X-15 Pilot Report Photo Credits & References

North American Aviation X-15
Pilot Report
photo credits and related resources

Images in top-level introduction to the Pilot Report Sections
Images in Part 1: X-15 General Description & Walkaround
Images in Part 2: X-15 Cockpit Check
Images in Part 3: X-15 Flight: Heading Out to Launch
Images in Part 4: X-15 Flight: Flying the Mission and Returning

Images in top-level introduction to the Pilot Report Sections

Cover page, X-15 Flight Manual, thumbnail First image and larger copy linked to it is the title page of the North American Aviation X-15 Flight Manual (1962).

Images in Part 1: X-15 General Description & Walkaround

X-15 rollout photo was taken at or slightly before the rollout ceremony for the #1 X-15, on October 15, 1958 at North American Aviation's Inglewood/El Segundo plant. This probably was an NAA photo originally, is widely reproduced and is registered as NASA photo E-4358. Copies on the NASA Dryden web server are E-4358 small image, E-4358 Medium image, E-4358 Large image.

X-15 3-view thumbnail
The 3-view diagram linked to the rollout photo is from the X-15 Flight Manual (1962).

X-15A-2 aft, thumbnail Color aft view with background retouched to blend with web page is a photograph of the X-15A-2 in the US Air Force Museum, 9/25/2001, photo by author (Paul Raveling).

X-15 on B-52 pylon at night, thumbnail Right quarter view of X-15 #2 on B-52 pylon at night. is reproduced from /files/pics/pic12.jpg on the cd accompanying X-15 - The NASA Mission Reports. This reproduces a NASA photo.

XLR-99 drains & vents, thumbnail Color photo of drains and vents, mainly on lower part of flange around rim of XLR-99 nozzle, is a photograph of the X-15A-2 in the US Air Force Museum, 7/25/2001, photo by author (Paul Raveling).

X-15 drain, vent, & jettison locations, thumbnail Drawing of Drain, Jettison, and Vent Configuration is from the X-15 Flight Manual (1962).

X-15 with XLR-11's on B-52 pylon, thumbnail View from directly aft of X-15 on the pylon of its B-52 carrier aircraft is a NASA photo. This copy was retrieved from Files/pics/pic04.jpg on the CDROM published by Apogee Books and included with X-15 - The NASA Mission Reports. This photo shows the 1959/1960 interim configuration using a pair of XLR-11 rocket engines, each with four chambers, instead of the single XLR-99 rocket engine.

X-15 empennage, thumbnail Side view of the empennage of the #3 X-15 is from another NASA photograph retrieved from Files/pics/pic14.jpg on the Apogee Books cdrom. A similar photo is on page 22 of NASA Technical Report SP-60, X-15 Research Results, by Wendell H. Stillwell.

X-15 cutaway #1, thumbnail The leftmost of the three cutaway views of the X-15 is a widely reproduced NASA illustration. One of the published renditions is on page 111 of NASA book SP-4303, On the Frontier, by Richard P. Hallion. Some of the same content is available on the web under the title On the Frontier: Chapter 6-4.

The center cutaway view is another widely reproduced graphic.

X-15 cutaway #3, thumbnail The rightmost cutaway view is from page 1-2 of the North American Aviation X-15 Flight Manual (1962).

X-15A-2 nose gear, thumbnail X-15 ball nose, thumbnail X-15A-2 Nose gear and ball nose color photos were taken by the author (Paul Raveling) at the US Air Force Museum, 9/25/2001.

Images in Part 2: X-15 Cockpit Check

X-15 cockpit (ECN-1695), thumbnail The title image is NASA photo ECN1291, illustrating a pilot in a cockpit as configured late in the research program.

X-15 upper cockpit side view, thumbnail The second image, illustrating positioning of the pilot's headrest, is TBD. This copy was retrieved from Files/pics/cockpit/page29.jpg on the Apogee Books CDROM.

X-15 ejection seat, thumbnail The ejection seat image is extracted from NASA photo ECN-1695 by digitally painting out the background and touching up minor details. The original photo shows an ejection seat removed from an X-15 at NASA Dryden. For more information on the X-15 ejection seat a good source on the web is TheEjection Site

Drawing of X-15 ejection seat, thumbnail The ejection seat diagram shown at medium scale and large scale through the thumbnail image or text links from the Cockpit Check page is Figure 1-14 (Page 1-44) in the 1962 X-15 Flight Manual.

X-15 cocpit flight controls diagram, thumbnail The control diagram reached from the thumbnail image or text link from the Cockpit Check page is Figure 1-11, Page 1-31 in the 1962 X-15 Flight Manual.

X-15 cockpit, thumbnail The overall cockpit image with annotations pointing out the three different controllers (conventional stick, aerodynamic side stick, and ballistic side stick) is from page 25 in NASA Report SP-60, X-15 Research Results, by Wendell H. Stillwell.

X-15 left sidestick, thumbnail X-15 right sidestick, thumbnail X-15 instrument panel, thumbnail X-15 cockpit details legend, thumbnail X-15 center console, thumbnail

The illustrations of cockpit controls are from the January, 1962 revision of the X-15 Flight Manual.

Images in Part 3: X-15 Flight: Heading Out to Launch

X-15 during carry by B-52, thumbnail This section's title image is NASA photo ECN885, which NASA also identifies as EC65-885. This copy was scanned from an original print from the estate of Maurice King, a NASA Dryden mechanic who worked on the X-15's.

X-15 preflight at dawn, thumbnail X-15 preflight preparation, thumbnail B-52 takeoff carrying X-15, thumbnail

Dawn servicing, preflight preparation, and takeoff are NASA photos. These images of them were imported from the Apogee Books CDROM packaged with their book, X-15 - The NASA Mission Reports.

X-15, prelaunch on wing of B-52, thumbnail Color image of the X-15 being carried prior to launch is an Air Force photograph. This image was scanned from an original photographic print.

X-15 drop from B-52, thumbnail Color image of the X-15 being dropped is believed to be an Air Force photo. This rendition was copied from Files\pics\xlr11launch.jpg on the Apogee Books CDROM packaged with their book, X-15 - The NASA Mission Reports.

Images in Part 4: X-15 Flight: Flying the Mission and Returning

Photo of X-15 #2 just after launch is cropped from NASA photo number EC88-0180-1. This was the start of flight the first flight to reach a speed above Mach 6: Flight 2-21-37, the 45'th X-15 free flight, piloted by Robert M. White on November 9, 1962. This is available on the NASA Dryden web site.

X-15 beginning climb, thumbnail One of the most widely reproduced X-15 photos is NASA EC65-884. This image showing an X-15 pulling up into its climb is rarely reproduced in its correct orientation, even the NASA Dryden web site is incorrect (off by 90 degrees). This rendering was scanned from a NASA lithograph released in 1962 whose caption is readable only when the litho is inverted (off by 180 degrees). One of very few correctly oriented renditions is in the September, 1962 copy of National Geographic.

X-15 flight path drawing, thumbnail This is one of several widely reproduced diagrams of an X-15 mission profile. This particular one is Figure 5 on Page 40 of the Proceedings of the X-15 First Flight 30th Anniversary Celebration.

Colorado River Valley, from X-15 at 210,000 feet
This photo was part of a speech delivered by X-15 pilot Bill Dana at the Smithsonian Institution.
The address, with illustrations, appears on the NASA Dryden web site;
See page 1 to read the speech from its beginning, page 6 for the page containing this photo.

X-15 approach illustration, thumbnail The landing pattern illustration is Figure 2-7, pages 2-16 and 2-17, from the 1962 X-15 Flight Manual.

X-15 landing with chase, thumbnail The photo of the X-15 near touchdown, accompanied by an F-104 chase plane, is cropped from NASA photo EC88-0180-9, which is available on the NASA Dryden web server.

X-15 after landing, B-52 flyover, thumbnail The postflight scene on the lakebed is identified on the NASA Dryden web site as photo EC61-0034. This particular rendition was scanned from an original photographic print with a handwritten identification on the back as ECN34.

This pilot report is split into these four parts:

    1. X-15 General Description & Walkaround
    2. X-15 Cockpit Check
    3. X-15 Flight: Heading Out to Launch
    4. X-15 Flight: Flying the Mission and Returning

Related to all four sections:

Photo credits and pointers to related resources

Send questions and comments on the SierraFoot X-15 pages to Paul Raveling.
Return to X-15 pilot report root page X-15 home page SierraFoot site home page

	X-15 rollout photo was taken at or slightly before the rollout ceremony for the #1 X-15, on October 15, 1958 at North American Aviation's Inglewood/El Segundo plant. This probably was an NAA photo originally, is widely reproduced and is registered as NASA photo E-4358. Copies on the NASA Dryden web server are E-4358 small image, E-4358 Medium image, E-4358 Large image.
	The 3-view diagram linked to the rollout photo is from the X-15 Flight Manual (1962).
	Color aft view with background retouched to blend with web page is a photograph of the X-15A-2 in the US Air Force Museum, 9/25/2001, photo by author (Paul Raveling).
	Right quarter view of X-15 #2 on B-52 pylon at night. is reproduced from /files/pics/pic12.jpg on the cd accompanying X-15 - The NASA Mission Reports. This reproduces a NASA photo.
	Color photo of drains and vents, mainly on lower part of flange around rim of XLR-99 nozzle, is a photograph of the X-15A-2 in the US Air Force Museum, 7/25/2001, photo by author (Paul Raveling).
	Drawing of Drain, Jettison, and Vent Configuration is from the X-15 Flight Manual (1962).
	View from directly aft of X-15 on the pylon of its B-52 carrier aircraft is a NASA photo. This copy was retrieved from Files/pics/pic04.jpg on the CDROM published by Apogee Books and included with X-15 - The NASA Mission Reports. This photo shows the 1959/1960 interim configuration using a pair of XLR-11 rocket engines, each with four chambers, instead of the single XLR-99 rocket engine.
	Side view of the empennage of the #3 X-15 is from another NASA photograph retrieved from Files/pics/pic14.jpg on the Apogee Books cdrom. A similar photo is on page 22 of NASA Technical Report SP-60, X-15 Research Results, by Wendell H. Stillwell.
	The leftmost of the three cutaway views of the X-15 is a widely reproduced NASA illustration. One of the published renditions is on page 111 of NASA book SP-4303, On the Frontier, by Richard P. Hallion. Some of the same content is available on the web under the title On the Frontier: Chapter 6-4.
	The center cutaway view is another widely reproduced graphic.
	The rightmost cutaway view is from page 1-2 of the North American Aviation X-15 Flight Manual (1962).
	X-15A-2 Nose gear and ball nose color photos were taken by the author (Paul Raveling) at the US Air Force Museum, 9/25/2001.

	The title image is NASA photo ECN1291, illustrating a pilot in a cockpit as configured late in the research program.
	The second image, illustrating positioning of the pilot's headrest, is TBD. This copy was retrieved from Files/pics/cockpit/page29.jpg on the Apogee Books CDROM.
	The ejection seat image is extracted from NASA photo ECN-1695 by digitally painting out the background and touching up minor details. The original photo shows an ejection seat removed from an X-15 at NASA Dryden. For more information on the X-15 ejection seat a good source on the web is *TheEjection Site*
	The ejection seat diagram shown at medium scale and large scale through the thumbnail image or text links from the Cockpit Check page is Figure 1-14 (Page 1-44) in the 1962 X-15 Flight Manual.
	The control diagram reached from the thumbnail image or text link from the Cockpit Check page is Figure 1-11, Page 1-31 in the 1962 X-15 Flight Manual.
	The overall cockpit image with annotations pointing out the three different controllers (conventional stick, aerodynamic side stick, and ballistic side stick) is from page 25 in NASA Report SP-60, X-15 Research Results, by Wendell H. Stillwell.

	The illustrations of cockpit controls are from the January, 1962 revision of the X-15 Flight Manual.

	This section's title image is NASA photo ECN885, which NASA also identifies as EC65-885. This copy was scanned from an original print from the estate of Maurice King, a NASA Dryden mechanic who worked on the X-15's.

	Dawn servicing, preflight preparation, and takeoff are NASA photos. These images of them were imported from the Apogee Books CDROM packaged with their book, X-15 - The NASA Mission Reports.
	Color image of the X-15 being carried prior to launch is an Air Force photograph. This image was scanned from an original photographic print.
	Color image of the X-15 being dropped is believed to be an Air Force photo. This rendition was copied from Files\pics\xlr11launch.jpg on the Apogee Books CDROM packaged with their book, X-15 - The NASA Mission Reports.

	Photo of X-15 #2 just after launch is cropped from NASA photo number EC88-0180-1. This was the start of flight the first flight to reach a speed above Mach 6: Flight 2-21-37, the 45'th X-15 free flight, piloted by Robert M. White on November 9, 1962. This is available on the NASA Dryden web site.
	One of the most widely reproduced X-15 photos is NASA EC65-884. This image showing an X-15 pulling up into its climb is rarely reproduced in its correct orientation, even the NASA Dryden web site is incorrect (off by 90 degrees). This rendering was scanned from a NASA lithograph released in 1962 whose caption is readable only when the litho is inverted (off by 180 degrees). One of very few correctly oriented renditions is in the September, 1962 copy of National Geographic.
	This is one of several widely reproduced diagrams of an X-15 mission profile. This particular one is Figure 5 on Page 40 of the Proceedings of the X-15 First Flight 30th Anniversary Celebration.
	This photo was part of a speech delivered by X-15 pilot Bill Dana at the Smithsonian Institution. The address, with illustrations, appears on the NASA Dryden web site; See page 1 to read the speech from its beginning, page 6 for the page containing this photo.
	The landing pattern illustration is Figure 2-7, pages 2-16 and 2-17, from the 1962 X-15 Flight Manual.
	The photo of the X-15 near touchdown, accompanied by an F-104 chase plane, is cropped from NASA photo EC88-0180-9, which is available on the NASA Dryden web server.
	The postflight scene on the lakebed is identified on the NASA Dryden web site as photo EC61-0034. This particular rendition was scanned from an original photographic print with a handwritten identification on the back as ECN34.