X-15 FLIGHT PLAN

Flight No.: 3-53-79 Scheduled Date: August 2, 1966

Pilot: William Dana

Purpose: 1. Pilot checkout
 

2. Heat Transfer Panels (J. Watts)

3. Cockpit Display Evaluation (G. Layton)

4. Horizontal Tail Loads (R. Meneely)

5. Boundary Layer Noise (T. Lewis)

6. Optical Background - #25 (J. Welsh)


Launch: Mud Lake on a magnetic heading of 172°

MH-96 Adaptive, Reaction Controls "OFF," BCS "ON," q/b Engaged, acommand = 11°, H dot command = -450 fps.

Ventral "OFF."

Launch point coordinates: 38° 07' N, 117° 18' W.

Instrumentation Engineer: Bob Borek
 
 
 No. Time  Alt  V   a q            Event
             
1. 0 45 790 2 145 Launch, light engine at 75%T, increase to 100% T. Rotate at a = 11° to q = 30°.
             
2. 23 50 1600 11 460 q = 30°. Maintain q = 30°.
             
3. 39 60 2300 5 600 Pushover to zero "g."
             
4. 79.5 93 5300 0 630 Shutdown. Maintain zero "g" until H dot » 400 fps, then pull up to a = 15°. Maintain a = 15°.
             
5. 100 103 4800 15 330 Turn roll and yaw dampers to fixed gain. Perform dv pulse.
             
6. 109 110 4600 15 210 Turn yaw damper off. Perform dv pulse.
             
7. 120 117 4400 15 150 Turn roll damper off. Evaluate controllability.
             
8. 160 130 4100 15 70 Peak altitude. Extend speed brakes to 20°.
             
9. 215 105 3900 15 195 At q » 200, engage roll and yaw dampers adaptive. Pushover to a = 0° and pull up to a = 10°.
             
10. 235 88 3800 10 420 Turn pitch damper off. Perform dh pulse.
             
11. 250 77 3400 10 590 Engage pitch damper adaptive. Pushover to a = 0° and pull up to maintain H dot » -450 fps.
             
12. 275 65 3000 4 810 Abeam Cuddeback. Vector to Hi-Key. Speed brakes as required.
             
13.           (Time and energy permitting, 0 - 10° a pull-up and pushovers will be performed at M = 3, 2.5, 2.0, and 1.5).
             
14.           High Key - check flap and "squat" circuit breakers in. Arm stick kicker and 3rd skid. Engine Master off.

Notes:

1. q vernier will be set at 30°, a cross-pointer null at 15°.

2. Emergency lake: Grapevine, Cuddeback.

3. Flight duration: Approximately 10 minutes.

4. Flight plan based on 57,100lb thrust at 100%. Engine #111.

Total burn time at 100% T (57,100lb) = 83.0 sec.

Launch weight = 33,480lb

Burnout weight = 15,225lb

Inflight jettison check (accounted for in wts. and burn time).
 

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

2. FCS malfunction as indicated on analyzer check list.

3. Malfunction of inertial platform.

4. Malfunction of ball nose.

5. Malfunction of both BCS.

6. Malfunction of both g or q meters.
 

 Alternate Situations After Launch:
  Failure   Action
       
1. Radio or radar   Proceed as planned.
       
2. Total pitch damper   Pushover to a = 2° at h = 55K. Maintain a = 2° to shutdown. Proceed as planned.
       
3. Total roll damper   Turn yaw damper off. Same as No. 2.
       
4. Total yaw damper   Same as 2.
       
5. Failure to fixed gain   Turn yaw to correspond to roll. Proceed as planned.
       
6. Attitude Failure   Use a = 5 in place of q = 30° at 23 secs. Proceed as planned at pilot's discretion.
       
7. Ball Nose   Rotate to 2g. Do not perform pullup maneuvers or dampers off. Switch to comp. a. Vector to Hi-Key.
       
8. Inertial failure   Proceed as planned at pilot's discretion.
       
9. Delayed engine light   Pushover to zero g at H = 55K ft. Proceed as planned.
       
10. Tape instrument failure   Same as 7. (Pushover to zero "g" at 37 secs.)

 

Inadvertent engine shutdown:

0 - 32 sec Mud Lake

32 - 63 sec Grapevine (2000 fps)

63 - 69 sec Cuddeback (3900 fps)

69 - Up sec Edwards (4300 fps)