X-15 FLIGHT PLAN

April 10, 1968

Flight No.: 1-76-134 Scheduled Date : April 26, 1968

Pilot: Major William J. Knight

Purpose : 1. Saturn Insulation (41) - Parish

2. Horizon Scanner (17) - Parish

3. Fixed Ball Nose (31) - Evans

Flight Planning Engineer: J. Armstrong

Research Project Engineer: O. Parish

Operations Engineer: V. Capasso

Instrumentation Engineer: D. Yount

Launch: Delamar #2 on a magnetic heading of 203°.

SAS Hi-Lo-Hi (8-4-8), YAR OFF, Pitch-Roll and Yaw ASAS "OFF,"

Both BCS "ON," Ventral OFF.

Launch Point Coordinates: 37° 36.5' N, 115° 0' W

No. Time Alt Vel a q Event

1. 0 45 790 2 145 Launch, light engine at 100% T. Rotate at a = 8° until q = 32°. (Qmax = 900 psf).

2. 20 45 1700 8 720 Extend speed brakes to 10°.

3. 38 54 2350 8 850 q = 32°. Maintain q = 32°.

4. 80 120 5100 6 165 Shutdown. Retract speed brakes. Pushover to a = 0°. Turn RAS "ON." Auto Cutoff "ON."

5. 152 200 4550 0 6 Peak altitude. Perform tracking task (maintain q, f, ^·y at 0° ±2°.) Maintain q = 0° until a = 18°.

6. 202 165 4750 18 22 a = 18°. Maintain a = 18° until Hdot = -600 fps. Turn RAS OFF at 1g. (Nz = 4.4g, q = 780 psf.)

7. 255 80 4200 18 780 Hdot = -600 fps. Pushover and maintain Hdot = -300 fps. Extend speed brakes to 20°. Begin right turn to heading approx. 220°.

8. 273 74 3600 4 780 Heading » 220°. Roll level, extend speed brakes to 35°.

9. 293 68 3000 4 760 Cuddeback. Vector to High Key. Speed brakes as required.

10. High Key - Check flap and squat circuit breakers in. Arm stick kicker and third skid. Engine Master OFF.

NOTES:

1. q vernier will be set at 32°, a crosspointer will null at 18°.

2. Emergency Lakes: Hidden Hills, Cuddeback.

3. Flight Duration: Approximately 9 minutes.

4. Flight plan based on 59,000# thrust at 100%. Engine #108.

Total burn time at 100% T = 86 sec.

Launch wt = 34,090 Shutdown Wt = 16,170# Burnout wt = 15,380#

5. In-flight jettison check. (Accounted for in wts. and burn time.)

6. Precision attitudes pre-set: Pitch = 0° (90.0)

Roll = 0° (90.0)

Heading = 203°

GROUND RULES FOR NO LAUNCH: 1. Radio, Radar or TM malfunction.

2. Malfunction of any SAS channel or P-R ASAS.

3. Malfunction of inertial platform.

4. Malfunction of Ball Nose.

5. Malfunction of either BCS.

ALTERNATE SITUATIONS AFTER LAUNCH:

	Failure		Action

1.	Radio or Radar	1.	Proceed as planned.

2.	Any Damper failure	2a.	0 - 35 sec. Engage ASAS. Do not perform high q rotation. Rotate at 11° a to 32° q (24 sec). Pushover to a = 2° at 35 sec. (57K). Shutdown at 5200 fps. (Hmax » 124K - M 3.6 & 80K at 50 N.M.)

		2b.	35 sec. to shutdown Engage ASAS. Pushover to a = 2°. Shutdown at 5100 fps. Use a = 15° for reentry.

		2c.	After shutdown Engage ASAS. Use a» 15° for reentry.

3.	Ball Nose Failure	3a.	0 - 35 sec. Do not perform high q rotation. Rotate at 2g. Pushover to 0g at 35 sec. (57K). Shutdown at 5200 fps. (Hmax = 100K)

		3b.	35 sec. - shutdown Pushover to 0g. Shutdown at 5100 fps. Use q = 0° for reentry, if required.

		3c.	After shutdown Use q = 0° for reentry.

4.	Attitude Failure	4.	Do not perform high q rotation. Use a = 6° in place of q = 32° at 24 sec. Proceed with 3a, b, or c as applicable.

5.	Inertial Failure	5.	Proceed as planned. Shutdown at 80 seconds.

6.	Delayed Light	6.	Rotate to 2.4 g. Proceed as planned.

	INADVERTENT ENGINE SHUTDOWN: 00 - 38 sec. Delamar 38 - 47.5 sec. ------ (2350 fps) 47.5 - 66 sec. Hidden Hills (2800 fps) 66 - 70 sec. Cuddeback (3900 fps) 70 - Up Edwards (4200 fps)

Approved by

J. R. Welsh, Head

X-15 Research Project Office

X-15 Range Requirements

X-15 Range Systems

The standard X-15 request (flight 1-74-130) applies for flight 1-76 with these additions:

1. Section 1.3

X-15 Primary (Test 1) frequency shall be 286.8 KC

X-15 Guard (Test 2) frequency shall be 279.9 KC

X-15 On-Board Data

The standard X-15 data request (flight 1-74-130) applies with these additions:

1. Eighteen (18) thermocouples, 4 static pressures, 1 total pressure, and 2 calorimeters are required for the Saturn Insulation experiment.

2. Two (2) wing pod cameras with supplied film are required for the Saturn Insulation program.

3. Parameters for the WTR experiment are not required for this flight.


1.	0	45	790	2	145	Launch, light engine at 100% T. Rotate at a = 8° until q = 32°. (Qmax = 900 psf).

2.	20	45	1700	8	720	Extend speed brakes to 10°.

3.	38	54	2350	8	850	q = 32°. Maintain q = 32°.

4.	80	120	5100	6	165	Shutdown. Retract speed brakes. Pushover to a = 0°. Turn RAS "ON." Auto Cutoff "ON."

5.	152	200	4550	0	6	Peak altitude. Perform tracking task (maintain q, f, ^·y at 0° ±2°.) Maintain q = 0° until a = 18°.

6.	202	165	4750	18	22	a = 18°. Maintain a = 18° until Hdot = -600 fps. Turn RAS OFF at 1g. (Nz = 4.4g, q = 780 psf.)

7.	255	80	4200	18	780	Hdot = -600 fps. Pushover and maintain Hdot = -300 fps. Extend speed brakes to 20°. Begin right turn to heading approx. 220°.

8.	273	74	3600	4	780	Heading » 220°. Roll level, extend speed brakes to 35°.

9.	293	68	3000	4	760	Cuddeback. Vector to High Key. Speed brakes as required.

10.						High Key - Check flap and squat circuit breakers in. Arm stick kicker and third skid. Engine Master OFF.