X-15 OPERATIONS FLIGHT REPORT

FLIGHT NO: 3-36-59 DATE OF REPORT: 11-4-64

PILOT: Milt Thompson DATE OF FLIGHT: 10-29 & 10-30-64

CARRIER AIRCRAFT: B-52 #008 LAUNCH LAKE: Hidden Hills

PURPOSE OF FLIGHT: Captive Flight: Landing Gear Door Modification Checkout after

Cold Soak Flight

Flight: Landing Gear Door Modification Checkout

Boundary Layer Noise

Shear Layer Checkout

Center Stick Controller Evaluation

I. Discussion of Previous Operations

A. Based on the opening of the nose wheel scoop door in flight on X-15A-2, a thorough investigation of the scoop door linkage was accomplished by NAA and NASA. Based on this investigation and discussions between NASA and NAA, a revised linkage system was installed as discussed in item II-A. II. Aircraft Configuration Changes A. The scoop door uplock hook mechanism was changed to the new configuration as shown in NAA Drawing 240-34526, Revision A. This involved installation of a new uplock hook, scoop door hook, and associated bell cranks and rods connecting the hooks. The F-7 panel was modified by adding fingers to restrain the scoop door roller. The scoop door roller was mounted on a pivot instead of fixed mounting.

B. The NAA modified gear cable tension-regulator was installed giving a hot compensation of 3-3/4 inches. Gear handle travel with this configuration, measured at 13-7/8 inches, was considered excessive by the pilots. The cable was therefore shortened by 1 inch giving a hot compensation of 2-3/4 inches (the interim compensation was 2-1/4 inches prior to this modification). The rerigging accompanying the modification discussed in II-A increased the handle travel 1/2 inches, providing a final handle travel of 13-3/8 inches.

C. McDonnell B-44 ablative material was installed on lower speed brakes, lower ventral, rub strip on F-27, patch on lox tank, and a small strip just forward of the RH windshield.

D. The large wave roughness panel (240-931107-11) in F-4 position and the reference panel (240-931107-3) in F-3 position were installed.

E. Heaters were installed on the APU controllers per NAA EO's.

F. The elevator cover seal started leaking and was replaced. The new seal adhesive was cured by heating at 120°F for 12 hours.

 III. Instrumentation Configuration Changes A. The following instrumentation was added to the nose gear mechanism: (1) Strain gages on uplock hook.

(2) Strain gages on scoop door hook.

(3) Uplock hook, roller position.

(4) Scoop door hook position (CPT).

 (5) T/C's on all above strain gages.

B. T/C's were connected to roughness panels (item II-D).

 IV. Preflight Events A. F-13 and F-14 panels were found to be cracked. Cracks on both panels were routed out and a patch was put over the slot as before. An expansion slot just aft of the fasteners at Station 176 was added to F-14 to relieve the stress at the front of the panel where the crack was located.

B. Both APU's were removed and reinstalled to repair bearing temperature instrumentation.

C. No engine run was accomplished based on the successful operation during the last flight. APU runs were accomplished on September 20, 1964. A calibration of the BLN microphones was accomplished during the APU run on APU electrical power.

D. A heat test of the new scoop door configuration was accomplished on October 24, 1964. Two tests were accomplished, one being the next profile and the other, the hottest profile that the aircraft would see. The nose gear door scoop door was heated, the aircraft nose was not heated. The gear was released after each heating cycle at 200°F.

E. The landing gear force and travel to release the gear was measured with an unloaded initiator. All three gears were released at 8-1/2 inch travel and 35 1b handle pull. The pilot released the gear after mating and prior to flight with a live initiator. Gear drop was satisfactory.

F. The aircraft was mated on October 29, 1964 to check the rewired MH-96 umbilical. The release had also been modified on the MH-96 umbilical plug requiring a demating to check the release mechanism.

G. The aircraft was mated for flight on October 29, 1964 after accomplishing item IV-F.

 V. Flight Events A. Captive flight, 3-C-58, was accomplished on October 29, 1964, to check deployment of the nose gear after cold soak at altitude. Deployment was satisfactory. The APU's were serviced but were not utilized during the flight.

B. Flight 3-36-59 was accomplished on October 30, 1964. The fire warning light came on about 54 seconds after engine shutdown. Post flight; investigation revealed no signs of overheating in the engine compartment, but the fire detector loop showed typical signs of having been hot. As a result the YLR-99 engine, fire detector loop, and fire detector relay will be changed prior to the next flight
 

 Approved By: Prepared by:

Perry V. Row Vincent N. Capasso

X-15 Senior Project Engineer X-15 Project Engineer