Author Topic: About advanced X-15 projects.  (Read 5619 times)

Offline DiggyCoxwell

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About advanced X-15 projects.
« on: 10/19/2009 09:57 pm »
Some of you know that I have a fondness for the historical X-15 program, and I suspect that the engineers behind the project
had plans to use the X-15 to air-launch a multistage booster
to put a small satellite in orbit.
But my research has failed to find any reliable website information
to confirm my speculation.   

I can't find anything in astronautix.com about advanced
X-15 projects that came to nought.

Offline Jim

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Re: About advanced X-15 projects.
« Reply #1 on: 10/19/2009 10:59 pm »
Some of you know that I have a fondness for the historical X-15 program, and I suspect that the engineers behind the project
had plans to use the X-15 to air-launch a multistage booster
to put a small satellite in orbit.
But my research has failed to find any reliable website information
to confirm my speculation.   


No speculation required.   It was and it is documented in many books.   It was dismissed because there was more utility in trying to put the actual X-15 into orbit.
« Last Edit: 10/19/2009 11:08 pm by Jim »

Offline Danny Dot

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Re: About advanced X-15 projects.
« Reply #2 on: 10/19/2009 11:05 pm »
If the Air Force had any such plans, it would have been a very different design that the X-15. 

I would love to see more information on what they were planning.

Danny Deger
Danny Deger

Offline Hoonte

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Re: About advanced X-15 projects.
« Reply #3 on: 10/20/2009 06:04 am »
If you would like to read some more on the X-15 I suggest you read this

http://history.nasa.gov/monograph18.pdf
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Offline simcosmos

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Re: About advanced X-15 projects.
« Reply #4 on: 10/20/2009 02:28 pm »
DiggyCoxwell: if you like X-15 you might enjoy a series of addons made for Orbiter simulator (ProjectX15201+02+03.zip):
http://orbithangar.com/searchauth.php?search=projectx-15

Even if not installing the addons, the nice flight manual(s) inside those zips (01+03) might provide a good reading ;)

António
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Offline Lawntonlookirs

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Re: About advanced X-15 projects.
« Reply #5 on: 10/20/2009 03:01 pm »
If you would like to read some more on the X-15 I suggest you read this

http://history.nasa.gov/monograph18.pdf


Brings back a lot of memories about the X series.  Thanks for the link.
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Offline DiggyCoxwell

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Re: About advanced X-15 projects.
« Reply #6 on: 10/20/2009 06:45 pm »
DiggyCoxwell: if you like X-15 you might enjoy a series of addons made for Orbiter simulator (ProjectX15201+02+03.zip):
http://orbithangar.com/searchauth.php?search=projectx-15

Even if not installing the addons, the nice flight manual(s) inside those zips (01+03) might provide a good reading ;)

António

Good link. Thanks

Offline DiggyCoxwell

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Re: About advanced X-15 projects.
« Reply #7 on: 10/20/2009 06:51 pm »
If you would like to read some more on the X-15 I suggest you read this

http://history.nasa.gov/monograph18.pdf

Thanks.
BTW, when I was a lad, I read a series of books
on the space adventures of a fictional NASA astronaut named "Mike Mars" that were available in my elementary school library.
One of the books had "Mike Mars" fly an X-15 with an attached booster to launch a small satellite into orbit to battle them 'evil Rooskies'. ;-)

Offline Hoonte

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Re: About advanced X-15 projects.
« Reply #8 on: 10/21/2009 09:59 am »
If you would like to read some more on the X-15 I suggest you read this

http://history.nasa.gov/monograph18.pdf

Thanks.
BTW, when I was a lad, I read a series of books
on the space adventures of a fictional NASA astronaut named "Mike Mars" that were available in my elementary school library.
One of the books had "Mike Mars" fly an X-15 with an attached booster to launch a small satellite into orbit to battle them 'evil Rooskies'. ;-)


http://thethunderchild.com/Books/MikeMars/X15.html

:-)
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Offline Vahe231991

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Re: About advanced X-15 projects.
« Reply #9 on: 07/27/2022 08:47 pm »
If you would like to read some more on the X-15 I suggest you read this

http://history.nasa.gov/monograph18.pdf
Hi,

It may be tempting not to post on thread as it is 13 years old, but there's a related thread regarding a proposal to launch the delta wing X-15 from the XB-70 Valkyrie:
https://forum.nasaspaceflight.com/index.php?topic=33527.0

There was also a project for an advanced scramjet-powered X-15 derivative. Had it been built and flown, it would have been the fastest air-breathing manned aircraft in history and therefore light-years ahead of the X-43, even faster than the SR-71 Blackbird and perhaps a bit faster than the baseline X-15.

Offline laszlo

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Re: About advanced X-15 projects.
« Reply #10 on: 07/27/2022 11:21 pm »
Another good link

X-15 Extending the Frontiers of Flight

 https://www.nasa.gov/pdf/470842main_X_15_Frontier_of_Flight.pdf

Offline mlorrey

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Re: About advanced X-15 projects.
« Reply #11 on: 07/27/2022 11:56 pm »
If you would like to read some more on the X-15 I suggest you read this

http://history.nasa.gov/monograph18.pdf
Hi,

It may be tempting not to post on thread as it is 13 years old, but there's a related thread regarding a proposal to launch the delta wing X-15 from the XB-70 Valkyrie:
https://forum.nasaspaceflight.com/index.php?topic=33527.0

There was also a project for an advanced scramjet-powered X-15 derivative. Had it been built and flown, it would have been the fastest air-breathing manned aircraft in history and therefore light-years ahead of the X-43, even faster than the SR-71 Blackbird and perhaps a bit faster than the baseline X-15.

The X-15 attempted to test a SCRAMjet model on its ventral tail on one of its flights, the plasma from the shock wave compression cut the model off its plyon and most of the dorsal fin along with it. The plane almost crashed.
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Offline Jim

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Re: About advanced X-15 projects.
« Reply #12 on: 07/28/2022 03:33 am »

The X-15 attempted to test a SCRAMjet model on its ventral tail on one of its flights, the plasma from the shock wave compression cut the model off its plyon and most of the dorsal fin along with it. The plane almost crashed.


It was a mockup and the dorsal fin was not cut off nor did the plan almost crash.

Offline Nomadd

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Re: About advanced X-15 projects.
« Reply #13 on: 07/28/2022 03:39 am »

The X-15 attempted to test a SCRAMjet model on its ventral tail on one of its flights, the plasma from the shock wave compression cut the model off its plyon and most of the dorsal fin along with it. The plane almost crashed.


It was a mockup and the dorsal fin was not cut off nor did the plan almost crash.

https://www.nasa.gov/centers/dryden/history/Speeches/x-15_speech/x15-6spch.html

"Charring of the ablative coating occurred in many areas of the X-15, but more serious damage occurred where the wake of the dummy ramjet impinged on the vertical fin.
Portions of the skin of the ventral were burned through and there were substantial damage to substructure and to subsystems enclosed in the ventral fin. The X-15A was returned to the North American factory at El Segundo for repair. Before the repair of the damaged structure was complete the X-15 program was canceled. The X-15A never flew again and the working ramjet was never flight-tested."
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Offline Jim

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Re: About advanced X-15 projects.
« Reply #14 on: 07/28/2022 03:47 am »

The X-15 attempted to test a SCRAMjet model on its ventral tail on one of its flights, the plasma from the shock wave compression cut the model off its plyon and most of the dorsal fin along with it. The plane almost crashed.


It was a mockup and the dorsal fin was not cut off nor did the plan almost crash.

https://www.nasa.gov/centers/dryden/history/Speeches/x-15_speech/x15-6spch.html

"Charring of the ablative coating occurred in many areas of the X-15, but more serious damage occurred where the wake of the dummy ramjet impinged on the vertical fin.
Portions of the skin of the ventral were burned through and there were substantial damage to substructure and to subsystems enclosed in the ventral fin. The X-15A was returned to the North American factory at El Segundo for repair. Before the repair of the damaged structure was complete the X-15 program was canceled. The X-15A never flew again and the working ramjet was never flight-tested."

I have the actual flight test report.  Again, the fin was not "cut off" nor was there danger of a crash.

Offline Vahe231991

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Re: Advanced X-15 projects
« Reply #15 on: 07/31/2022 02:38 pm »

The X-15 attempted to test a SCRAMjet model on its ventral tail on one of its flights, the plasma from the shock wave compression cut the model off its plyon and most of the dorsal fin along with it. The plane almost crashed.


It was a mockup and the dorsal fin was not cut off nor did the plan almost crash.

https://www.nasa.gov/centers/dryden/history/Speeches/x-15_speech/x15-6spch.html

"Charring of the ablative coating occurred in many areas of the X-15, but more serious damage occurred where the wake of the dummy ramjet impinged on the vertical fin.
Portions of the skin of the ventral were burned through and there were substantial damage to substructure and to subsystems enclosed in the ventral fin. The X-15A was returned to the North American factory at El Segundo for repair. Before the repair of the damaged structure was complete the X-15 program was canceled. The X-15A never flew again and the working ramjet was never flight-tested."

I have the actual flight test report.  Again, the fin was not "cut off" nor was there danger of a crash.
I have an important question. Given that the X-43 hypersonic air-breathing technology demonstrator was constructed using  silicon carbide-coated carbon/carbon materials for hypersonic flight, what materials were intended by North American to be used in the construction of the proposed scramjet-powered X-15 design study?

Offline Michel Van

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Re: About advanced X-15 projects.
« Reply #16 on: 08/05/2022 08:11 am »
Some of you know that I have a fondness for the historical X-15 program, and I suspect that the engineers behind the project
had plans to use the X-15 to air-launch a multistage booster
to put a small satellite in orbit.
But my research has failed to find any reliable website information
to confirm my speculation.   

I can't find anything in astronautix.com about advanced
X-15 projects that came to nought.

That's Ford Blue Scout proposal 1961 
a NB-52 carry a X-15 with modified RM-89 Blue Scout rocket
At 42000 ft. the X-15 is drop and start it engine
At 130,000 and 200,000 feet the X-15 engine shutdown and Pilot activate the Blue scout and fire it.
expected to launch 150 pounds into a 115-mile orbit, or 60 pounds into a 1,150-mile orbit. (from US west coast)

Source:
http://www.citizensinspace.org/2012/03/historical-note-blue-scout-x-15/


 

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