Plane: X-15-2 Date: 6/23/61
Flight: 2-17-32 E.S.:  
Pilot: Major R. White Taxi:  
B-52: #003 T.O.: 1305
L/P:   Launch: 1400
NASA 1:   Land: 1410

12 minutes to launch
 
White: Jack, are you reading 45,000 on your altimeter? 
   
B-52: .......... on, heading 251°, .81 Mach number. 
   
White: Say again, altitude and altimeter setting? 
   
B-52: 45,000 spot on and altimeter 2992, mag heading 351. 
   
White: OK, I'm reading 43,500 on my .......... altimeter. 
   
NASA 2: Butch, lube oil temp please? 
   
Butchart: 940. 
   
B-52: 11 minutes. 
   
White: Ready for precool off, NASA 2? 
   
NASA 2: Yes, we do. 
   
White: OK, precool off........... 
   
B-52: 1O minutes. 
   
White: APU cooling switch normal, blowers & LN2 is on, pressure cooling switch is on. 
   
Butchart: LN2 supply is off. Going manual topoff. 
   
White: Inertial speed again is .......... is 45,000 and attitude is looking good. Heading is 352, LN2 source, cabin source 3300. 
   
NASA 2: Butch, we would like to confirm TM tape on. 
   
Butchart: Yes on TM. 
   
B-52: 9 minutes. .......... 
   
White: Helium shutoff valve switch is on. Hydraulic temps are -60 and -40. Data on. The APU's coming on, #l on, hydraulic pressure up to 4000 .......... #2 APU coming on. Hydraulic temp right up to .......... 600 cycling nicely. Generators reset. Engine reset. Hydraulic pressures look good. 200 volts on each system. Data off.
   
B-52: 8 minutes, my cue to turn 7. 
   
NASA 2: Roger, make your turn at 7 minute point. 
   
White: Engine oscillograph on, vibration recorders on, flaps coming down, controls. 
   
B-52: Elevator and rudder, flaps coming down. 
   
White: Flaps coming back up. 
   
B-52: Flaps are coming up, stabilizer is on trim. 
   
White: .......... Platform is going to internal. 
   
B-52: 7 minutes, starting turn. 
   
Butchart: Platform seems to be out of specs some, showing about, varying about -.7 to +.7. It's holding zero now, range and cross-range are all right. 
   
NASA 2: Looks OK, Butch, like to confirm force memory. 
   
Butchart: Affirmative. 
   
B-52: 6 minutes. 
   
White: OK, I have completed my SAS check, all SAS switches are engaged and flight settings are established. Trim stabilizer look good to you, Bob? 
   
Chase: Right on the money. 
   
White: Up to about 355 and I feel like I still have a little pressure in the suit however. 
   
B-52: 5 minutes, verify, Bob, please. 
   
White: 5 minutes, X-15 oxygen select, 1800 psi, cabin altitude 35.5. Cine camera pulse, ventral is armed. 
   
NASA 2: Bob, what does your alt indicator read please? 
   
White: It reads +2. ........ topoff complete, Butch? 
   
Butchart: OK, topoff .......... 
   
B-52: 4 minutes. 
   
White: 4 minutes, data on, pressurize on the tanks, both coming up nicely. Lox up to 50, ammonia is at 41 and 41. Back to pressurize and now the ammonia and Lox are setting on 50. Data off. Intercom off, on radio lower antenna. NASA 2, how do you read?
   
NASA 2: Read you 5 square and check your stab position, Bob. 
   
White: Stab position is good. 
   
B-52: 3 minutes, verify, Bob. 
   
White: 3 minutes, LN2 source is now down to 3000. Inertial velocity is just short of 1000. Attitude has been looking good. 
   
B-52: Bob, we see something that looks like Lox coming out between the pylon and fuselage, just aft of our fuel point. 
   
White: Rog. 
   
B-52: Want to note that the upper drain that they marked at the last flight. 2 minutes. 
   
White: Push to test on the ball nose, looks good, comes back OK. APU bearing temps are 110 and 100. Data on. 
   
B-52: You have the LN leak just above the Lox upper drain .......... looks like Lox ammonia evaporating. 
   
White: What do you say, NASA 2, we go on? 
   
NASA 2: Roger. 
   
B-52: 1 minute, arming switch on, verify, Bob. 
   
White: Roger, I got prime on, I got igniter ready light, call at 50 seconds. 
   
B-52: 50 seconds now. 
   
White: Precool is on and the launch pump bearing -28 and the ammonia is -35, and the Lox is 50 and the ammonia is down at 41 and back up to 47 or so. OK, going to pump idle now. 
   
B-52: Pump idle looks good, Bob. 
   
White: OK, the manifold pressures are up, looking good. The line pressures are looking good, going to igniter idle now. .......... Pressure is up, every thing looks good, 3, 2, 1 LAUNCH! 
   
NASA 2: 20 seconds, Bob, course is looking good, 30, 55, igniter idle up, Bob. 60 seconds, 1000 feet a second. 35,000, 73, 74, shut down, Bob. 
   
White: Shut down now ......... 
   
NASA 2: Course looking good, Bob. 
   
White: What's my altitude now, Butch? 
   
Butchart: 108,000.
   
White: .......... 
   
NASA 2: Very beautiful glide, Bob. 
   
B-52: Tracking very good, Bob. 
   
White: Instruments getting pretty well acquainted .......... 106,000 is cockpit now . 
   
NASA 2: We have you at a 105,000, Bob. 
   
White: When it is inflated like this, just on the last flight, you angle around your position .......... using the glide controller you can't ever - tightened up and get stiff and gives you an ill feeling sensation. 
   
NASA 2: Roger, we have you at 100,000 just abeam Ballarat, Bob. 
   
White: Can you give me a velocity reading? 
   
NASA 2: We have you 3700. 
   
White: OK, I have 3750 inertially, level at 5° .......... I can't read these .......... switches though. 
   
NASA 1: We will take control, NASA 2 and Bob. 
   
White: OK, fine. 
   
NASA 1: 3200 feet a second, you're about 82,000 feet and you've got lots of energy, Bob. 
   
White: OK, speed brakes at this rate, I can see the base right ahead of me. 
   
NASA 1: OK, and you're a little bit left of track. 
   
White: I'm starting a turn to the right. 
   
NASA 1: 3000 feet second, about 75,000 feet. 
   
White: Lot of smoke in the cockpit, but its that way all the time. 
   
NASA 1: Lot of smoke, you say? 
   
White: Yes, you know, the same old stuff, been whistling along all during this flight. 
   
NASA 1: OK, want to check your ADF when you get a chance, Bob? 
   
White: Yes, ......... 
   
NASA 1: 65,000 and 2400 feet per/sec. 
   
White: What did you say that altitude was?
   
NASA 1: 63,000 feet. 1500 feet per/sec. Coming through 60,000, Bob. 
   
White: OK, heading here towards Mojave, make sure I don't go too far. 
   
NASA 1: Yes, I'd turn back I think, Bob. 
   
White: OK. If I ever get this suit un-inflated, I can't twist my head now. 
   
NASA 1: Roger, I'd turn it on back, you're coming through 52,000. 
   
White: .......... 
   
NASA 1: 1400 feet per/sec. 
   
White: Wind velocity been tracking pretty good, starting to get pretty good area now. 
   
NASA 1: When do you plan to jettison, Bob? 
   
White: Pretty soon. OK, I'm turning due south and I'm now going through Mach 1. 
   
NASA 1: Roger, come on in. 
   
White: Be over your area very shortly, and now I'm going to go to jettison. 
   
NASA 1: Roger, get a data and calibrate at your convenience. 
   
White: OK, wait until I jettison ventral, ventral! OK, she's going down pretty good now and the data's on and I got a calibrate. 
   
NASA 1: Roger. I want to remind you about your pitch sensitivity, Bob. 
   
White: OK, I've moved it back to 6. 
   
NASA 1: Roger. You're getting in so close we can't tell you too much, we have you at 35,000 feet at this time. 
   
White: OK. 
   
Chase: Jettison is just about complete, Bob. 
   
White: OK, good deal. OK, preheat is going off. Face plate heat is going off, precool is off, igniter is off. Master is off. Now showing 28,000 coming down to 26,000 now. How does that look, Chase? 
   
Chase: 26,000 .......... 
   
White: OK and I'm indicating 310°. 
   
NASA 1: Got your engine peroxide jettison off, Bob?
   
White: Oh yes, we didn't catch all the ventral landing. Back to pressurize position. I used a little speed brakes there, Walt, if that gives you a bad time. Ventral back on again. I checked the ventral is armed. It's getting very hot again. 
   
NASA 1: Can't be long now, Bob. 
   
White: Yes, coming around on base leg speed brakes .......... I'm lying on final. I'll standby for this ventral jettison, while I cross the road here. 
   
Chase: Let jettison go. 
   
White: No, wait a minute, OK now. 
   
Chase: Parachute. 
   
White: Flaps are starting down. 
   
Chase: Flaps.
   
White: Big sudden change. OK, gear coming out. 
   
Chase: Gear down, you're about 10 from deck. 
   
White: OK. 
   
Chase: Good one! 
   
NASA 1: Good show, Bob! 
   
  After Landing
   
White: Flaps are coming up. Speed brakes are going open, I will cycle controls. Push to test on the ball nose, coming up. Data is now going off. Hydraulics are #1 .......... #2 is 3350. Peroxide tank press #1 and #2 is 560. APU bearing temps #1, +85 and #2, +90, H202 low light. Mixing chamber temps #l, -35 #2, -40. Helium source press #1 is now 400. Engine control gas is 400. APU source on #1 and #2 is 2550. LN2 source 2150. C-6 and 3 axis ball are both reading 174°. Inertial height is 75,000. It went up to that place and stayed there for the remainder of the flight. Inertial climb is +100' per/sec. X-15 Oxygen press is 1200. Stable platform is going off. APU switches are now going off. Just got the SAS gain settings, had 8-6-8 during the flight and 6-6-8 on landing. 
   
NASA 9: They are getting a real tired looking pilot out of the cockpit!