List of X-1B flights
The X-1B aircraft 48-1385 made 27 flights between September 24, 1954, and January 23, 1958. The first ten were conducted by the United States Air Force (USAF) and the remaining 17 by the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics (NACA). The first two planned powered flights were aborted and completed as glide flights, while the first powered flight took place on October 8, 1954. Subsequent flights included research into aerodynamic heating, stability and control, and reaction controls. On December 2, 1954, the aircraft reached Mach 2.3 and an altitude of 21,336 metres (70,000 ft).
X-1B pilots
| Pilot | Agency | Flights | Aircraft |
|---|---|---|---|
| Neil Armstrong | NACA | 4 | 48-1385 |
| John McKay | NACA | 13 | 48-1385 |
| Stuart Childs | USAF | 1 | 48-1385 |
| Frank Everest | USAF | 2 | 48-1385 |
| Horace Hanes | USAF | 1 | 48-1385 |
| Richard Harer | USAF | 1 | 48-1385 |
| Stanley Holtoner | USAF | 1 | 48-1385 |
| Arthur Murray | USAF | 1 | 48-1385 |
| Jack Ridley | USAF | 2 | 48-1385 |
| Robert Stephens | USAF | 1 | 48-1385 |
X-1B flights
| Vehicle Flight # |
Date | Pilot | Aircraft | Agency | Velocity -Mach- |
Altitude - m - |
Comments |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| X-1B #1 | September 24, 1954 | Jack Ridley | 48-1385 | USAF 1 | ? | ? | Planned powered flight. Turbopump overspeed caused abort. Glide flight. |
| X-1B #2 | October 6, 1954 | Jack Ridley | 48-1385 | USAF 2 | ? | ? | Planned powered flight. High lox-tank pressure caused abort. Glide flight. |
| X-1B #3 | October 8, 1954 | Frank Everest | 48-1385 | USAF 3 | ? | ? | First powered flight. Checkout and familiarization. |
| X-1B #4 | October 13, 1954 | Robert Stephens | 48-1385 | USAF 4 | ? | ? | - |
| X-1B #5 | October 19, 1954 | Stuart Childs | 48-1385 | USAF 5 | ? | ? | - |
| X-1B #6 | October 26, 1954 | Horace Hanes | 48-1385 | USAF 6 | ? | ? | - |
| X-1B #7 | November 4, 1954 | Richard Harer | 48-1385 | USAF 7 | ? | ? | - |
| X-1B #8 | November 26, 1954 | Stanley Holtoner | 48-1385 | USAF 8 | ? | ? | - |
| X-1B #9 | November 30, 1954 | Frank Everest | 48-1385 | USAF 9 | ? | ? | - |
| X-1B #10 | December 2, 1954 | Frank Everest | 48-1385 | USAF 10 | 2.3 | 21,336 (70,000 feet) | Second flight of X-1 over Mach 2 after Chuck Yeager in 1953 in X-1A |
| X-1B #11 | August 14, 1956 | John McKay | 48-1385 | NACA 1 | ? | ? | Pilot familiarization. Nose gear failed on landing. Minor damage. |
| X-1B #12 | August 29, 1956 | John McKay | 48-1385 | NACA 2 | ? | ? | Cabin pressure regulator malfunctioned. Inner canopy cracked. Low speed, low altitude maneuvers. |
| X-1B #13 | September 7, 1956 | John McKay | 48-1385 | NACA 3 | 1.8 | 17,080 | High speed flight. Heating data gathered. |
| X-1B #14 | September 18, 1956 | John McKay | 48-1385 | NACA 4 | ? | ? | Erratic engine start. Glide flight. |
| X-1B #15 | September 28, 1956 | John McKay | 48-1385 | NACA 5 | ? | 18,300 | Three chamber engine flight. Heating data obtained. |
| X-1B #16 | January 3, 1957 | John McKay | 48-1385 | NACA 6 | 1.94 | ? | Last aerodynamic heating data flight. |
| X-1B #17 | May 22, 1957 | John McKay | 48-1385 | NACA 7 | 1.45 | 18,300 | Flight instrumentation check. Control pulses at speed. |
| X-1B #18 | June 7, 1957 | John McKay | 48-1385 | NACA 8 | 1.5 | 18,300 | Supersonic maneuvers at speed and altitude to determine dynamic and static stability and control characteristics. |
| X-1B #19 | June 24, 1957 | John McKay | 48-1385 | NACA 9 | 1.5 | 18,300 | Supersonic maneuvers at speed and altitude to determine dynamic and static stability and control characteristics. |
| X-1B #20 | July 11, 1957 | John McKay | 48-1385 | NACA 10 | ? | ? | Aborted after launch. Gear door open warning. Propellants jettisoned. Glide flight. |
| X-1B #21 | July 19, 1957 | John McKay | 48-1385 | NACA 11 | 1.65 | 18,300 | Control pulses, 2 g wind-up turn, sideslips. |
| X-1B #22 | July 29, 1957 | John McKay | 48-1385 | NACA 12 | 1.55 | 18,300 | Enlarged wing tips installed to simulate addition of reaction controls. |
| X-1B #23 | August 8, 1957 | John McKay | 48-1385 | NACA 13 | 1.55 | 18,300 | Stability, control tests. Accelerated maneuvers, control pulses, pull-ups. |
| X-1B #24 | August 15, 1957 | Neil Armstrong | 48-1385 | NACA 14 | ? | ? | Pilot familiarization. Nose gear failed on landing. Minor damage. |
| X-1B #25 | November 27, 1957 | Neil Armstrong | 48-1385 | NACA 15 | ? | ? | First reaction-control flight. |
| X-1B #26 | January 16, 1958 | Neil Armstrong | 48-1385 | NACA 16 | ? | ? | Low-altitude, low-mach reaction-control tests. |
| X-1B #27 | January 23, 1958 | Jack McKay | 48-1385 | NACA 17 | 1.5 | 16,775 | Reaction-control tests. Last NACA flight. |
See also
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