Uploads from NASA on The Commons, tagged aviator

Pilot Neil Armstrong with X-15 #1

nobody@flickr.com (NASA on The Commons) — Thu, 06 Sep 2012 15:24:30 -0700

(1960) NASA test pilot Neil Armstrong is seen here next to the X-15 ship #1 (56-6670) after a research flight. The X-15 was a rocket-powered aircraft 50 feet long with a wingspan of 22 feet. It was a missile- shaped vehicle with an unusual wedge-shaped vertical tail, thin stubby wings, and unique side fairings that extended along the side of the fuselage.

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Armstrong in NASA Ames' Bell X-14

nobody@flickr.com (NASA on The Commons) — Fri, 31 Aug 2012 11:41:33 -0700

NASA on The Commons posted a photo:

(February 1964) photograph by NASA photographer Lee Jones.
Neil Armstrong in cockpit of the Ames Bell X-14 airplane at NASA's Ames Research Center.
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Congratulations

nobody@flickr.com (NASA on The Commons) — Fri, 31 Aug 2012 11:41:33 -0700

NASA on The Commons posted a photo:

(February 1964) photograph by NASA photographer Lee Jones.
Ames Test Pilot Fred Drinkwater congratulating Neil Armstrong on his first lunar hovering in the Ames Bell X-14 airplane at NASA's Ames Research Center.

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Pilot Neil Armstrong in the X-15 #1 cockpit

nobody@flickr.com (NASA on The Commons) — Tue, 28 Aug 2012 17:23:13 -0700

NASA on The Commons posted a photo:

(1961) NASA pilot Neil Armstrong is seen here in the cockpit of the X-15 ship #1 (56-6670) after a research flight.

A U.S. Navy pilot in the Korean War who flew 78 combat missions in F9F-2 jet fighters and who was awarded the Air Medal and two Gold Stars, Armstrong graduated from Purdue University in 1955 with a bachelor degree in aeronautical engineering. That same year, he joined the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics' Lewis Flight Propulsion Laboratory in Cleveland, Ohio (today, the NASA Glenn Research Center).

In July 1955, Armstrong transferred to the High-Speed Flight Station (HSFS, as Dryden Flight Research Center was then called) as an aeronautical research engineer. Soon thereafter, he became a research pilot. For the first few years at the HSFS, Armstrong worked on a number of projects. He was a pilot on the Navy P2B-1S used to launch the D-558-2 and also flew the F-100A, F-100C, F-101, F-104A, and X-5.

His introduction to rocket flight came on August 15, 1957, with his first flight (of four, total) on the X-1B. He then became one of the first three NASA pilots to fly the X-15, the others being Joe Walker and Jack McKay. (Scott Crossfield, a former NACA pilot, flew the X-15 first but did so as a North American Aviation pilot.)

Project Description:
The X-15 was a rocket-powered aircraft. The original three aircraft were about 50 ft long with a wingspan of 22 ft. The modified #2 aircraft (X-15A-2 was longer.) They were a missile-shaped vehicles with unusual wedge-shaped vertical tails, thin stubby wings, and unique side fairings that extended along the side of the fuselage. The X-15 weighed about 14,000 lb empty and approximately 34,000 lb at launch. The XLR-99 rocket engine, manufactured by Thiokol Chemical Corp., was pilot controlled and was rated at 57,000 lb of thrust, although there are indications that it actually achieved up to 60,000 lb. North American Aviation built three X-15 aircraft for the program.

The X-15 research aircraft was developed to provide in-flight information and data on aerodynamics, structures, flight controls, and the physiological aspects of high-speed, high-altitude flight. A follow-on program used the aircraft as testbeds to carry various scientific experiments beyond the Earth's atmosphere on a repeated basis.

For flight in the dense air of the usable atmosphere, the X-15 used conventional aerodynamic controls such as rudder surfaces on the vertical stabilizers to control yaw and movable horizontal stabilizers to control pitch when moving in synchronization or roll when moved differentially.

For flight in the thin air outside of the appreciable Earth's atmosphere, the X-15 used a reaction control system. Hydrogen peroxide thrust rockets located on the nose of the aircraft provided pitch and yaw control. Those on the wings provided roll control.

Because of the large fuel consumption, the X-15 was air launched from a B-52 aircraft at approximately 45,000 ft and a speed of about 500 mph. Depending on the mission, the rocket engine provided thrust for the first 80 to 120 sec of flight. The remainder of the normal 10 to 11 min. flight was powerless and ended with a 200-mph glide landing.

Generally, one of two types of X-15 flight profiles was used; a high-altitude flight plan that called for the pilot to maintain a steep rate of climb, or a speed profile that called for the pilot to push over and maintain a level altitude.

The X-15 was flown over a period of nearly 10 years -- June 1959 to Oct. 1968 -- and set the world's unofficial speed and altitude records of 4,520 mph (Mach 6.7) and 354,200 ft in a program to investigate all aspects of manned hypersonic flight. Information gained from the highly successful X-15 program contributed to the development of the Mercury, Gemini, and Apollo manned spaceflight programs, and also the Space Shuttle program.

The X-15s made a total of 199 flights, and were manufactured by North American Aviation.

X-15-1, serial number 56-6670, is now located at the National Air and Space Museum, Washington DC.

North American X-15A-2, serial number 56-6671, is at the United States Air Force Museum, Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio. X-15-3, serial number 56-6672, crashed on 15 November 1967, resulting in the death of Maj. Michael J.

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Apollo 11 Welcome

nobody@flickr.com (NASA on The Commons) — Mon, 27 Aug 2012 16:09:37 -0700

NASA on The Commons posted a photo:

New York City welcomes the Apollo 11 crew in a ticker tape parade down Broadway and Park Avenue. Pictured in the lead car, from the right, are astronauts Neil A. Armstrong, Michael Collins and Buzz Aldrin. The three astronauts teamed for the first manned lunar landing, on July 20, 1969.

Image Credit: NASA
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Mission Accomplished

nobody@flickr.com (NASA on The Commons) — Mon, 27 Aug 2012 15:43:21 -0700

NASA on The Commons posted a photo:

(July 20, 1969) Astronaut Neil A. Armstrong, Apollo 11 Commander, inside the Lunar Module as it rests on the lunar surface after completion of his historic moonwalk.

Image Credit: NASA
as11-37-5528

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Pilot Neil Armstrong and X-15

nobody@flickr.com (NASA on The Commons) — Mon, 27 Aug 2012 15:43:21 -0700

NASA on The Commons posted a photo:

(1960) During re-entry from flight training at 207,000 feet in an X-15-3, Neil Armstrong inadvertently established a positive angle of attack during pull-out, and overshot Edwards Air Force Base in California, heading south at Mach 3 and 100,000 feet altitude. He finally managed to turn back while over the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, and had just enough energy to land on the south end of Rogers Dry Lake at Edwards. In the debriefing, someone asked how much clearance the X-15 had from the Joshua trees on the edge of the lakebed. “Oh, at least 100 feet...on either side,” said the chase pilot.

Dryden pilot Neil Armstrong is seen here next to the X-15 ship #1 (56-6670) after a research flight. The X-15 was a rocket-powered aircraft 50 feet long with a wingspan of 22 feet. It was a missile-shaped vehicle with an unusual wedge-shaped vertical tail, thin stubby wings, and unique side fairings that extended along the side of the fuselage. The X-15 was flown over a period of nearly 10 years, from June 1959 to October 1968. It set the world's unofficial speed and altitude records. Information gained from the highly successful X-15 program contributed to the development of the Mercury, Gemini, and Apollo manned spaceflight programs, and also the Space Shuttle program.

Image Credit: NASA
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Beginning the Mission

nobody@flickr.com (NASA on The Commons) — Mon, 27 Aug 2012 15:43:21 -0700

NASA on The Commons posted a photo:

(July 16, 1969) The Apollo 11 crew leaves Kennedy Space Center's Manned Spacecraft Operations Building during the pre-launch countdown. Mission commander Neil Armstrong, command module pilot Michael Collins, and lunar module pilot Buzz Aldrin prepare to ride the special transport van to Launch Complex 39A where their spacecraft awaited them. Liftoff occurred at 9:32 a.m. EDT, July 16, 1969.

Image credit: NASA
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Neil Armstrong On The Moon

nobody@flickr.com (NASA on The Commons) — Mon, 27 Aug 2012 15:43:21 -0700

NASA on The Commons posted a photo:

(July 20, 1969) Apollo 11 astronauts trained on Earth to take individual photographs in succession in order to create a series of frames that could be assembled into panoramic images. This frame from Aldrin's panorama of the Apollo 11 landing site is the only good picture of mission commander Neil Armstrong on the lunar surface.

Image Credit: NASA
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Portrait of Astronaut Neil A. Armstrong, commander of Apollo 11 mission

nobody@flickr.com (NASA on The Commons) — Mon, 27 Aug 2012 15:24:02 -0700

NASA on The Commons posted a photo:

(July 1, 1969) Portrait of Astronaut Neil A. Armstrong, commander of the Apollo 11 Lunar Landing mission in his space suit, with his helmet on the table in front of him. Behind him is a large photograph of the lunar surface.

Image Credit: NASA
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Boarding Gemini VIII

nobody@flickr.com (NASA on The Commons) — Mon, 27 Aug 2012 15:24:00 -0700

NASA on The Commons posted a photo:

(March 16, 1966) Commander Neil Armstrong (right) and pilot David R. Scott prepare to board the Gemini-Titan VIII. Gemini VIII successfully launched at 11:41 a.m. EST, March 16, 1966. The mission conducted the first docking of two spacecraft in orbit and landed safely back on Earth after an emergency abort.

Image Credit: NASA
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Portrait of the Gemini 8 prime crew

nobody@flickr.com (NASA on The Commons) — Mon, 27 Aug 2012 15:23:59 -0700

NASA on The Commons posted a photo:

(Nov. 4, 1965) Astronauts David R. Scott (left), Pilot; and, Neil A. Armstrong (right), Command Pilot, pose with model of the Gemini Spacecraft after being selected at the crew for the Gemini VIII mission.

Image Credit: NASA
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Portrait of Apollo 11 crewmembers

nobody@flickr.com (NASA on The Commons) — Mon, 27 Aug 2012 15:24:01 -0700

NASA on The Commons posted a photo:

(May 1, 1969) The Apollo 11 lunar landing mission crew, pictured from left to right, Neil A. Armstrong, commander; Michael Collins, command module pilot; and Edwin E. Aldrin Jr., lunar module pilot.

Image Credit: NASA
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Apollo 11: Flight Crew

nobody@flickr.com (NASA on The Commons) — Fri, 20 Jul 2012 12:03:26 -0700

NASA on The Commons posted a photo:

(May 20, 1969) NASA's Apollo 11 flight crew, Neil A. Armstrong, commander; Michael Collins, command module pilot; and Buzz Aldrin, lunar module pilot stand near the Apollo/Saturn V space vehicle that would eventually carry them into space on July 16,1969.

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Apollo 11: Onto a New World

nobody@flickr.com (NASA on The Commons) — Fri, 20 Jul 2012 12:04:34 -0700

NASA on The Commons posted a photo:

(July 20, 1969) A human first set foot on another world on July 20, 1969. This world was Earth's own Moon. Pictured above is Neil Armstrong preparing to take the historic first step. On the way down the Lunar Module ladder, Armstrong released equipment which included the television camera that recorded this fuzzy image. Pictures and voice transmissions were broadcast live to an estimated world wide audience of one billion people. The Apollo Moon landings have since been described as the greatest technological achievement the world has known.

President Nixon Meets the Apollo 11 Astronauts on the Lawn of the White House

nobody@flickr.com (NASA on The Commons) — Fri, 20 Jul 2012 12:03:39 -0700

NASA on The Commons posted a photo:

(November 5, 1969) President Nixon meets the Apollo 11 astronauts, Neil A. Armstrong, Edwin E. Aldrin,Jr., and Michael Collins, on the lawn of the White House on their return from their Global Goodwill Tour. The GIANTSTEP-APOLLO 11 Presidential Goodwill Tour emphasized the willingness of the United States to share its space knowledge. The tour carried the Apollo 11 astronauts and their wives to 24 countries and 27 cities in 45 days.

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Neil A. Armstrong

nobody@flickr.com (NASA on The Commons) — Mon, 16 Jul 2012 12:04:33 -0700

NASA on The Commons posted a photo:

(1958) Neil A. Armstrong joined the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics at the Lewis Flight Propulsion Laboratory, Cleveland, Ohio, in 1955. He transferred to the NACA High-Speed Flight Station at Edwards Air Force Base, California, in July 1955, as an aeronautical research scientist. He became a research pilot later that year. Neil was named as one of nine astronauts for NASA's Gemini and Apollo Projects, leaving the Center for the National Aeronautics and Space Administration's Manned Spacecraft Center, Houston, Texas, in September 1962.

Upon graduation from High School in 1947, Armstrong received a scholarship from the U.S. Navy. He enrolled at Purdue University to begin the study of aeronautical engineering.

In 1949, the Navy called him to active duty and he became a navy pilot. In 1950, he was sent to Korea where he flew 78 combat missions from the carrier USS Essex in a Grumman F9F-2 Panther. He received the Air Medal and two Gold Stars.

In 1952, Armstrong returned to Purdue University and graduated with a bachelors degree in aeronautical engineering in 1955. He later earned a masters degree in aerospace engineering from the University of Southern California.

At the High-Speed Flight Station (which later became the NASA Dryden Flight Research Center) Armstrong served as project pilot on the North American F-100A and -C aircraft, McDonnell F-101, and the Lockheed F-104A. He also flew the Bell X-1B (4 flights, first on August 15, 1957), Bell X-5 (one flight, the last in the program, on October 25, 1955) and the Paresev. On November 30, 1960, Armstrong made his first flight in the X-15. He made a total of seven flights in the rocket plane reaching an altitude of 207,500 feet in the X-15-3 and a Mach number of 5.74 (3,989 mph) in the X-15-1. He left the Flight Research Center with a total of 2450 flying hours in more than 50 aircraft types.

He was a member of the USAF-NASA Dyna-Soar Pilot Consultant Group, and studied X-20 Dyna-Soar approaches and abort maneuvers through use of the F-102A and F5D jet aircraft. Armstrong later accumulated a total of 8 days and 14 hours in space, including 2 hours and 48 minutes walking on the Moon. In March 1966, he was commander of the Gemini 8 mission that performed the first successful docking of two vehicles in space. As spacecraft commander for the Apollo 11 lunar mission, on July 20, 1969, he became the first human to set foot on the Moon. In 1970 he was appointed Deputy Associate Administrator for Aeronautics at NASA Headquarters. He resigned in 1971.

Neil wrote several technical reports and presented a number of research papers. In June 1962, the Octave Chanute Award was presented to Neil by the Institute of the Aerospace Sciences. Other awards received by Neil have included the NASA Distinguished Service Medal and the NASA Exceptional Service Medal.

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Closeup of research pilot Neil Armstrong operating the Iron Cross Attitude Simulator reaction contro

nobody@flickr.com (NASA on The Commons) — Mon, 16 Jul 2012 12:07:58 -0700

NASA on The Commons posted a photo:

(1956) Famed astronaut Neil A. Armstrong, the first man to set foot on the moon during the historic Apollo 11 space mission in July 1969, served for seven years as a research pilot at the NACA-NASA High-Speed Flight Station, now the Dryden Flight Research Center, at Edwards, California, before he entered the space program. Armstrong joined the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics (NACA) at the Lewis Flight Propulsion Laboratory (later NASA's Lewis Research Center, Cleveland, Ohio, and today the Glenn Research Center) in 1955. Later that year, he transferred to the High-Speed Flight Station at Edwards as an aeronautical research scientist and then as a pilot, a position he held until becoming an astronaut in 1962. He was one of nine NASA astronauts in the second class to be chosen. As a research pilot Armstrong served as project pilot on the F-100A and F-100C aircraft, F-101, and the F-104A. He also flew the X-1B, X-5, F-105, F-106, B-47, KC-135, and Paresev. He left Dryden with a total of over 2450 flying hours. He was a member of the USAF-NASA Dyna-Soar Pilot Consultant Group before the Dyna-Soar project was cancelled, and studied X-20 Dyna-Soar approaches and abort maneuvers through use of the F-102A and F5D jet aircraft. Armstrong was actively engaged in both piloting and engineering aspects of the X-15 program from its inception. He completed the first flight in the aircraft equipped with a new flow-direction sensor (ball nose) and the initial flight in an X-15 equipped with a self-adaptive flight control system. He worked closely with designers and engineers in development of the adaptive system, and made seven flights in the rocket plane from December 1960 until July 1962. During those fights he reached a peak altitude of 207,500 feet in the X-15-3, and a speed of 3,989 mph (Mach 5.74) in the X-15-1. Armstrong has a total of 8 days and 14 hours in space, including 2 hours and 48 minutes walking on the Moon. In March 1966 he was commander of the Gemini 8 orbital space flight with David Scott as pilot - the first successful docking of two vehicles in orbit. On July 20, 1969, during the Apollo 11 lunar mission, he became the first human to set foot on the Moon.

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