Hypersonics Before the Shuttle: A Concise History of the X-15 Research Airplane

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Hypersonics Before the Shuttle: A Concise History of the X-15 Research Airplane

D. R. Jenkins

It is a beginning. Over forty-five years have elapsed since the X-15 was conceived; 40 since it first flew. And 31 since the program ended. Although it is usually heralded as the most productive flight research program ever undertaken, no serious history has been assembled to capture its design, development, operations, and lessons. This monograph is the first step towards that history. Not that a great deal not previously been written about the X-15, because it has. But most of it has been limited to specific aspects of the program; pilot's stories, experiments. lessons-learned, etc. But with the exception of Robert S. Houston's history published by the Wright Air Development Center in 1958, and later included in the Air Force History Office's Hypersonic Revolution, no one has attempted to tell the entire story. And the WADC history is taken entirely from the Air Force perspective, with small mention of the other contributors.