Shopping Search

This 57 minute - mostly silent - DVD explores a variety of flight experiments conducted at Dryden on the various X planes that have been developed over the past several decades. The "X" designation, originally "XS" for eXperimental Supersonic, applied to a family of experimental aircraft not intended for production beyond a limited number built solely for flight research. This dvd contains fascinating flight and experiment footage of the following aircraft. X-1 - Launching from B-29 and B-50 mothership, flight and landings; X-2 Starbuster - Launches from B-50 mothership; X-3 Stiletto - Supersonic flight research and landing; X-5 - Schnes of the X-5 in flight; X-15 - Air launches from B-52 mothership, landings, pilots, rocket ignition, damage sustained after a Mach 6.7 flight and more; X-24A - High altitude ascents and landings at Edwards Air Force Base and Rogers Dry Lake; X-24B - Air drop from B-52 mothership, flight and landing at Edwards; X-29 - Attack flight maneuvers, test with spin chute deployed, takeoff and flight; X-31A - Performing a Double Reverse Maneuver, Herbst Turn Maneuver, Mongoose Maneuver, Post Stall Maneuver and more; X-33 - Test firing of Linear Aerospike engine, a variety of flight and docking computer animations; X-38 - Drop flight tests from B-52 mothershipand a variety of computer animations; X-40A - A series of free flight tests; X-43A/Hyper-X - A series of flight and B-52 mothership drop tests leading up a Mach 10 flight; X-45A - Take off, flight and landings at Edwards Air FOrce Base; XB-70A Valkyrie - Startup, taxi and takeoff, flight and a landing at Edwards; XV-15 Tilt Rotor Aircraft - Flight, takeoff and maneuvering

The X-15 rocket plane flew at Mach 6.72 and at altitudes above 67 miles -- at the threshold of space! The men who flew this amazing plane became the USAF's first astronauts. Powered by an XLR-99 engine capable of producing 70, 000 pounds of thrust at peak altitude, the X-15 pushed the envelope for manned aircraft past the post office. Notably, both Apollo commander Neil Armstrong and Space Shuttle commander Joe Engle piloted the X-15. Originally highly restricted, the manual was recently declassified and is here reprinted in book form. This affordable black and white facsimile has been reformatted. Care has been taken however to preserve the integrity of the text.