The X-15 - The World's First Winged Spacecraft

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Richard S.
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Post by Richard S. »

There is a lot of debate about this but one measure is the Karman line 100 kilometers above sea level or 330,000 feet. While no conventional plane comes anywhere near this limit it's the absolute limit for any conventional airplane, balloon etc. The X-15 was launched from a B-52 and rocket powered setting it apart from conventional airplanes like the air breathing A-12 that could take off on it's own. To compensate for the lack of air at extreme altitudes the X-15 had thrusters in the nose and wing tips.

The US armed forces uses a different definition of 80 kilometers and 8 pilots exceeded this height earning them astronaut wings. Two of those flights in July and August of 1963 exceeded 100 kilometers.

You get into a grey area here because of the Space Shuttle but that aside to this day it's the fastest and highest flying manned winged vehicle. Mach 6.72 (4,520 mph) in 1967 and an altitude of 108 kilometers (67.1 mi) in 1963.


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Post by grumpy »

And it leaked fuel all over the place.

Until it got hot....


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Post by Richard S. »

That was the A-12/SR-71, it's basically kerosene so not a big hazard. They did that to avoid having to build interior tanks and the fuel acted as coolant. There is actually some videos you can see puddles under it where they are preparing it for flight.

The X-15 was rocket powered fueled with anhydrous ammonia and liquid oxygen. Not sure about the ammonia but I know there isn't any liquid oxygen leaking. ;) If you pay attention to some of the videos right before launch from the B-52 you can see the ice on the body of the X-15 from the oxygen.

edit: Just to add most pictures/video you will see are it colored black with no tanks. The one pictured in the thumbnail was for highest speed tests. That white material was additional protective coating that could burn off.

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Post by grumpy »

That's right, I thought I may be off with that, thanks for the correction.

Yes I remember seeing videos of it leaking.

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