X-15 FLIGHT REQUEST

Flight No.: 3-23-39 Scheduled Date: October 9, 1963

Pilot: Major R. Rushworth

Purpose: Heat Transfer experiment with the sharp upper vertical fin and damper off controllability.

Launch: Hidden Hills on a magnetic heading of 212°, MH-96 Adaptive, R.C. "OFF," BCS "OFF," heading vernier to "Standby," ventral off.

Launch point coordinates: 36° 20' N, 115° 59' W.
 
 
 No. Time  Alt  V   a q            Event
             
1. 0 45 790 2 145 Launch, light engine, increase to 100%T. Rotate at 10° a until q = 20°.
             
2. 20 47 1700 10 600 q = 20° - Maintain q = 20°.
             
3. 37 56 2450 4 820 Pushover to 0 "g."
             
4. 58 67 3800 0 1150 Reduce to minimum thrust (40%). Modulate speed brakes (» 35°) to maintain slow longitudinal acceleration.
             
5. 70 68 3900 0 1200 Increase a to maintain H = 68,000 ft.
             
6. 115 68 4050 3 1250 Burnout. Maintain H-dot » 0 until V = 3500 ft/sec.
             
7. 127 68 3500 4 980 Turn Yaw and Roll dampers off, increase a to » 10°. Control roll proportional to roll rate.
             
8. 135 73 2800 10 480 Pushover to » 2° a, retract speed brakes.
             
9. 165 79 2450 2 280 Peak altitude. Vector to high key, continue control task.
             
10. 190 75 2200 7 250 Cuddeback - Engage Roll and Yaw dampers, speed brakes as required. Engine Master "OFF."
             
11.           High Key. Check flap and "Squat" circuit breakers in.
             
12.           Before APU shutdown, cycle flaps, set stabilizer trim to zero, data "Off."

 

Notes:

1. q vernier will be set at 20°, a cross-pointer null at 0°.

2. Emergency lakes: Cuddeback.

3. Flight duration: Approximately 9 minutes.

4. Flight plan based on 59,200lb thrust engine.

Minimum thrust = 28,000lb.

Total burn time at 100% = 86 sec.

Launch Wt. = 33,000lb Burnout Wt. = 15,000lb
 

 Ground Rules For No Launch:  
1. Radio, Radar, or TM malfunction.

2. FCS malfunctions as indicated on Analyzer check list.

3. Malfunction of ball nose.

4. Malfunction of inertial platform attitudes.

5. APU gear box malfunction.
 

 Alternate Situations After Launch:
  Failure   Action
       
1. Radio or Radar   Proceed as planned.
       
2. Total Pitch/Roll Damper   Turn Yaw OFF, maintain a > 0. Proceed as planned.
       
3. Total Yaw Damper

Fixed Gain in any axis

   Proceed as planned.
       
4. Attitude   Proceed as planned except use 4° a in place of 20° q at 20 seconds.
       
5. Ball Nose   Heading vernier to "·y," proceed, use 1.8 g for rotation. Do not disengage dampers.
       
6. Delayed engine light   Pushover to 0 g at H = 52,000 ft.

7. For inadvertent engine shutdown:

0 - 46 sec Hidden Hills

46 - 53 sec Cuddeback (3000 fps)

53 - Up sec Edwards (3400 fps)