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North American Aviation X-15

 

Scott Crossfield NAA

14 Flights

Highest Mach 2.97

Highest Altitude 88,116'

Joseph Walker NASA

25 Flights

Highest Mach 5.92

Highest Altitude 354,200'

 

Major Robert White USAF

16 Flights

Highest Mach 6.04

Highest Altitude 314,750

Lt. Cdr. Forrest Petersen USN

5 Flights

Highest Mach 5.30

Highest Altitude 101,800'

 

John McKay NASA

29 Flights

Highest Mach 5.65

Highest Altitude 295,600'

 

Lt. Col. Robert Rushworth USAF

34 Flights

Highest Mach 6.06

Highest Altitude 285,000'

 

Neil Armstrong NASA

7 Flights

Highest Mach 5.74

Highest Altitude 207,500'

 

Capt. Joseph Engle USAF

16 Flights

Highest Mach 5.71

Highest Altitude 280,600'

 

Milton Thompson NASA

14 Flights

Highest Mach 5.48

Highest Altitude 214,100'

 

Major William "Pete" Knight USAF

16 Flights

Highest Mach 6.70

Highest Altitude 280,500'

 

William Dana NASA

16 Flights

Highest Mach 5.53

Highest Altitude 306,900'

 

Major Michael Adams USAF

7 Flights

Highest Mach 5.59

Highest Altitude 266,000'

 

 

  • First flight X-15-1 by NAA Test Pilot Scott Crossfield on 8 June 1959 was a glide flight

  • First powered flight X-15-2 by NAA Test Pilot Scott Crossfield on 17 September 1959

  • Highest altitude flight 354,200' by NASA pilot Joseph Walker on 22 August, 1963

  • Highest speed flight 4,520 mph/mach 6.70 by USAF pilot Pete Knight on 3 October, 1967

  • Last flight of X-15-2 by NASA pilot John McKay resulted in a hard landing at Mud Lake

  • X-15-2 was rebuilt as X-15A-2 and made 22 additional flights

  • Last flight of program by NASA pilot Bill Dana in aircraft X-15-1 24 October, 1968

First powered flight Scott Crossfield September 17, 1959

"Pete" Knight at start of Record Breaking Mach 6.7 Flight

B-52 drop plane does a flyover of the X-15. Signed by a variety of X-15 pilots and B-52 drop pilots.

A Stan Stokes image of the X-15 depicted on an NASA lithograph signed by 5 X-15 pilots.

 

Plane Serial Number Flight Date Pilot
X-15-1 56-6670 First Flight (Glide) 1-1-5 June 8, 1959 Crossfield
    Highest Mach 6.06 1-42-67 December 5, 1963 Rushworth
    Highest Altitude 266,500' 1-61-101 October 14, 1965 Engle
    1-81-141 Last Flight October 24, 1968 Dana
    Total Flights 81    
         
X-15-2 56-6671 First Flight 2-1-3 September 17, 1959 Crossfield
    Highest Mach 6.04 2-21-37 November 9, 1961 White
    Highest Altitude 217,000' 2-20-36 October 11, 1961 White
    Last Flight 2-31-52 November 9, 1962 McKay
    Total Flights 31    
         
X-15A-2 56-6671 First Flight 2-32-55 June 25, 1964 Rushworth
    Highest Mach 6.70 October 3, 1967 Knight
    Highest Altitude 249,000' 2-47-84 August 3, 1966 Knight
    Last Flight 2-53-97 October 3, 1967 Knight
    Total Flights 22    
         
X-15-3 56-6672 First Flight 3-1-2 December 20, 1961 Armstrong
    Highest Mach 5.73 3-13-23 December 20, 1962 Walker
    Highest Altitude 354,200' 3-22-36 August 22, 1963 Walker
    Last Flight 3-65-97 November 15, 1967 Adams
    Total Flights 65    

 

 

Sources:

NASA Dryden Flight Research Center

HYPERSONIC The Story of the North American X-15 Dennis Jenkins & Tony Landis Specialty Press