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Always another dawn

Illustrations II

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X⁠-15 three view specifications. Length, 50 ft; wing span 22 ft, height, 13 feet, wing area 200 sq ft; weight at launching, 31,275 lbs.
X⁠-15 three view specifications. Length, 50 ft; wing span 22 ft, height, 13 feet, wing area 200 sq ft; weight at launching, 31,275 lbs.

X⁠-15 profile. NAA photo.

A diagram showing different parts of the X⁠-15
A diagram showing different parts of the X⁠-15

The X⁠-15 inboard profile. NAA photo.

Five men standing, one holding a model aircraft
Five men standing, one holding a model aircraft

Owners, builders, and customers. From left: Harrison Storms, Maj. Gen. Haugen, Ray Rice, Brig. Gen. Cooper, Walt Williams. NAA photo.

A large room full of workers studying diagrams at their desks
A large room full of workers studying diagrams at their desks

Blood, sweat, and tears: Feltz, Robinson, and Benner. NAA photo.

A diagram showing flight trajectory of the X⁠-15 mission and its placement compared with a curved portion of the earh
A diagram showing flight trajectory of the X⁠-15 mission and its placement compared with a curved portion of the earh

The X⁠-15 flight mission. NAA photo.

A man standing next to three large piles of reports, the tallest of which is above his waist
A man standing next to three large piles of reports, the tallest of which is above his waist

The paper weighed more than the airplane. NAA photo.

A pilot mounted in a simulation chair with two men assisting
A pilot mounted in a simulation chair with two men assisting

Ground-testing the X⁠-15 escape system. NAA photo.

A plane on the ground with a canopy trailing behind it
A plane on the ground with a canopy trailing behind it

A rocket test sled of the X⁠-15 escape system begins a run at Edwards. The canopy ejects ... NAA photo.

A plane on the ground with a canopy blowing away
A plane on the ground with a canopy blowing away

... and blows away while the seat with dummy emerges. NAA photo.

A plane with a plume of smoke behind it and a white object emerging
A plane with a plume of smoke behind it and a white object emerging

Powered ejection ends ... NAA photo.

A portion of a plane with an unopened parachute behind it
A portion of a plane with an unopened parachute behind it

... and the chute begins to deploy automatically. NAA photo.

The seat falling away from an object attached to a parachute
The seat falling away from an object attached to a parachute

The dummy separates from the seat ... NAA photo.

An object landing on the ground with an open parachute over it
An object landing on the ground with an open parachute over it

... for a soft landing on the desert. NAA photo.

A man in a suit and helmet sitting as two standing men adjust the suit
A man in a suit and helmet sitting as two standing men adjust the suit

Farmer’s son tries out early-model experimental Clark pressure suit. NASA photo.

A man in a suit with his foot on a ladder, standing next to a plane
A man in a suit with his foot on a ladder, standing next to a plane

Bill Bridgeman wearing an early-model Air Force partial-pressure suit. Douglas photo.

Statue of a seated man with straps on his shoulders
Statue of a seated man with straps on his shoulders

A rubber tire preserved for posterity. David Clark’s statue of me. Photo by Marvin Richmond.

A man putting on a pressure suit with two men assisting
A man putting on a pressure suit with two men assisting

The pressure-suit break-through: link-net material. NAA photo.

A with a helmet on his head and his hands on the helmet base as another man watches
A with a helmet on his head and his hands on the helmet base as another man watches

Fitting the helmet. NAA photo.

A man standing in a pressure suit surrounded by floodlights
A man standing in a pressure suit surrounded by floodlights

Posing for publicity. NAA photo.

Image of a curbed metal object saying 'A.M.A.L. Johnsville, Pa.'
Image of a curbed metal object saying 'A.M.A.L. Johnsville, Pa.'

The centrifuge gondola at Johnsville. NAA photo.

Pictures of a man's swollen and bloody face
Pictures of a man's swollen and bloody face

Clip from the horror film. NAA photo.

Pictures of a man's swollen and bloody face
Pictures of a man's swollen and bloody face

Clip from the horror film. NAA photo.

Pictures of a man's swollen and bloody face
Pictures of a man's swollen and bloody face

Clip from the horror film. NAA photo.

A man working on a large model
A man working on a large model

Building the mock-up. NAA photo.

A goupf of men watching another manage controls
A goupf of men watching another manage controls

A demonstration in the simulator. Kincheloe presses in for a close look; behind him is Joe Walker. NAA photo.

A worker standing in front of a wing lined up vertically near a wall
A worker standing in front of a wing lined up vertically near a wall

The Inconel X wing skin was ground to watchmaker’s tolerance. NAA photo.

Picture of five men and women in business attire walking
Picture of five men and women in business attire walking

The hosts and guests for the roll-out party, October 15, 1958. From left: Mr. and Mrs. Dutch Kindelberger, Mrs. Nixon and the Vice President, and Lee Atwood. NAA photo.

Picutre of three men laughing behind a sign saying 'beware of blast'
Picutre of three men laughing behind a sign saying 'beware of blast'

Crossfield to Nixon: “My job is not nearly so risky as yours, sir.” NAA photo.

Truck driving at night with a sign saying 'Home of X⁠-15 North American' in the background
Truck driving at night with a sign saying 'Home of X⁠-15 North American' in the background

First trip: heading for Edwards by truck. NAA photo.

An aircraft hanging in mid-air from a crane with several people surrounding it
An aircraft hanging in mid-air from a crane with several people surrounding it

The dawn of a new era: arriving at Edwards. NAA photo.

A man standing at the head of a table with people sitting listening to him and papers in front of them
A man standing at the head of a table with people sitting listening to him and papers in front of them

Sam Richter briefs the flight-test team. NAA photo.

Two men stading at a blackboard, one with his back to the camera
Two men stading at a blackboard, one with his back to the camera

Q. C. Harvey and I put in our nickel’s worth. NAA photo.

Men sititng togther smoking and talking
Men sititng togther smoking and talking

Rehash late the night before the flight. Clockwise: the pilot; the B⁠-52 launch-panel operator, Bill Berkowitz; Sam the van man, and test director Q. C. Harvey. Cornell Capa-Magnum photo.

A group of men with a plane in the background
A group of men with a plane in the background

Later with the crew. Photo by John Bryson.

People next to an airplane at night
People next to an airplane at night

Still later: the countdown begins at midnight. Photo by John Bryson.

Picture of a man from the side with his hand upon his chin
Picture of a man from the side with his hand upon his chin

Later yet: flying tomorrow’s flight. Photo by John Bryson.

A crowd of people with an airplane in the background
A crowd of people with an airplane in the background

A few hours later, the carnival at dawn. Photo by John Bryson.

A crew working on a small plane standin on the ground next to a larger plane
A crew working on a small plane standin on the ground next to a larger plane

Moving the black bird into place ... NAA photo.

A small plane attached to the underside of a larger one with ladders around it
A small plane attached to the underside of a larger one with ladders around it

... and finally in place. NAA photo.

A groups of people surrounding a small plane attached to a larger plane, one on a ladder
A groups of people surrounding a small plane attached to a larger plane, one on a ladder

Fueling up ... NAA photo.

People in large protective suits around an airplane, with tubes hanging from it
People in large protective suits around an airplane, with tubes hanging from it

... and loading peroxide ... NAA photo.

A man standing on a ladder inspecting a small plane attached to a larger plane
A man standing on a ladder inspecting a small plane attached to a larger plane

... and battening down the frozen hatches. NAA photo.

Men standing and sitting around a seated man
Men standing and sitting around a seated man

Inside the van with Capt. Richardson, squatting. NAA photo.

A man sitting in a protective suit while another man inspects the suit
A man sitting in a protective suit while another man inspects the suit

Twenty minutes later, zipping up the outer layer. Photo by John Bryson.

Men standing near an airplane
Men standing near an airplane

Occasionally we wait a little. Photo by John Bryson.

Men gathered around an airplane, some on a ladder
Men gathered around an airplane, some on a ladder

Bon voyage. Photo by John Bryson.

Men gathered around a plane, one of them climbing into the cockpit
Men gathered around a plane, one of them climbing into the cockpit

Getting in the office. Photo by John Bryson.

picture of a man in a cockpit and another man alongside holding a helmet
picture of a man in a cockpit and another man alongside holding a helmet

Pete Barker (right) with the pilot’s helmet. Photo by John Bryson.

a man with a hand and towel at his eyes
a man with a hand and towel at his eyes

Sometimes we wait again ... Photo by John Bryson.

Close-up of a man with a serious expression on his face, eyes looking down
Close-up of a man with a serious expression on his face, eyes looking down

... and recheck ... Photo by John Bryson.

Picture of a man similing
Picture of a man similing

... and things begin to work. Photo by John Bryson.

A plane with some people looking underneath the wing
A plane with some people looking underneath the wing

The carnival moves out. Photo by John Bryson.

A person's head in an astronaut's helmet with only the eyes visible
A person's head in an astronaut's helmet with only the eyes visible

Eyes on the stars. Photo by John Bryson.

A plane taking off with a man standing looking up at it
A plane taking off with a man standing looking up at it

On the way to the stars. Photo by John Bryson.

A plane in the air
A plane in the air

Straining for altitude again. NAA photo.

A U. S. Air Force plane in the air with a small plane attached under its wing
A U. S. Air Force plane in the air with a small plane attached under its wing

The final countdown. NAA photo.

Men sitting at a long table with papers in front of them; a couple of men are standing
Men sitting at a long table with papers in front of them; a couple of men are standing

Test directors on the ground look over my shoulder. NAA photo.

A man sitting in the back of a vehicle with aother couple of passengers near him
A man sitting in the back of a vehicle with aother couple of passengers near him

Stormy sweats it out in Sam’s van. NAA photo.

An X⁠-15 plane in the air
An X⁠-15 plane in the air

Not far from the stars. Courtesy National Geographic Magazine.

A plane in the air with a small plane directly underneath it
A plane in the air with a small plane directly underneath it

Three ... Two ... One. Drop! NAA photo.

A plane in the air with a smaller plane directly beneath it; the smaller plane is clear of the larger plane and has a large contrail
A plane in the air with a smaller plane directly beneath it; the smaller plane is clear of the larger plane and has a large contrail

Firing up. NAA photo.

A small plane with a large contrail flying somewhat dower than a larger plane
A small plane with a large contrail flying somewhat dower than a larger plane

All eight going. NAA photo.

A plane in the air with a pronounced contrail
A plane in the air with a pronounced contrail

“Burn-out ... jettison.” NAA photo.

A plane in the air over what seems to be a coastline with a number of small islands
A plane in the air over what seems to be a coastline with a number of small islands

Gliding home. NAA photo.

Two planes in the air, one following the other closely
Two planes in the air, one following the other closely

Picking up the chase. Photo by John Bryson.

Three planes in the air with their landing gear visible
Three planes in the air with their landing gear visible

Gear down. NAA photo.

A crowd of people watching two planes from a lakeshore; some are standing on cars
A crowd of people watching two planes from a lakeshore; some are standing on cars

Feeling for the lake. Photo by John Bryson.

A plane landing
A plane landing

Touchdown. NAA photo.

A plane in the air with a bright contrail
A plane in the air with a bright contrail

Roll-out. NAA photo.

A crowd of people watching a plane in the distance from a lakeshore
A crowd of people watching a plane in the distance from a lakeshore

Stopping. Photo by John Bryson.

A person walking up to a plane on the ground with its cockpit open
A person walking up to a plane on the ground with its cockpit open

Shutting down. NAA photo.

A man walking away from a plane that a couple of men are working on
A man walking away from a plane that a couple of men are working on

Back to the drawing board. UPI photo.

A picture of the X⁠-15 with the cockpit open and a hose coming from it
A picture of the X⁠-15 with the cockpit open and a hose coming from it

The price of progress: X⁠-15 No. 3. NAA photo.

A man standing in front of several people who are holding out microphones to him
A man standing in front of several people who are holding out microphones to him

Inevitably, a public accounting. Photo by John Bryson.

A man standing next to a plane with the dawn sky in the backgroun
A man standing next to a plane with the dawn sky in the backgroun

Always another dawn. Photo by John Bryson.

The substitution of the two smaller X⁠-1-type engines was the obvious solution to our dilemma. Actually, the customers had already considered exactly the same idea. They approved it at once, and Edwards got busy building up a dozen “proven” X⁠-1 engines from old parts. We planned to put two each in the first two X⁠-15s, holding the third X⁠-15 in the factory for the first XLR⁠-99 engine and other improvements which flight test would generate. The remaining X⁠-1 engines would be used for ground tests in the X⁠-15 engine test beds at Edwards and RMI.

A few nights after this decision was firmed up, Stormy, Feltz, and I met after work in Charlie’s office at the North American plant. I was still grumbling about “interim measures.” I let off steam.

“As far as I’m concerned, we’ve botched the whole deal,” I growled. “You watch. We’re never going to get that big engine. The X⁠-15 is going to die on the vine. I’ve seen it happen before.”

“You’re wrong there, Scotty,” Feltz said. “We’ll get the big engine sometime. Meanwhile, we’ll get a lot of Mach 3 data which will really help the F⁠-108 and the B⁠-70. We’ll prove out the X⁠-15 systems and by the time the big engine comes the ship itself will be as reliable as an F⁠-100.”

We debated this point for a long while. Stormy was also in favor of substituting the smaller engines. “I want to get this thing in the air as fast as possible,” he said. “I think that as soon as we start flying the X⁠-15 and prove our systems and landing and the rest, Washington will be impressed and may look with more favor on an advanced X⁠-15 or the X⁠-15B.”

That remark was typical of Stormy. He was always looking far down the pike. He had cornered the Air Force combat aircraft market with the F⁠-108 and the B⁠-70, but he was stung when we lost out on the X⁠-15B. He had not given up—and never would.

“Frankly, Scotty,” Charlie Feltz broke in, “this engine thing may be a blessing in disguise. I’ll tell you honestly that all along I’ve been a little concerned about busting into space all at once with a brand-new airplane and a brand-new, untried engine. They did it with the X⁠-1, it’s true, and it was a real good show. But this is a new dimension we’re getting into. They were just trying to crack Mach 1. We’re trying to crack space, with a new pressure suit, re-entry, new metal, landing—everything at once. I’ve got a real good buddy who’s going to be flying that airplane for the first time, and I’d just as soon have him around for a while.”

Put that way, on a personal basis, there was nothing I could say in reply. From that point on, I resigned myself to the engine substitution, even though, in a sense, it marred my dream to help build and then fly the perfect airplane. In fact, after some weeks, I came to believe that even from a pilot’s point of view the engine substitution was wise. We could learn to crawl before we entered the Olympic hundred-yard dash. I was confident that in time and with God’s help we would eventually succeed with the big engine. There was too much at stake to allow it to fall by the wayside.

CHAPTER 33 ►

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