Note: Only forum leaders may delete posts.
*HTML is ON *UBB Code is ON Smilies Legend
Smilies Legend
[i]Joe Walker took the X-15 up for another shot at a new altitude record on April 30, 1962. The flight started as usual with the X-15 dropped from it's B-52 mother plane at 45,000 feet above Mud Lake , Nevada. Walker then turned on the engine full blast and roared into a steep 38-degree climb. As the plane rocketed along at an ever-increasing speed Walker strained to reach the throttle while being pushed back by the 4-G acceleration. He told reporters after the flight, "I had a little trouble reaching the throttle. I kept missing it by about an inch. Finally, I had to lunge forward to reach it." Walker cut off the engine after 81 seconds of powered flight with the plane bulleting skyward at 3,489 mph. At this point the X-15 coasted up to 246,700 feet, the altitude for which it was designed. Returning, the X-15 hit the atmosphere in a belly-flop type of re-entry. The air drag on the plane sent the temperature on its leading edges up to 1,000 degrees (aluminum melts at 1,220), but this time no damage was caused. The sudden slowing of the plane shoved Walker down into his seat with a 5-G force which caused him to grunt, "I sure felt that one!"[/i]
Contact Us | The Source for Space History & Artifacts
Copyright 1999-2024 collectSPACE. All rights reserved.