X-15 OPERATIONS FLIGHT REPORT

FLIGHT NO: 3-19-30 DATE OF REPORT: June 25, 1963

PILOT: Maj. Rushworth DATE OF FLIGHT: June 18, 1963

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

PURPOSE OF FLIGHT: Altitude Buildup

Vertical Tail Pressure Distribution Investigation

U. V. Experiment

I. Discussion of Previous Operations

None II. Aircraft Configuration Changes A. Barnes spectrometer reinstalled for an altitude checkout.

B. Check valves and air oil separator installed on the APU gear case pressurization system to eliminate oil contamination to gear case pressure regulators and heat & vent system.

C. Miscellaneous brackets installed on elevator to support VCO's needed for heart pulse and blood pressure instrumentation.

 III. Instrumentation Configuration Changes A. Manometer hookup changed to read lower ventral surface instead of upper vertical rakes.

B. Engine vibration pickup installed and checked out on internal tape recorder.

C. VCO sub-chassis enlarged for additional VCO's on blood pressure and heart pulse.

D. Landing gear drag brace instrumented with strain gages to obtain landing skid drag.

 IV. Preflight Events A. Both main landing gear oleo's changed because of hydraulic fluid leaking from main piston O-rings. These oleo's had just recently been installed prior to flight 3-16-26.

B. A successful engine run was performed on 6/8/63. This run was necessitated due to engine removal for installing the main landing gear oleo's.

C. A post flight investigation showed that #1 APU S/N 20 upper turbine seal was faulty and resulted in loss of gear case oil. This unit was replaced with APU S/N 17.

D. During the ground run for the APU's on 6/8/63, unstable vibration levels were observed on the #2 APU S/N 26. These runs were repeated on 6/10/63. Observation of the vibration levels revealed that after a short period of APU time, as the unit warmed up, the vibration level dropped. This instability was therefore blamed on a loose pickup and thermal shifts in the unit. Unit was accepted for flight.

E. After mating and during close-out of hydraulic servicing, a malfunction occurred in the hydraulic service stand which caused a pressure surge on the #l return system. This resulted in a rupture of a seal on the #l APU pump. Because of this, the airplane was demated to allow removal of the APU for a pump change.

F. During APU runs after reinstalling APU S/N 17, this APU lost a turbine bucket. The APU was removed and APU S/N 16, from X-15-1, was installed.

 V. Flight Events A. The pilot engine-timer's sense line and the pitot and TM main chamber pressure indicator line froze during engine operation. This occurred with heaters installed on the engine-timer's sense line. Further evaluation will be needed to correct this condition.

B. The stable platform malfunctioned prior to drop. This malfunction resulted in the loss of inertial altitude and vertical velocity and the pilot was required to use other means of estimating altitude throughout the high altitude portion of the flight.

C. During flight approximately 6" of the .008~ Inconel sheet over the crack in panel F-13 came loose. This portion was stitch-welded again after flight.

D. At engine shutdown a transient was experienced in sideslip. Analysis showed that the engine was out of alignment to the left approximately 1/2 inch. Investigation on the airplane showed that in reality, it was out 1/8 inch to the left. The alignment was moved 3/16 inch to the right and final alignment with engine jigs was 1/16 inch to the right.
 
 
 
 

 Approved By: Prepared by:

Perry V. Row John G. McTigue

X-15 Senior Project Engineer X-15 Project Engineer