Parasite Aircraft - Spaceshipone, North American X-15, Bell X-1, Lockheed D-21m-21, Pegasus, Yokosuka Mxy7 Ohka, Zveno Project, NASA X-43, (Paperback)

Please note that the content of this book primarily consists of articles available from Wikipedia or other free sources online. Pages: 40. Chapters: SpaceShipOne, North American X-15, Bell X-1, Lockheed D-21/M-21, Pegasus, Yokosuka MXY7 Ohka, Zveno project, NASA X-43, Northrop HL-10, Arado E.381, Bell X-2, Northrop M2-F2, FICON project, Northrop M2-F3, McDonnell XF-85 Goblin, Messerschmitt Me 328, Martin Marietta X-24A, Curtiss F9C Sparrowhawk, Martin Marietta X-24B, Lockheed L-301, De Havilland Humming Bird, Fieseler Fi 157. Excerpt: The North American X-15 rocket-powered aircraft/spaceplane was part of the X-series of experimental aircraft, initiated with the Bell X-1, that were made for the USAAF/USAF, NACA/NASA, and the USN. The X-15 set speed and altitude records in the early 1960s, reaching the edge of outer space and returning with valuable data used in aircraft and spacecraft design. As of 2011, it holds the official world record for the fastest speed ever reached by a manned rocket-powered aircraft. During the X-15 program, 13 of the flights (by eight pilots) met the USAF spaceflight criteria by exceeding the altitude of 50 miles (80 km) thus qualifying the pilots for astronaut status. The USAF pilots qualified for USAF astronaut wings, while the civilian pilots were later awarded NASA astronaut wings. Of all the X-15 missions, two flights (by the same pilot) qualified as space flights per the international (Federation Aeronautique Internationale) definition of a spaceflight by exceeding 100 kilometres in altitude. X-15 just after release. X-15 touching down on its skids. Compare jettisoned lower ventral fin with color picture, top.The X-15 was based on a concept study from Walter Dornberger for the NACA for a hypersonic research aircraft. The requests for proposal were published on 30 December 1954 for the airframe and on 4 February 1955 for the rocket engine. The X-15 was built by two manufacturers: North American Aviation was contracted for the...