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 Connections
In the Other Atlases
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.
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