Professionally converted for accurate flowing-text e-book format reproduction, this is an excellent history of the famous X-15 rocket plane, called by Neil Armstrong "the most successful research airplane in history." This is a truly authoritative work covering all aspects of the historic program.
Because of the unusual size of this document, it is presented in two parts.
CHAPTER 1: A NEW SCIENCE * X-PLANES * WHAT WAS ACHIEVED? * HYPERSONICS * THE MISSILE INFLUENCE * MILITARY SUPPORT * A CONVINCING CASE * THE DOUGLAS MODEL 671 * CHAPTER 2: A HYPERSONIC RESEARCH AIRPLANE * DEVELOPING A CONSENSUS * ENGINE OPTIONS * THE COMPETITION * The Bell Proposal * The Douglas Proposal * The North American Proposal * The Republic Proposal * THE AIRFRAME EVALUATION * SECOND THOUGHTS * CHAPTER 3: CONFLICT AND INNOVATION * CHANGES * THE FIRST INDUSTRY CONFERENCE (1956) * MOCKUP INSPECTION * STRUCTURAL FABRICATION * HIGH ALTITUDE GIRDLES * Crossfield's Crusade * Improved Girdles for the Masses * Post X-15 * ESCAPE SYSTEM DEVELOPMENT * STABLE PLATFORM DEVELOPMENT * BALL NOSE DEVELOPMENT * FLIGHT CONTROL SYSTEMS * LANDING GEAR EVOLUTION * THE SECOND INDUSTRY CONFERENCE (1958) * CHAPTER 4: THE MILLION-HORSEPOWER ENGINE * ENGINE PROPOSALS * THE ENGINE EVALUATION * ENGINE AWARD * THE TR-139 * THE 1956 INDUSTRY CONFERENCE * MORE PROBLEMS * ROCKETS IN THE HIGH DESERT * CONTINUING CHALLENGES * RETROSPECT * POST X-15 * AEROJET LR91 * REACTION MOTORS XLR11 * CHAPTER 5: HIGH RANGE AND DRY LAKES * MUROC TO EDWARDS * THE HIGH-SPEED FLIGHT STATION * THE HIGH RANGE * DRY LAKES * Supporting the High Range * More Lakes * CHAPTER 6: PREPARATIONS * SIMULATIONS * Fixed-Base Simulators * The Wheel * Heating Simulations * Airborne Simulators * CARRIER AIRCRAFT * B-36 * A Replacement * XB-70 * CHASE AND SUPPORT AIRCRAFT * IMPLICATIONS OF SPUTNIK * Project 7969 * X-15B * Becker's Lament * MORE X-15s? * COST OVERRUNS * CHAPTER 7: THE FLIGHT PROGRAM * ROLLOUT * FLIGHT PROGRAM OVERVIEW * FLIGHT DESCRIPTION * FLIGHT DAY * THE ORIGINAL CONTRACTOR PLAN * THE ORIGINAL GOVERNMENT PLAN * REVISIONS * CAN IT FLY? * 1959 FLIGHT PERIOD * 1960 FLIGHT PERIOD * The XLR99 Arrives * Back to Flying * 1961 FLIGHT PERIOD * Pilot in the Loop * The Third Industry Conference * Manpower * The Adaptive Control System Arrives * 1962 FLIGHT PERIOD * Astronaut Wings * A Bad Day * 1963 FLIGHT PERIOD * Maximum Altitude * 1964 FLIGHT PERIOD * High-Temperature Loads Calibration Laboratory * 1965 FLIGHT PERIOD * The Fourth Industry Conference * The X-15A-2 * 1966 FLIGHT PERIOD * Flying Again * 1967 FLIGHT PERIOD * Ablative Coatings * Getting Ready for Maximum Speed * Ablator Application * Ablator Flights * Maximum Speed * Did it Work? * Tragedy * Almost the End * 1968 FLIGHT PERIOD * Final Dispositions * CORRECTING AN OVERSIGHT * CHAPTER 8: THE RESEARCH PROGRAM * RESEARCH INSTRUMENTATION * BIOMEDICAL RESEARCH * Instrumentation * Some Results * MH-96 ADAPTIVE CONTROL SYSTEM
