X-15 FLIGHT PLAN

Flight No.: 2-53-97 Scheduled Date : September 19, 1967

Pilot: Major William J. Knight

Purpose : 1. Martin Ablative Test (Full coat) - Watts
 

2. Stability & Control with Dummy Ramjet - Robinson

3. Ramjet Local Flow Test - Nugent

4. External Tank Separation Characteristics - Bryant

5. Wing Tip Accelerometer - Kordes

6. Fluidic Temperature Probe - Webb

Launch: Mud Lake #1 on magnetic heading of 180°, SAS Hi-Hi-Hi (8-6-8), Yar Off, Pitch-Roll and Yaw ASAS Armed, Tank Eject "Armed," Propellant Flow "External," Dummy Ramjet installed.

Launch point coordinates: 37° 58.5' N; 116° 50' W

Instrumentation Engineer: Paul Harney
 
 
 No.   Time  Alt  V a  q   Event
             
1. 0 45 790 2 145 Launch, light engine at 100% T. Rotate at 12° a until q = 35°. Qmax = 540 psf, NZmax = 1.8 g.
             
2. 41 48 1600 12 540 q = 35°. Maintain q = 35°.
             
3. 60 62 1900 6 360 Pushover to 5° a. Check external flow - switch to internal.
             
4. 65 66 2000 5 340 Eject external tanks. Maintain a = 2° after trim change.
             
5. 124 99 5300 2 460 Gradually increase a » 7° (Nz = .7 g) to maintain H = 100,000 ft.
             
6. 141 100 6500 7 730 Shutdown. Pushover momentarily to 2° a, then pull up to 7° a (H dot » -150 fps).
             
7. 152 99 6300 7 720 Dearm Yaw ASAS - Yaw damper off - Perform dv pulse at 7° a - Yaw damper Hi.
             
8. 158 98 6200 7 700 Extend speed brakes to 35°. Maintain a = 7°.
             
9. 168 96 5900 7 680 Yaw damper off - perform dv pulse at 7° a - Yaw damper Hi.
             
10. 178 95 5500 7 660 Pitch damper Lo - Perform dh pulse - Pitch damper Hi. Increase a to achieve H dot » -200 fps.
             
11. 189 92 5200 8 640 Trim down to 2° a, then back to 8° a (H dot » -300 fps).
             
12. 208 86 4600 8 680 Yaw damper off - Perform dv pulse at 8° a - Yaw damper Hi. (H dot » -200 fps).
             
13. 218 83 4200 8 680 Trim down to 2° a, then back to 8° a (H dot » -300 fps).
             
14. 236 77 3600 8 660 Yaw damper off - Perform dv pulse at 8° a - Yaw damper Hi. Maintain H dot = -200 fps.
             
15. 245 74 3200 5 600 Retract speed brakes.
             
16. 275 69 2600 6 500 Yaw damper off - Perform dv pulse - Yaw damper Hi.
             
17. 283 68 2500 6 560 Open canopy eyelid. Yaw damper off - Perform dv pulse - Yaw damper Hi. Rearm Yaw ASAS. Vector to High Key.
             
18. 311 64 2000 5 380 Extend alternate pitot tube. Perform trim evaluation by maintaining a » 5° between Mach 2 and 1.5, if energy management permits.
             
19. 348 56 1500 5 300 High Key - check flap and "squat" circuit breakers in. Check ramjet armed. Engine master off.
             
20.           Final approach - jettison ramjet.

Notes:

1. q vernier will be set at 35°, a crosspointer will null at 5°.

Precision heading will be set at 180°.

2. Emergency Lakes: Grapevine, Ballarat and Cuddeback.

3. Flight duration: Approximately 9 min.

4. Flight plan based on 60,000# thrust at 100%. Engine #110

Minimum thrust = 35,000#

Total burn time at 100% T. = 144 sec.

External = 57 sec. Internal = 87 sec.

Configuration Weight = lbs

Launch 52,117

External Tank depletion 39,205

Ejected Tanks 2,224

After Tank Ejection 36,982

Shutdown 17,967

Burnout 17,288

In-flight jettison check

5. Cd = .015 below 5,500 fps. (Allowance for ablative drag)

Cd = .02 above 5,500 fps.

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

2. Malfunction of any SAS or ASAS channel.

3. Malfunction of inertial platform.

4. Malfunction of ball nose.

5. No external propellant flow.

6. Loss of any ablative coating.

7. Malfunction of alternate attitude indicator.

 Alternate Situations After Launch: Alternate profile (Tanks off):

Rotate at 2.4 g until q = 35°. Maintain a = 35° to 54,000 ft., then pushover to zero g, shutdown at 5400 fps. (Peak alt. = 100 - 110 K).

 Failure Action
 
       
1. Radio or Radar   Proceed as planned.
       
2. Total Pitch Damper   Proceed as planned, shutdown at 5400 fps (127 sec.). Do not extend speed brakes until required for terminal energy management.
       
3. Attitude Failure   Use 7° a instead of 35° q at 41 sec. Shutdown at 5400 fps.
       
4. Ball Nose Failure   Perform rotation by trimming stabilizer to -3° until Nz = 1.8 g, then maintain 1.8 g until q = 35°. Use 65 sec. for tank ejection with cross checks on IAS (382 Kts). Use 0.5 g for tank ejection. Shutdown at 5400 fps.
       
5. Delayed Engine Light   After first light attempt, eject external tanks "Full" and proceed with alternate profile, pushover at 54,000 feet. (Burnout at » 4900 fps).
       
6. External Flow Failure   0 - 10 sec. Status Check

10 - 52 sec. Shutdown, eject 

tanks "partial,"

relight engine and

proceed with the

alternate profile.

52 - Up sec. Eject tanks "empty"

and proceed with

normal profile.

(Use "full" button if flow fails immediately after launch)
       
7. Premature engine shutdown   After shutdown with tanks on - eject tanks as per item 6. Attempt relight, if successful proceed with alternate profile. No engine light - proceed to emergency lake.

Planned Profile

0 - 44 sec Mud

44 - 94 sec. Grapevine (1550 fps)

94 - 107 sec. Ballarat (3200 fps)

107 - 115 sec. Cuddeback (4000 fps)

115 - Up sec Edwards (4500 fps)

Alternate Profile (Delayed engine light - Tanks off)

0 - 43 sec Mud

43 - 68 sec. Grapevine (2100 fps)

68 - 80 sec. Ballarat (3400 fps)

80 - 83 sec. Cuddeback (4300 fps)

83 - Up sec Edwards (4500 fps)
 
 

11. Failure of empty tanks to separate at planned tank drop point (65 sec).

Start turn to Mud Lake, shutdown at V < 2500 fps. Relight engine when required near completion of turn and proceed to Mud Lake at minimum thrust. Shutdown at approximately 2000 fps at 50,000 feet and vector to Mud Lake while jettisoning internal propellants. If aircraft control appears satisfactory, a landing may be considered at pilot's discretion.

 12. Failure of tanks to eject with external propellants remaining - No landing.
 
 

Flight Plan Approved by

E. J. Adkins, Chief

X-15 Research Project Office