North American X-15 - Variants and Projects

[hesham]

Hi,


http://www.dtic.mil/dtic/tr/fulltext/u2/b181235.pdf

 

[hesham]

And a ramjet test;


http://ntrs.nasa.gov/archive/nasa/casi.ntrs.nasa.gov/19760068528_1976068528.pdf

 

[hesham]

I asked about this aircraft before,and again,was this a fighter derivative from
North American X-15 ?.


http://crgis.ndc.nasa.gov/historic/File:LAL_57-5546.jpg

 

[RanulfC]

I asked about this aircraft before,and again,was this a fighter derivative from
North American X-15 ?.


http://crgis.ndc.nasa.gov/historic/File:LAL_57-5546.jpg

Looks photo-shopped actually. The cockpit glass is far to big for the scale which would have your "cockpit" extending back into the fuel tank. Also the glass is totally unsuited for a hypersonic design, it would burn right through.

There is no known (official) version or consideration of using the X-15 as a fighter aircraft. However there are rumors that such vehicles did in fact help repel an invasion from Outer Space in 1959:
http://monsterkidclassichorrorforum.yuku.com/topic/31328

::::grin::::

Randy

 

[hesham]

Thank you RanulfC.

 

[Stargazer]

Looks photo-shopped actually.

This is impossible from a chronological viewpoint. The photo dates back to 1957! Doctored, but not photoshopped!

Here is a link to the full-size photo. Doesn't look doctored to me, anyway. http://crgis.ndc.nasa.gov/crgis/images/6/62/LAL_57-5546.jpg

 

[XP67_Moonbat]

Slightly off-topic, in Steven Baxter's novel TITAN, one of the antagonists uses an X-15 to shoot an ASAT missile at the heroes of the story. Yeah, I know. That whole novel was a trip.

 

[Orionblamblam]

Looks photo-shopped actually. The cockpit glass is far to big for the scale which would have your "cockpit" extending back into the fuel tank. Also the glass is totally unsuited for a hypersonic design, it would burn right through.

It is not, however, unsuited for a model that might need a camera in it. Such as a remotely controlled 1/7 scale model of the X-15, which this is.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=83cBId82kGk

 

[circle-5]

Wow. A vacuum-tube RF receiver on an R/C glider ...

 

[Orionblamblam]

These tests are written up, complete with craptacular photos, in: "Subsonic Flight Tests of a 1/7-Scale Radio-Controlled Model of the North American X-15 Airplane with Particular Reference to High Angel-of-Attack Conditions"
http://ntrs.nasa.gov/search.jsp?R=19980223968

You really gotta watch out for angels on the attack, especially when they're high.

A 16-mmmotion-picture camera using a 17-mmwide-angle lens
was installed in the model with a system of mirrors which permitted a​

picture to be taken through the transparent cockpit canopy. Some of the​

tests were made with a double-mirror system which provided both a forward​

and a rearward view, but for later tests this was replaced by a​

single-mirror system which provided the same view a_ would be seen by​

the pilot in the actual airplane.

 

[DSE]

I asked about this aircraft before,and again,was this a fighter derivative from
North American X-15 ?

http://crgis.ndc.nasa.gov/historic/File:LAL_57-5546.jpg

There are more photos of this model if you follow the link to the tunnel test log at the bottom of the page and then the link to the model 141 page.

 

[RanulfC]

Wow!

I sit corrected, and in awe of the amount of knowledge within these pages!

Thanks!

Randy

 

[hesham]

Hi,


http://ntrs.nasa.gov/archive/nasa/casi.ntrs.nasa.gov/20080008340_2008004059.pdf

 

[hesham]

Hi,


also from L + K magazine and Internet,the X-15 delta wing with ramjet test.

 

[hesham]

also from L + K magazine and Internet,the X-15 delta wing with ramjet test.

Hi,

http://archive.aviationweek.com/image/spread/19670417/39/2

 

[hesham]

From a Russian book or report,

here is some drawings to X-15 variants.

 

[XP67_Moonbat]

Kinda looks like Archipeppe's artwork.

 

[Arjen]

Kinda looks like Archipeppe's artwork.

That's what the vertical text says - Grafika Giuseppe de Chiara.
Which book, Hasan?

 

[hesham]

My dears Moonbat and Arjen,

unfortunately I don't remember,but maybe it was just a report not book as I guess,
I have a hundreds of Russian reports,but I will search about it,I hope a Russian member
could help us ?.

 

[boxkite]

Here is the answer, coming from a German member of the forum: Illustrations can be found in chapter on Hypersonic rocketplane X-15 in Kosmicheskiye Krylya by Lukashevich & Afanasyev (ISBN 978-5-85247-317-2).

Merry Christmas !

 

[hesham]

Merry Merry Merry Christmas my dear Boxkite,

I think that's the source,but although I can't find it in my files ?.

 

[hesham]

The NAA X-15B in details.

 

[TomcatViP]

These tests are written up, complete with craptacular photos, in: "Subsonic Flight Tests of a 1/7-Scale Radio-Controlled Model of the North American X-15 Airplane with Particular Reference to High Angel-of-Attack Conditions"
http://ntrs.nasa.gov/search.jsp?R=19980223968

You really gotta watch out for angels on the attack, especially when they're high.

A 16-mmmotion-picture camera using a 17-mmwide-angle lens
was installed in the model with a system of mirrors which permitted a​

picture to be taken through the transparent cockpit canopy. Some of the​

tests were made with a double-mirror system which provided both a forward​

and a rearward view, but for later tests this was replaced by a​

single-mirror system which provided the same view a_ would be seen by​

the pilot in the actual airplane.

In Video:
https://youtu.be/01W-4smFHeE

 

[SAustin16]

Hello All,

Found this photo of the X-15 windshield support on Flickr.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/jurvetson/4976265598

This was for the oval windshield where one side was covered, and would uncover during the last phase of high speed flight to provide clear visibility of the approach. I believe it was Pete Knight that told my Dad that during his last flight, the windshield had started to melt. An immediate reduction in airspeed resolved the problem. Reaching the max speed limit the aircraft could withstand, along with the loss of Major Mike Adams where the aircraft entered a chaotic spin, ended the program.

Poor Major Adams never had a chance, as he was still doing Mach 4 in his descent over the Trona Pinnacles. If you are ever headed from Los Angeles up to Death Valley, his crash site now has a nice Memorial on the west side of Trona Road east of Hwy 395, about 2 miles north of Red Mountain (northeast of Edwards AFB).

 

[hesham]

From Aeroplane monthly 2014/11.

 

[hesham]

From L+K 1997-25-26

 

[Grey Havoc]

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7zR26e504uI

 

[F-2]

xtreme prototyped has a very nice recreation of the X-15 and some of its unbuilt variants. Engine limits prevent it from being super accurate (no air launch, Mach 4 speed limit) but the model used is extremely nice with lots of attention to detail.

View: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=KEcbe57YmEY

 

[blackkite]

Hi!

North American X-15A-2

Hypersonic Research AircraftThe X-15 is a famous and significant part of aviation history. Its purpose was to fly high and fast, testing the machine and subjecting pilots to conditions that future

www.nationalmuseum.af.mil

 

[blackkite]

Hi!

Il North American X-15 (NA-240) era un aereo-razzo statunitense

svppbellum.blogspot.com

X-15A #2 with Dummy Ramjet Engine Attached - NASA

The X-15A #2 (56-6671) is shown on a research flight with a dummy ramjet engine attached to the bottom of its wedge-shaped vertical tail.

www.nasa.gov

North American X-15 - The 4000 MPH Rocket Plane

Discover the North American X-15, a rocket-powered aircraft that set speed and altitude records in the 1960s, reaching speeds of up to 4000 MPH.

planehistoria.com

 

[blackkite]

Scott-san's great discovery.

https://www.up-ship.com/apr/extras/serjx15.htm

 

[blackkite]

Hi!

Figure 3:North American had produced designs of a stretched and delta winged X-15 (the middle design). Marquardt expected that this aircraft could also be equipped with a SERJ engine, producing greater performance. Further improvements still could be had by stretching the delta X-15, and adding a second crewman. Performance enhancement was not in speed or altitude, but in duration. An aircraft beyond this would be a truly operational military vehicle.
Marquardt via W. Escher​

 

[blackkite]

https://twitter.com/x/status/1588274826430513154

View: https://x.com/ToughSf/status/1588274826430513154/photo/2

 

[blackkite]

Hi!

X-15A-3 Design Brief – The Unwanted Blog

 

[blackkite]

Aerospaceweb.org | Aircraft Museum - X-15 Pictures

Scramjet X-15 derivative – The Unwanted Blog

 

[Orionblamblam]

...

Note: "x15scram2.jpg" is a *very* inaccurate drawing someone made from, presumably, the art in "x15scram1.jpg. And that is not a highly modified X-15, but an all-new design, the Manned Hypersonic Test Vehicle, shown here:

https://www.secretprojects.co.uk/threads/naa-mhtv-3-manned-hypersonic-test-vehicle-x-15d.4763/#post-119114

 

[blackkite]

Thanks a lot Scott-san!!

 

[Orionblamblam]

Thanks a lot Scott-san!!

Wish I could provide more on the MHTV. Sadly the one guy who had the NAA MHTV report was ill-disposed to making copies due to a fear of ITAR regulations... and then he had the poor manners to up and die, I guess. But at least we got a few diagrams and some confirmations. That's more than a lot of other mysteries get.

 

[blackkite]

North American Aviation, Inc., X-15A Hypersonic Research Rocketplane | This Day in Aviation

"Delays in the production of the planned Reaction Motors XLR99 rocket engine forced engineers to adapt two vertically-stacked Reaction Motors XLR11-RM-13 four-chamber rocket engines to the X-15 for early flights. This was a well-known engine which was used on the previous rocketplanes. The XLR11 burned a mixture of ethyl alcohol and water with liquid oxygen. Each of the engines’ chambers could be ignited individually. Each engine was rated at 11,800 pounds of thrust (58.49 kilonewtons) at seaLevel."

rmd

 

[blackkite]

May 9, 1955: X-15 design proposals submitted

「Technical direction of the X-15 program had been assigned to the National Advisory Committy for Aeronautics (NACA, the predecessor of NASA). Design and construction of the research aircraft had been assigned to the Air Force. The Air Force sent invitation-to-bid letters to 12 Aerospace companies on December 30, 1954. Nine of these companies participated in a bidders' conference oon January 18, 1955. One day before that conference the Air Force notified NACA that this would be Air Force Project 1226, and that the aircraft designation would be X-15.

Several of the remaining contractors dropped out in the following months, leaving Bell, North Douglas, North American, and Republic as those who submitted proposals for the May 9th deadline to the Air Force at Wright Field (Wright Patterson Air Force Base). On May 11th the Air Force sent technical data for the proposals to evaluation groups at the Wright Air Development Center (WADC), Air Research and Development Command (ARDC), NACA, and Navy, requesting responses by June 22nd.

Part of the package for evaluation of the proposals was a set of 9 8x10 photographs of design models for all of the proposals. The photo above compares all four proposed designs and a similarly scaled model of the Bell X-1A design, which also had been manufactured as the X-1B and the X-1D.

Here are other photographs in this set, with two for each of the competing design submissions. Click on any photo for a high resolution image.」