Plane:

X-15 No. 1 #670

Date:

9-10-60

Flight:

1-12-23

Launch:

11:45

Pilot:

Maj. White

Land:

11:55

Total:

00:10

B-52:

5 seconds (launch)

White:

I guess I got a flame on, wow! All 8 are lit up, chamber pressures are all up, looks good, 250, 255

Chase:

Chambers look good, Bob.

White:

OK, how's my heading look?

Chase:

Your heading is a little bit north.

NASA 1:

Want to stay on the left Bob? Steady, looks good, Bob.

......:

Looks good till you get to the Base.

White:

Yes, weren't you too? Pitch pulse ...... 448 and yaw is off. Coming up on 45 pressure altitude, inertial height is 29. I'm showing 200 ft a second rate of climb right now on the inertial climb indicator. Testing 50 on pressures, 32 on inertial. Pushing over 260 indicated, 50,000 now 35 on inertial height, anybody read me yet?

......:

Read you OK and you're looking good.

White:

OK

NASA 1:

Read you good, can you bring it around about 5° to the left?

White:

OK, 5° left.

NASA 1:

You're leaving Silver now.

White:

Do I look better, NASA 1?

NASA 1:

Affirm.

White:

OK. I'm still not getting any indications on the APU, doesn't look good at all, what is my altitude now, radar wise, can you read it?

NASA 1:

We have you at 65.

White:

OK, I'm coming on 65 now, inertial height is 25, showing Mach 2 now, I've started to pick up climb rate again. Yaw is back on. I'm letting the thing wander all over the place here. OK, 75, pushing over to engine. Damper off, pitch pulse, are they riding the control, another pitch pulse, knocking it off? This is turning out the way I suspected it .....

......:

..........

NASA 1:

You're looking real good Bob and you have Rogers in site.

White:

Yes I guess, I have no explanation to let go of this .... up there but I .....

......:

Bob, you should have two contrails out in front of you, low.

White:

OK, I'm over, I can see the lake, OK, speed brakes coming on, speed brakes going closed.

......:

What's your altitude, Bob?

White:

52,000.

NASA 1:

Bob, is your engine master off?

White:

Yes.

......:

.......... are you turning now?

White:

Roger, .......... the lake at 42,000. I'll use speed brakes here, .......... overhead pattern.

......:

Are you going to jettison, Bob?

White:

OK, going to jettison now, now I'm at 30,000 at a very wide downwind glide. Am fixing to climb pretty quick. I'll be going through clouds here in about 5 seconds. Going to do a pushover pullup, standby.

......:

Jettison is about complete.

NASA 1:

Over Boron.

White:

Going back to pressurize on the tank, coming downwind, on the downwind, correction, final, base.

......:

OK, turning final now.

.......:

Variation on my pattern.

White:

OK, ventral is checked on, tanks are pressurized, flaps.

Chase:

.......... flaps look good, gears off, door nose gear coming down, its down, 20, 10, 5, 2, good.

White:

180 indicated, full right rudder, one over on the aileron intended to come back.

NASA 1:

Stable platform off before APUs.

White:

It's off now .......... flaps are coming up, speed brakes are open, do a control cycle.

NASA 1:

OK, Bob, we're coming in from the ramp, are you OK?

White:

Yes, fine.

NASA 1:

All stations, post flight meeting at 12:30.