X-15 Rocket Plane History
North American Aviation's X-15 is one of the world's fastest and highest
flying aircraft. After test flights in 1959, in 1967 the X-15 eventually reached
Mach 6.72. The X-15 is air launched from a Boeing B-52. This aircraft was used to
gather flight data at very high speeds and altitudes. Information collected from X-15
flights aided in the research and design of initial crafts for space flight.
Neil Armstrong participated in the piloting and engineering of the X-15 in the
early 1960s. Later, Armstrong became the first human to set foot on the Moon on
July 20, 1969.
Wing Area Gallery
LIFT Home Page
Aerospace Activities Page