X-15 OPERATIONS FLIGHT REPORT

FLIGHT NO: 3-48-72 DATE OF REPORT: 9-20-65

PILOT: John B. McKay DATE OF FLIGHT: 9-14-65

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

ENGINE NO: S/N 107 APU #1 18 APU #2 23

PURPOSE OF FLIGHT: 1. NSL Radiometer (experiment 25)

2. Boundary Layer Noise

I. Discussion of Previous Operations

None II. Aircraft Configuration Changes A. Number 1 APU, S/N 14AN, was removed to have the hand-welded turbine wheel replaced. S/N 18AN was installed.

B. The LH horizontal actuator was changed for leakage. The first replacement would not track with the SAS servo for small (1/2 degree) inputs. The second replacement had "damming", a situation where slow movement of the actuator causes an increasing force requirement at the metering valve to stop the motion. The third replacement was obtained from X-15-2 and performed satisfactorily.

C. The RH horizontal actuator was replaced due to increasing metering valve friction.

D. Ablative material was put on the MLG struts in an attempt to reduce uplock loads by reducing strut distortion due to heating.

III. Instrument Configuration Changes A. The lower bugeye camera was installed.

B. The manometer for rudder bar pressure measurement was installed.

C. The AVAATS and NEFFS were removed for periodic service.

D. The Millikan camera and radiometer (Exp. 3B) were removed from the tailcone. Spectrometer (Exp. 25) was installed.

IV. Preflight Events A. An engine run was accomplished on September 9, 1965.

B. APU/BCS runs were accomplished on September 11, 1965.

C. The aircraft was mated on September 14, 1965.

V. Flight Events A. Flight was accomplished on September 14, 1965. Transients were noted on the MH-96 data on the SAS servos due to a faulty filter on the pitch trim motor. Approved By: Prepared by:

Perry V. Row Vincent N. Capasso

X-15 Senior Project Engineer X-15 Project Engineer