X-15 Hypersonic Research At The Edge Of Space

[TSideOG]

I hope this footage still exists on film so it can be redigitalized in HD

[88Hakan88]

any1 see the ninjas doing a dance on the wings? :))

[WickedTRX]

Not a Mhz in sight

[T15Medic]

I think it's amazing when you look back at these videos and the fact that their best control system was a human, when you look at some of the newer X craft like the X-43 it doesn't have a pilot.

[lopz2557]

This was done by guys with slide rulers (No computers) Late sixties dragon lady U2 is flying over USSR but secretly SR 71 is already on Kelly Johnson,s drawing board Last thing I heard a few weeks ago is that we now can put a missile in your back yard any place on this planet with in 60 minutes I think we have many smart guys working quietly on some major woopass technology that only will be reviled when the time comes I could be wrong A bomb Hydrogen bomb First Supersonic flight X-15 U-2

[ElementoVolatile]

@lopz2557 During the sixties, there already was the First incarnation of the SR-71 around. It was the A-12 Archangel/Oxcart



[ShlockenheimerNator]

@ElementoVolatile The SR71 ws flying in the '60's... and the YF as the mooted fighter version. ... crazy planes...!

[meguuuuusta]

helicopter troll

[metbaer]

My Grampa used to work for North American back then and was part of the designing crew for the X-15. He gave me a picture of the X-15 once with an autograph by Scott Crossfield, one of the X-15 pilots. Still keep that picture like a treasure. I love the X-15. :)

[heathirving]

fastest landing by any aircraft 300mph

[sethelliotttaylor]

But will it blend?

[marcel911]

I always wondered why they never launched the shuttle into space like this. Surely it's only a simple step from this to Earth orbit?

[Diamondback338]

All that extra fuel he has to dump before landing was due to the research/engineering team's decision to add an extra 2000lbs of fuel to offset the weight of the pilot's GIGANTIC BALL SACK.

[TheDeJureTour]

Wow, nice chopper wheelie stand @ 5:59

[4duncanm]

@FutureGIGN your english am more shitty than car,

[t1000eg]

looks like an f-16 coming in to land

[61389alpha]

Best X-15 video on youtube.

[dirac33]

All sounds pretty hollow now. We can't make a toaster or a fly swatter, much less a space plane. We fired all our engineers and they work at Walmart and Lowes for the Chi-nee. Money is pissed away on stupidities like the F-22 and F-35 and Osprey instead of going into actual flight research and exploration. We fight wars of choice against people in pajamas that never end and do nothing but consume hope and capital. The defense industry barons and lobbyists are the only winners.

[1MtnBoy]

@MaralizeLegawana AMEN, balls of steel ! flying where no one had flown before with NO guarantees, brave men ! I looked up to these folks while growing up in the 60's awesome !

[T1Brit]

X-15 was the badass of them all

[hckyplyr90]

I worked with an engineer named Denver Linschied who had been at North American and worked on both the X-15 and XB-70 programs. He was a much older guy, but a very sharp engineer.

[Deejeezy405]

I LMFAO at the 6:00 mark.

[wonderlustre]

This is beautiful, and the wheelie helicopter is epic too!

[djp928]

Whoa! That helicopter doing wheelies was awesome!

[rva1945]

What a feat! There weren't simulators to test the flying and landing characteristics, everything had to be tested in theory, doing math, then, the real flight...

[badback22]

Thumbs up if you 40 somethings pretended when you were a kid, or just now, that you were flying the X-15 ;)

[GangsterHutterite]

People say we will never make an X-Wing.

But we made it in 1959!

[MASTURCHEEF001]

@GangsterHutterite :D

[leftcoast67]

Simple, beautiful, elegant. Amazing that learning from this the US couldn't build a two stage to orbit shuttle.

[websuspect]

@leftcoast67 The could but they dont want to. It would be too cost beneficial.

[IWannabeJew]

Is that Cronkite narrating?

[1MtnBoy]

only big enough to carry 2 minutes worth of fuel.

[ACfireandiceDC]

Why does it have to be taken up by a B-52?

[C1CFL0]

@ACfireandiceDC because less fuel means lighter plane - lighter plane means faster plane

[nxilo]

Top speed of x-15=4967mph

[1MtnBoy]

@nxilo actually it was "Pete" Knights run in the A2 at 4,520 mph (Mach 6.7) in Oct 1967. Joe Walkers flight set the absolute altitude record of 354,200ft. high enough to earn his Astronaut's Wings !

[JMxVideos]

the touch down is soooo hard

[TheCabal]

Wow... in todays time everything seems boring... it's all about work.. there is almost nothing new...

[Daviston09]

WOW!! I loved this film. What an amazing time to haver been involved in aero engineering. Not so many milestones to enjoy these days. 

[ProduccionEncinta]

oldschool :)

[Twinfire]

6:01 ???

[modelleg]

X-15 and T-38 look pretty similar!

[OceanderTethyseus]

i had an Estes model rocket of the X-15 when i was a kid.

[coolman2693]

notice the helicopter popping a wheelee at 6:00, lmfao!!

[KaoticX209]

@coolman2693 Air Force was stunting before motocross & Xgames

[SuperMageo]

I love how in this day and age we can all witness such milestones in the different fields of science. With the click of a button, instant access :)

[Oracle13]

Beautiful, beautiful, beautiful! Thanks for posting this!

[TheMotionStudio]

Great video!

[SaxonSmileyFace]

LOL MUSIC

[antijes07]

2:50 , That's acceleration!!

[lambogeek]

@antijes07 imagine being on that!

[antijes07]

@lambogeek I could only imagine, wanted to fly one of those since i was a kid.

[lambogeek]

@antijes07 Don't we all

[LuisReefTank]

They should try to invent new prepulsion(?) technologys before trying more speeds.

[TheNewCW]

RIP Joe Walker died doing what he loved flying planes

[TheNewCW]

RIP Joe Walker died doing what he loved flying planes

[mewlett]

Check out this cool blog that discusses the history of the X-15. Google "Vintage Space X-15". Enjoy!!

[puckerfactor1]

The x-15 made possible the thermal protection that the shuttle uses,as well as control systems in high altitude and orbital manouvering.The x-15 gave us alot of data that is used to this day.

[isradelacon]

the first space plane, and still the fastest plane ever. what can be cooler than that? thanks for the upload!

[piperpilot26]

watch at 4:32 at the left of the screen. looks like a UFO zips by.

[BowlingFreak218]

@piperpilot26 i think you're hallucinating

[fritzski22]

OUTSTANDING!

It's a shame that the number of people who designed,built and flew these things are thinning out fast and all of this will no longer be a living memory very soon. Funnily enough it makes the space shuttle kinda boring.

[Capt777harris]

@fritzski22 A good book about the program is "At The Edge of Space"

[1MtnBoy]

@fritzski22 keep the memories alive, remember them !! I am sad I never got a chance to meet Milt Thompson or Pete Knight before they passed away. Knight was a senator and mayor of Palmdale, CA. I kick myself for never meeting him ! I was only an hour away. I believe Milt still worked at EAFB till his passing in 1993. I cherish the photo's , books and TV shows such as this that are still being shown to keep the legacy alive !!! just remember them and spread the word ! I show my kids these shows

[MrSuperawesome5000]

@fritzski22 I don't know have you ever gone and seen a shuttle launch in person. Its very awe inspiring.



[ElementoVolatile]

@fritzski22 Sadly, the age of Faster&Higher came to an end. It sucks big time, i wanted to live those days. Instead i'm stuck in the era of digital-assisted/badly implemented...

[migkid]

damn! the thing almost broke in two at the pretty hard landing! Still, an incredible research job!

[WizardOfChicamunga]

@migkid One actually did break it's back on landing. I believe Scott Crossfield was flying. He was unable to jettison fuel load before landing, the added weight broke it's back. He walked away unhurt.

[gdsnuff]

Awesome!

[socialgarbage2]

A manned missile! By far the coolest of the X-planes.

Thanks once again for a great video!

[lyugiang]

V2 with wings =/

[PistonDriven]

Masterclass...!. Thanx for posting..!

[Fastplane5]

The X-15 is by far the coolest looking airplane ever

[taritata]

u always put great vids here ;-) Thanks !

[jaxuber]

I love the music! Those were such awesome times.

[RoboTekno]

Wow, didn't know it used attitude control rockets. Very cool. Thanks for the video :D

[leokimvideo]

cool, it has been years since I have seen this

[sutton513]

@coolerwesbox well done