X-15 FLIGHT PLAN

April 10, 1968

Flight No.: 1-77-135 Scheduled Date : May 14, 1968

Pilot: William H. Dana

Purpose : 1. WTR Experiment (20) - Parish

2. Saturn Insulation (41) - Parish

3. Horizon Scanner (17) - Parish

4. Fixed Ball Nose (Tip Pod) (31) - Evans

Flight Planning Engineer: J. Kolf

Research Project Engineer: O. Parish

Operations Engineer: V. Capasso

Instrumentation Engineer: D. Yount

Launch: Smith Ranch #1 on a magnetic heading of 170°.

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

Both BCS "ON," Ventral "OFF," RAS "OFF."

Launch Point Coordinates: 39° 29.5' N, 117° 11.5' W

No. Time Alt Vel a q Event

1. 0 45 790 2 145 Launch, light engine at 100% T. Rotate at a = 11° until q = 33°.

2. 27 49 1800 11 618 q = 33°. Maintain q = 33° until burnout.

3. 84.6 136 5400 8 93 Burnout. (Shutdown at 5500 fps if burnout does not occur.) Pushover to a = 0°. Turn RAS "ON," Auto cutoff "ON." Maintain a = 0° until q = 0°.

4. 120 200 5050 0 8 WTR experiment switch to "UP."

5. 160 222 4855 0 3 Peak altitude. Maintain attitudes ±2°. Maintain q = 0° until a = 20°.

6. 179 218 4950 »7 4 WTR experiment switch to "DOWN."

7. 216 175 5200 20 19 a = 20°. Maintain a = 20° (An = 5 g max) until Hdot » -300 fps. Pushover to maintain Hdot = -100 fps to Cuddeback (Qmax = 700 psf).

8. 340 75 3300 5 600 50 N.M. begin Rt. turn to » 180°.

9. 390 70 2600 4 475 Cuddeback. Open S.B. to » 20°. Pushover to Hdot » -400 fps. Vector to hi-key.

10. High Key - Check flap and squat circuit breakers in. Arm stick kicker and third skid. Engine Master Off. Window shade down.

NOTES:

1. q vernier will be set at 33°, a crosspointer will null at 20°.

2. Emergency Lakes: Mud, Ballarat, Cuddeback.

3. Flight Duration: Approximately 12 minutes.

4. Flight plan based on 59,500# thrust at 100%. Engine #108.

Total burn time at 100% T = 84.6 sec.

Launch wt = 35,228 Burnout Wt = 16,159# Landing wt = 15,817#

CG = 19.7 CG = 14.4 CG = 14.2

5. Ground jettison check. (Accounted for in wts. and burn time.)

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

Roll = 0° (90.0)

Heading = 170°

7. Control launch time.

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

2. Malfunction of any SAS channel.

3. Malfunction of inertial platform.

4. Malfunction of ball nose.

5. Malfunction of either BCS.

6. Malfunction of precision heading.

ALTERNATE SITUATIONS AFTER LAUNCH:

	Failure		Action

1.	Radio or Radar	1.	Proceed as planned.

2.	Any Damper failure (except yaw ASAS)	2a.	0 - 35 sec. Engage ASAS. Pushover to a = 2° at 35 sec. Proceed to burnout (Vmax » 5650 fps, Hmax » 130K). Fly a = 15° from peak to Hdot = -200, then fly Hdot = -200 to 50 N.M. (M = 3.3, h = 75K)

		2b.	35 sec. to B.O. Engage ASAS. Pushover to a = 2° and proceed to burnout. Use a = 15° if reentry is required.

		2c.	After Burnout Engage ASAS. Do not extend WTR experiment. Re-enter at a = 15°.

3.	Yaw ASAS	3.	Proceed as planned.

4.	Ball Nose Failure	4a.	0 - 35 sec. Pushover to 0g at 35 sec. and proceed to burnout (Vmax » 5700 fps, Hmax » 105K). Fly level to M = 5, then fly Hdot = -150 fps to 50 N.M. (M = 3, H = 80K).

		4b.	35 sec. - B.O. Pushover to 0g and proceed to burnout. Use q = 0° (dHmax = 25°) if re-entry is required.

		4c.	After Burnout Do not extend experiment. Use q = 0° (dHmax = -25°) for reentry.

5.	Attitude Failure	5.	Use a = 6° in place of q = 33° at 27 sec. Proceed with 4a, b, or c as applicable (use a for re-entry).

6.	Inertial Failure	6.	Proceed as planned. If engine has not burned out, shut down at 88 seconds.

7.	Delayed Light	7.	Rotate to ANmax = 2.5 g. Proceed as planned.

	INADVERTENT ENGINE SHUTDOWN: 00 - 43.5 sec. Smith Ranch 43.5 - 70 sec. Mud (2500 fps) 70 - 75.5 sec. Ballarat (4100 fps) 75.5 - 78 sec. Cuddeback (4600 fps) 78 - Up Edwards (4800 fps)

X-15 Range Requirements

X-15 Range Systems

The standard X-15 request (flight 1-74-130) applies for flight 1-77 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.

(J. Adkins for)

J. R. Welsh, Head

X-15 Research Project Office


1.	0	45	790	2	145	Launch, light engine at 100% T. Rotate at a = 11° until q = 33°.

2.	27	49	1800	11	618	q = 33°. Maintain q = 33° until burnout.

3.	84.6	136	5400	8	93	Burnout. (Shutdown at 5500 fps if burnout does not occur.) Pushover to a = 0°. Turn RAS "ON," Auto cutoff "ON." Maintain a = 0° until q = 0°.

4.	120	200	5050	0	8	WTR experiment switch to "UP."

5.	160	222	4855	0	3	Peak altitude. Maintain attitudes ±2°. Maintain q = 0° until a = 20°.

6.	179	218	4950	»7	4	WTR experiment switch to "DOWN."

7.	216	175	5200	20	19	a = 20°. Maintain a = 20° (An = 5 g max) until Hdot » -300 fps. Pushover to maintain Hdot = -100 fps to Cuddeback (Qmax = 700 psf).

8.	340	75	3300	5	600	50 N.M. begin Rt. turn to » 180°.

9.	390	70	2600	4	475	Cuddeback. Open S.B. to » 20°. Pushover to Hdot » -400 fps. Vector to hi-key.

10.						High Key - Check flap and squat circuit breakers in. Arm stick kicker and third skid. Engine Master Off. Window shade down.