The North American X-15 is a rocket powered experimental aircraft flown by the United States Air Force and NASA from 1959 to 1968, carried aloft under a modified bomber before igniting its own rocket engine for high speed, high altitude research flights. It set official speed and altitude records for a crewed, winged aircraft that stood for decades, and some of its flights exceeded the altitude threshold used to award its pilots astronaut wings.
Facts
SignificanceReached 4,520 mph (Mach 6.7 class) on 3 October 1967 1 Manufacturer or BuilderNorth American Aviation 1 FAQs
When did the North American X-15 first fly?
8 June 1959, an unpowered glide flight.
The first X-15 flight was an unpowered glide flight by Scott Crossfield on 8 June 1959.
Connections
In the Other Atlases
Same As
Also in Space and Astronomy Atlas: the same subject.
Manufactured By
Also in Business Atlas: the manufacturer of this subject.
Sources
1. North American X-15 - Wikipedia
Flight history, first flight
The first X-15 flight was an unpowered glide flight by Scott Crossfield, on 8 June 1959.
Development, construction
The X-15 was built by two manufacturers: North American Aviation was contracted for the airframe in November 1955.
Records
The X-15's highest speed, 4,520 miles per hour (7,274 km/h; 2,021 m/s), was achieved on 3 October 1967.
In Group: Rocket-Powered and Hypersonic Research Aircraft, Lead sentence
The North American X-15 is a hypersonic rocket-powered aircraft formerly operated by the United States Air Force and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) as part of the X-plane series of experimental aircraft.
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