A-2 delivered to NASA

The X-15A-2, modified from the number two aircraft, included among other new features, a 28-in. fuselage extension to carry liquid hydrogen for a supersonic combustion ramjet that was flown (as a dummy) but never tested. It also had external tanks for liquid ammonia and liquid oxygen. These tanks provided roughly 60 seconds of additional engine burn and were used on the aircraft's Mach 6.7 flight.


25 June 1964 X-15 Flight 109 Program: X-15. Flight Crew: Rushworth. Launch Site: Edwards . Launch Vehicle: X-15A-2.

Maximum Speed - 4994 kph. Maximum Altitude - 25390 m. First flight of X-15 No. 2 in X-15A-2 configuration, but without drop tanks.


14 August 1964 X-15 Flight 114 Program: X-15. Flight Crew: Rushworth. Launch Site: Edwards . Launch Vehicle: X-15A-2.


X-15 ablative coatX-15 ablative coat - X-15A-2 ablative coating

Credit: NASA. 15,418 bytes. 464 x 274 pixels.


Maximum Speed - 5776 kph. Maximum Altitude - 31486 m. Nose landing gear extended at Mach 4.5. Both tires blew on landing.
29 September 1964 X-15 Flight 118 Program: X-15. Flight Crew: Rushworth. Launch Site: Edwards . Launch Vehicle: X-15A-2.

Maximum Speed - 5699 kph. Maximum Altitude - 29809 m.


30 November 1964 X-15 Flight 121 Program: X-15. Flight Crew: McKay. Launch Site: Edwards . Launch Vehicle: X-15A-2.

Maximum Speed - 4970 kph. Maximum Altitude - 26579 m.


17 February 1965 X-15 Flight 127 Program: X-15. Flight Crew: Rushworth. Launch Site: Edwards . Launch Vehicle: X-15A-2.

Maximum Speed - 5649 kph. Maximum Altitude - 28986 m. Right main landing gear extended at Mach 4.1; normal landing.


28 April 1965 X-15 Flight 131 Program: X-15. Flight Crew: McKay. Launch Site: Edwards . Launch Vehicle: X-15A-2.

Maximum Speed - 5266 kph. Maximum Altitude - 28224 m. First star tracker checkout.


18 May 1965 X-15 Flight 132 Program: X-15. Flight Crew: McKay. Launch Site: Edwards . Launch Vehicle: X-15A-2.

Maximum Speed - 5697 kph. Maximum Altitude - 31120 m.


22 June 1965 X-15 Flight 137 Program: X-15. Flight Crew: McKay. Launch Site: Edwards . Launch Vehicle: X-15A-2.


X15 DeltaX15 Delta

11,604 bytes. 524 x 288 pixels.


Maximum Speed - 6336 kph. Maximum Altitude - 47518 m.
08 July 1965 X-15 Flight 139 Program: X-15. Flight Crew: McKay. Launch Site: Edwards . Launch Vehicle: X-15A-2.

Maximum Speed - 5887 kph. Maximum Altitude - 64800 m. Star tracker mission to photograph Gamma Cassiopeia.


03 August 1965 X-15 Flight 141 Program: X-15. Flight Crew: Rushworth. Launch Site: Edwards . Launch Vehicle: X-15A-2.

Maximum Speed - 5796 kph. Maximum Altitude - 63612 m.


02 September 1965 X-15 Flight 146 Program: X-15. Flight Crew: McKay. Launch Site: Edwards . Launch Vehicle: X-15A-2.

Maximum Speed - 5744 kph. Maximum Altitude - 73091 m.


03 November 1965 X-15 Flight 155 Program: X-15. Flight Crew: Rushworth. Launch Site: Edwards . Launch Vehicle: X-15A-2.

First flight with empty external tanks. Ammonia tank recovered; Lox tank destroyed. Maximum Speed - 2414 kph. Maximum Altitude - 21520 m.


18 May 1966 X-15 Flight 158 Program: X-15. Flight Crew: Rushworth. Launch Site: Edwards . Launch Vehicle: X-15A-2.

Maximum Speed - 5936 kph. Maximum Altitude - 30170 m.


01 July 1966 X-15 Flight 159 Program: X-15. Flight Crew: Rushworth. Launch Site: Edwards . Launch Vehicle: X-15A-2.

First flight with fueled external tanks. Engine shutdown at 34.6 seconds due to fuel flow anomalies. Maximum Speed - 1646 kph. Maximum Altitude - 13720 m.


21 July 1966 X-15 Flight 162 Program: X-15. Flight Crew: Knight. Launch Site: Edwards . Launch Vehicle: X-15A-2.

Maximum Speed - 5741 kph. Maximum Altitude - 58610 m.


03 August 1966 X-15 Flight 164 Program: X-15. Flight Crew: Knight. Launch Site: Edwards . Launch Vehicle: X-15A-2.

Maximum Speed - 5535 kph. Maximum Altitude - 75890 m. UV photos of stars in Auriga.


12 August 1966 X-15 Flight 167 Program: X-15. Flight Crew: Knight. Launch Site: Edwards . Launch Vehicle: X-15A-2.

Maximum Speed - 5586 kph. Maximum Altitude - 70440 m.


30 August 1966 X-15 Flight 170 Program: X-15. Flight Crew: Knight. Launch Site: Edwards . Launch Vehicle: X-15A-2.

Maximum Speed - 5701 kph. Maximum Altitude - 30540 m.


18 November 1966 X-15 Flight 175 Program: X-15. Flight Crew: Knight. Launch Site: Edwards . Launch Vehicle: X-15A-2.

Unofficial world's speed record. Maximum Speed - 6838 kph. Maximum Altitude - 30140 m.


08 May 1967 X-15 Flight 180 Program: X-15. Flight Crew: Knight. Launch Site: Edwards . Launch Vehicle: X-15A-2.

Maximum Speed - 5138 kph. Maximum Altitude - 29750 m. Check out of stability and control with ramjet pod.


21 August 1967 X-15 Flight 186 Program: X-15. Flight Crew: Knight. Launch Site: Edwards . Launch Vehicle: X-15A-2.

First test with full ablative coating, ramjet pod. Maximum Speed - 5419 kph. Maximum Altitude - 27740 m.


03 October 1967 X-15 Flight 188 Program: X-15. Flight Crew: Knight. Launch Site: Edwards . Launch Vehicle: X-15A-2.

Unofficial world speed record (full ablative coating, dummy ramjet, mechanical eyelid). Maximum Speed - 7273 kph. Maximum Altitude - 31120 m.



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Last update 12 March 2001.
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© Mark Wade, 2001 .