X-15 OPERATIONS FLIGHT REPORT

FLIGHT NO: 3-18-29 DATE OF REPORT: June 11, 1963

PILOT: Joseph A. Walker DATE OF FLIGHT: May 29, 1963

CARRIER AIRCRAFT: B-52 #008 LAUNCH LAKE: Delamar

PURPOSE OF FLIGHT: Aerodynamic Heating Rates at High Mach Number and Low Angle of Attack

Ventral Off Stability Investigations

I. Discussion of Previous Operations

None II. Aircraft Configuration Changes A. Barnes spectrometer removed after checkout flight and will be reinstalled for first altitude flight above 200,000 feet.

B. 35mm camera, set at 1 frame per second, installed in spectrometer box.

III. Instrumentation Configuration Changes None IV. Preflight Events A. A successful engine run was performed on May 22, 1963.

B. #1 APU, S/N 20AN, was removed from the airplane after post-flight checks revealed a leaking upper turbine seal. The unit was repaired and sent to the test stand for check runs. During these runs, the pump was rejected due to high vibration and low pressure. The pump was replaced and qualified. After installation in the airplane and airplane runs, a leak was found on the side plate. This necessitated removal of the APU and a new pump was again installed. The APU was then reinstalled in the airplane.

C. The flight was canceled on May 28, 1963 due to weather.

D. During clean-up and jettison operations after the canceled flight on May 28, 1963, an engine H202 safety valve "hot" light came on in the B-52. Checks revealed a faulty heating blanket which was replaced and no further discrepancies were noted.

E. Oil contamination found in the heat and vent system analysis showed that this oil came from the APU gear case. Upon investigation into how this could occur, it was found that a faulty check valve in the heat and vent system allowed this oil to be pushed back into the system during gear case pressurization checks. The system was purged and the check valve replaced.

V. Flight Events A. #l APU gear case pressure readings during flight were erratic. Post flight checks revealed a faulty regulator which had been damaged due to oil contamination.

B. Pilot's engine timer's pressure sense line and main chamber indication on TM froze during engine operation. A heater has been installed on the sense line to the engine timer to evaluate corrective means of alleviating this problem.

C. The outer panel of the inner windshield cracked during flight. The glass and canopy was sent to NAA for evaluation. No evidence of annealing was seen on the outer glass. Further investigation revealed that screws which hold the inner glass in place appeared to be too long in various places. These screws, which are installed by NAA during glass replacement, could have caused higher stress concentration.

D. Panel F-13 cracked approximately 15 inches along existing buckle. Panel has been repaired by stop drilling and milling out crack, .09", to stop further buckling. The milled slot has been covered with a .008" Inconel sheet, 3/4 wide, and fastened on forward edge by stitch welding.

E. The engine was operated for approximately 84.8 seconds with a fuel burnout. The fuel was off loaded by leveling the airplane to a 2.3° nose-up attitude.
 
 
 
 
 
 

Approved By: Prepared by:

Perry V. Row John G. McTigue

X-15 Senior Project Engineer X-15 Project Engineer