B-52/X-15 CAPTIVE FLIGHT PLAN

Flight No.: 2-C-90 Scheduled Date : December 21, 1966

Pilot: Major William J. Knight

Purpose : 1. T/C environmental checkout
 

2. Nose gear "thin door" in-flight functional test

3. Inertial system checkout from ground up


Ground Track: As indicated on attached map

Procedure:

1. The B-52 will make a normal takeoff, climb, and turn to North Base. Time at North Base to simulated launch point will be » 36 minutes.

2. The X-15 pilot will obtain 20-second data bursts at the following points: B-52 taxi, takeoff, 10,000', 20,000', 30,000', 40,000', 45,000', 10 minutes to simulated launch, simulated launch point, during LOX and NH3 jettison, 10 min. after jettison, and during gear deployment.

3. After the simulated launch point, the X-15 pilot will jettison LOX and NH3, then H2O2. LOX and NH3 will remain in jettison until the B-52 has descended below 15,000'.

4. The B-52 pilot will begin his descent after the simulated launch point has been passed.

5. The X-15 pilot will extend the X-15 landing gear while at an altitude (5-10K) that will allow the chase pilot to observe gear deployment.

6. The X-15 flight checklist will not be followed during this captive flight.

Note: Flight path "A" will be used if both Cuddeback and Three Sisters are suitable for X-15 landings. Flight "B" will be used if only Edwards and Rosamond are suitable for an X-15 landing.

Approved

E. J. Adkins, Chief
X-15 Research Project Office

X-15 FLIGHT PLAN

Flight No.: 2-51-91 Scheduled Date : April 20, 1967

Pilot: Major William J. Knight

Purpose : 1. Stability and Control with Dummy Ramjet - G. Robinson
 

2. Thermocouple System Checkout - P. Harney

3. Canopy Eyelid Checkout - W. Albrecht

4. Ramjet Local Flow - J. Nugent

5. Modified Nose Gear Door Checkout - W. Albrecht

6. Yaw ASAS Checkout - J. Welsh

7. Canopy Hook Loads - A. Vano

8. Ablative Test (F-3 and F-4 Panels) - J. Watts

9. Wing Tip Accelerometer - E. Kordes

10. Ramjet Separation Characteristics - J. Welsh

11. Alternate Airspeed Source Evaluation - D. Webb

Launch: Hidden Hills #1 on magnetic heading of 225°.

SAS Hi-Lo-Hi (8-4-8), Yar Off, Pitch-Roll and Yaw ASAS Armed, BCS Off, RAS Off, Dummy Ramjet Installed.

Launch point coordinates: 35° 56.2' N; 115° 43.7' W

Instrumentation Engineer: P. Harney
 
 
 No.   Time  Alt  V a  q   Event
1. 0 45 790 2 145 Launch, light engine at 100% T. Rotate at a = 10° until q = 25°.
             
2. 23 47 1700 10 605 q = 25°. Maintain q = 25°.
             
3. 46 64 2650 4 655 Pushover to zero g.
             
4. 74 84 4500 0 720 Shutdown. Increase to a = 4°. Dearm P-R and Y ASAS. Disengage yaw damper and perform rudder pulse.
             
5. 93 90 4200 4 460 Disengage roll damper and evaluate controllability during pullup to a = 6°.
             
6. 128 87 3800 6 440 Engage roll and yaw dampers. Disengage pitch damper and perform pitch pulse.
             
7. 145 81 3600 6 536 Engage pitch damper. Extend speed brakes to 35° and retrim to a = 6°.
             
8. 164 74 3200 6 592 Disengage yaw damper and perform rudder pulse.
             
9. 172 72 3000 6 572 Disengage roll damper and evaluate controllability.
             
10. 193 66 2400 6 488 Engage roll and yaw dampers. Retract speed brakes.
             
11. 206 64 2100 6 410 Disengage pitch damper and perform pitch pulse.
             
12. 216 62 2000 6 410 Engage pitch damper, arm P-R and Y ASAS. Open canopy eyelid, extend alternate pitot tube and vector to high key. Speed brakes as required. Disengage yaw damper. Check damping, reengage yaw damper and cycle Y-ASAS.
             
13.           High Key - check flap and "squat" circuit breakers in. Check ramjet armed. Engine master off.
             
14.           During pattern disengage P-R ASAS, disengage pitch damper and perform pitch pulse. Reengage pitch damper and arm P-R ASAS.
             
15.           Approach to landing, jettison ramjet.

Notes:

1. q vernier will be set at 25°, a crosspointer will null at 6°.

2. Emergency Lakes: Silver and Cuddeback.

3. Flight duration: Approximately 9 min.

4. Flight plan based on 59,000# thrust at 100%. Engine #109

Total burn time at 100% T. = 85.0 sec.

Launch Wt. = 35,297# Shutdown Wt. = 18,560# Burnout Wt. = 16,534#

CG = 12.4% CG = 15.2% CG = 14.1%

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

 Ground Rules for No Launch: 1. Radio, Radar, or TM Malfunction.

2. Malfunction of any SAS channel.

3. Malfunction of inertial system.

4. Malfunction of ball nose.

 Alternate Situations After Launch:

Failure Action
 
       
1. Radio or radar   Proceed as planned.
       
2. Total pitch damper   Pushover to 2° a at 56K (38 sec) and proceed as planned. Do not disengage other dampers.
       
3. Total roll damper

Total yaw damper

Failure to ASAS

   Same as 2. Disengage other dampers at pilot's discretion.
       
4. Ball nose failure   Rotate at 1.8 g instead of 10° a. Do not disengage dampers.
       
5. Attitude failure   Use 5° a in place of 25° q at 23 seconds. Disengage dampers at pilot's discretion.
       
6. Inertial failure   Proceed as planned.
       
7. Delayed light   Use 2.0 g for rotation. Pushover to zero g at H = 59K. Proceed as planned.

INADVERTENT ENGINE SHUTDOWN:

0 - 43 sec Mud

43 - 52 sec. Grapevine (2500 fps)

52 - 58 sec. Cuddeback (3000 fps)

58 - Up sec Edwards (3300 fps)

Flight Plan Approved by

E. J. Adkins, Chief

X-15 Research Project Office