|
The
First Winged Aircraft into Space Flight
In the cockpit of the black, sleek aircraft slung underneath the wing of the mighty B-52 bomber, the interphone crackles to life. Performing his pre flight checklist Major Bob White hears the commander of the B-52, Major Jack Allavie, on his radio: “Ah Robert, it’s a lovely morning”. While still focusing on these crucial items “Robert” responds, “Yes it is Jack”. This could be a normal salutation and exchange in any office or business anywhere in the world, but on this date: July 17th, 1962, it’s between two highly complex aircraft and professional pilots. And one of these aircraft launches as an airplane, but returns a spacecraft, with its pilot earning the still new title of astronaut. The X-15 was one of a very few aircraft designed strictly as a research aircraft. This means it was not a forerunner of a design for a particular breed of aircraft, and would not evolve into a useful aircraft for the military or airlines. Research aircraft exploring the transonic, supersonic and hypersonic regimes began with the Bell X-1. You may recall of course, that the X-1 was the aircraft that punched a hole through the “sound barrier” in 1947. This rocket powered aircraft’s sole purpose was to explore the regime of transonic and supersonic flight, and it did that very well. However, the North American Aviation X-15 was the aircraft that set more records and went much faster and higher than the X-1 or any other research aircraft of that or any era since. The X-15 was the first aircraft to fly Mach 4, Mach 5 and Mach 6. It set several speed and altitude records and became the first winged vehicle to fly into space. The X-15’s primary purpose was to investigate hypersonic (above mach 5) flight and extreme high altitude flight and the effects of aerodynamic heating on the aircraft surfaces that reached a bit over 1,000 degrees farenheit.. And the man who was the first to fly Mach 4,5 & 6, the first to fly in excess of 3000 mph, the first to fly above 200,000’ and 300,000’; was to become on this date, the first man to fly it and any winged vehicle into space. This allowed him to become only the 5th American to attain astronaut wings and only the 2nd Air Force pilot to do this. Alan Shepard, Gus Grissom, John Glenn and Wally Schirra of the Project Mercury program, went first. Retired Major General Robert M. “Bob” White (USAF) reflects back on his career and specifically this date. Feeling it to be his highlight flight of the program, he looks back with the missile man’s steely eyed professional glint and walks me through his flight. As I sit there rapt, listening to this aerospace pioneer, it’s easy to see “the General” and the veteran test pilot, as he recalls the flight. A more consummate professional you will not find, not even 43 years later in his life. |
