This man's making whole documentaries at this point. Fantastic work.

@kizvy

3 жыл бұрын

yeah 30 minutes pretty long mate

@sabarishr381

3 жыл бұрын

@@kizvy yaaaaaaaaaaaa

@buttersquids

3 жыл бұрын

No kidding - these videos have come so far in the last few years!

@Selfimprovementkingyoutube

3 жыл бұрын

I know it’s great

@harshadagorey

3 жыл бұрын

Heck yeah

Bro, this is not a video, is a INCREDIBLE documentary... Thx a lot.

@soyey

3 жыл бұрын

an*

@mysecondaccount7887

3 жыл бұрын

@@soyey That wad not very poggers of you kind sir

@idontcare7961

3 жыл бұрын

documentary that is brainwashing you

@nate8652

3 жыл бұрын

@@mysecondaccount7887 Ik grammar corrections are annoying at but when it’s an “a or an” thing it causes me physical pain reading out the sentence in my head

@ChristopherBong

3 жыл бұрын

Indeeeedddd!!

Just to give you an idea of how fast this thing is, it is DOUBLE the speed of the sr71, and three times the speed of a modern jet, of which is dozens of times faster than our cars, which seem really fast to us, plus this thing was made 70 FREAKING YEARS AGO! Absolutely insane.

@Cmarf2

Жыл бұрын

@@BrentLeVasseur No it's slightly over Mach 3 lol..

@Cmarf2

Жыл бұрын

@@BrentLeVasseur You can call it "misinformation" all you want but there is no evidence/proof of the sr-71 being capable of going Mach 7, it's just an assumption from you. I'm sure it could go slightly faster than Mach 3.2, but to say it could go over double that speed is a little outrageous...

@Cmarf2

Жыл бұрын

@@BrentLeVasseur Lol I can say a reliable source told me that Santa Claus exists... That doesn't make it true? Until actual evidence of the sr-71 traveling Mach 7 is released then it is just hearsay.

@Cmarf2

Жыл бұрын

@@BrentLeVasseur We have much faster and overall better aircraft than the sr-71 today, why would they keep the top speed of a 60 year old aircraft (that isn't even used anymore) classified?

@Cmarf2

Жыл бұрын

@@BrentLeVasseur an engineer who worked on the sr-71 spoke about what you're referring to saying, "The difference was that by 1986 missile capability had significantly improved. And Libya had them. As the Blackbird crossed the “Line of Death” into Libyan territory, Shul’s co-pilot warned of ground-based missile launches, Russian SAMs they guessed, capable of Mach 5 flight. Those scary little f***ers were probably the only thing a Blackbird pilot feared. Still, flying at Mach 3.2 at 80,000 feet is a significant head-start." In that same interview he said the pilots went slighly over Mach 3.5 after "pushing the throttles full forward against the stops."

That graphic of the turbo pump at 4:22 is one of the nicest representations of a complex design I have ever seen. Well done. Great job on this.

Truly deserves the "Insane Engineering" title.

@Selfimprovementkingyoutube

3 жыл бұрын

Defiantly 😀😀😀

@bastscho

3 жыл бұрын

It's Sean Hodgins!

@pereraddison932

3 жыл бұрын

... in-sanity, we thrust=?

@nythawkfpv

3 жыл бұрын

it doesn’t, it deserves the legendary engineering title

@nythawkfpv

3 жыл бұрын

@Austen Lee he is presenting an insane plane

10-15 years ago this is the kind of video or documentary (both in duration and quality) that you would only see in educational cable channels in the Discovery Channel, National Geographic Channel, or History Channel. Now, we have KZread videos like this who have absolutely great production value and can be done entirely at home. If you showed this to me randomly without saying where it came from I would honestly have thought that a major tv network produced this. You guys are awesome! Keep it up!

@BlunderDownUnder

3 жыл бұрын

Agreed, I would have assumed it involved a large production company!

@markdavidson1900

3 жыл бұрын

I don't think those cable channels would go as deep into the fuel chemistry and metallurgical engineering as this channel. I love that these videos doesn't have to dumb down the science and engineering of the topic

@Realitygetreal

3 жыл бұрын

And Now discovery channel (aka the chopper channel) only shows motorcycle building...

@officer_baitlyn

3 жыл бұрын

stock video clips make the visual part a lot easier when compared to 15 years ago there is also the fact that many programs used to make the drawings for example came down in price or got easier to use the only thing that hasn't changed is the research part

@notyaavridge2660

3 жыл бұрын

@@markdavidson1900 cable channels have technicians not engineers . Good observation.

Brilliant! Seriously one of the best short documentaries on the X-15 available. I was a child raised under the thunder of the X-15 and other X Planes in So Cal back in the early 60"s, went on to spend a career in aviation partly because of the fascination with extreme flight. I am an admitted X-15 nut and I'll say again this is a terrific video. Cheers to all involved in its production!

@d.dementedengineerc99isurf26

2 жыл бұрын

Make me jealous! Did you ever see the A-12 or the SR-71?

@MarkShinnick

3 ай бұрын

They are sitting outside static display the Palmdale plant.​@@d.dementedengineerc99isurf26

My Dad worked for North American Aviation from 1958 -1968 and I remember him bringing home the company newsletters which often featured photos and articles of the developements in the X-15 program . I'm proud of the part my Dad could play in a company that produced so many outstanding aircraft .

@Jackwick23

Жыл бұрын

that is rad! i have always wanted to work for a company and to be apart of a team like this that will launch us to or at least get a great deal closer to the next generation in aviation and space craft.

@d4nd31o

26 күн бұрын

Your dad works here

Holy heck, you might as well start making an entire Documentary show and then put it on television, nice job

@janmelantu7490

3 жыл бұрын

Pssst…The Logistics of D-Day is on Nebula

@princehbk2200

3 жыл бұрын

Yeah he just a genice I love his channel

@MicrophonicFool

3 жыл бұрын

TV is long dead. He can get way more exposure on KZread and also Nebula of course.

@Rationalific

3 жыл бұрын

I agree with MicrophonicFool. You're nice for saying that, but the fact is, I'm glad he's on here and Nebula instead of TV. TV doesn't deserve him.

@badam9656

3 жыл бұрын

Holy I'm 11 how am I gonna watch whole documentarys

My great grandpa was Harrison Storms, chief engineer of the X-15 and XB-70. He later lead NA through the apollo program. Never got to meet him, but my grandma has amazing stories of her father and the projects and people he would take home. Really wish I got to know him, but I know he would have absolutely loved this video and the recognition of the x-15!

@erichooligan9329

3 жыл бұрын

thats pretty dang neat!

@AAAAAA-yn9rw

3 жыл бұрын

What a legend he was ❤️

@irrelevant9023

3 жыл бұрын

My dad was abraham lincoln

@user-pb3jj5vw6e

3 жыл бұрын

@@irrelevant9023 so ur over 135 years old?

@irrelevant9023

3 жыл бұрын

@@user-pb3jj5vw6e you were stupid enough to actually believe it?.. what we can expect of a channel called "roblox developing" 🤣

It is slightly unfair to compare the SR-71 to the X-15. After takeoff, and a refueling , the SR-71 could cross a continent at sustained speed. The X-15 was a valuable science experiment, but largely a guided rocket, not a plane. Apples and Oranges.

@DuRoehre90210

2 жыл бұрын

That's exactly what I was about to write. X-15 is not a plane, i.e. not one for any kind of regular use as such. It's a rocket building experiment, which somehow carried a human inside.

@louisrobitaille5810

9 ай бұрын

It's like comparing Usain Bolt to Eliud Kipchoge. Usain Bolt is the fastest man in the world, but he can only sustain his top speed for a few seconds. Eliud Kipchoge might not be the fastest man, but last time I checked he was the only man who completed a whole marathon (42km) in less than 2h. That's 350m/minute. (In imperial: 26.098 miles in less than 2h, ~19ft/s.) If Usain Bolt is the X-15 of running, Eliud Kipchoge is the SR-71.

@GoHARD99

9 ай бұрын

ELIUD WHO? LIKE THAT COMPARISON vs Bolt

@zoltanfarkas3880

8 ай бұрын

but they all use rockets so what's the difference

@davidosaje4100

8 ай бұрын

Also,it is not even the sr-71 In 1:38, the aircraft featured is the yf-12 Apart from that, this was a very interesting and informative video

This is hands down my favorite channel that I've found in a long time. Thank you. I wish my Dad were still here so we could watch these together. I used to rely a lot on him to learn about this type of stuff because before the days of the modern internet super information highway, you had to read things like Popular Mechanics, Popular Science, Smithsonian mag, to get information like this.

X-15: See u later BlackBird! 20 seconds later x-15: Can I get a ride back home?

@Maraien

2 жыл бұрын

LOL

@densleycunningham7208

2 жыл бұрын

Over 8tonns of fuel dump in less than a minute, interesting!🤔

@TheTallMan50

2 жыл бұрын

This plane could cross the United States in less than an hour if it didn't run out of fuel.

@densleycunningham7208

2 жыл бұрын

@TheTallMan35 if it had taken off Independently like other aircrafts I doubted it would make Mach 3 or 4, pretty Flawed if you asked me!!🤦

@LordGingerBerry

2 жыл бұрын

The X 15 is the more reckless older brother of the blackbird xD

Co-pilot: Are you sure these speeds are OK? Pilot: T(h)rust me. *_GOES EVEN FASTER_*

@thesmuggest6680

3 жыл бұрын

Good pun.

@dwyaneingente2899

3 жыл бұрын

Pog

@xyzpdq1122

3 жыл бұрын

Racy!

@WhiteThunder121

3 жыл бұрын

In Thrust we trust.

@larrysmith6797

3 жыл бұрын

No Scot said that, ever. Scottish interest in speed evaporated once they figured out how to be faster than sheep.

The X-15 was the first plane that reached space. Some even earned astonaut wings by doing so. Basically a rocket with a cockpit and tiny wings. When out of the atmosphere it used reactive motors to maneuver. Also the only breathable gas was in the helmet.

@HappyBeezerStudios

Жыл бұрын

50 mile or 100 km wings?

@WhiteDragon689

Жыл бұрын

@@HappyBeezerStudios Yes, think so. One flight got into space but not in orbit with poilot Michael Adams who died when it broke up in reentry. But it could maneuver outside the atmosphere. 3 were built. One broke up another one crashed and broke in 2. The Smithsonian has the last remaining one. It is one beautiful machine.

@Doggeslife

Жыл бұрын

And the only POWERED manned aircraft to reach space. The Shuttle was technically an unpowered glider.

@mikehutchinson2191

Жыл бұрын

CDEDBD wings?

@WhiteDragon689

Жыл бұрын

@@mikehutchinson2191 In the 80's they had a simposium and I ordered a thick book on the x-15. I made a model rocket of it and it flew great. The cockpit was all nitrogen and if you breathed that, you have minutes to live not reversiblle. So the oxygen was only in the helmet. The wings had tiny rocket motors that reacted like if there was an atmosphere outside and moved the ship that way. You could throtle the main engine which was unique. Incredible for pre computer flight days. Those pilots were Gods of sorts.

In the early 60s I lived two houses down from John Bratt. I was 8 years old at the time when he told me about how he designed the cockpit windows for the X-15. His fascinating stories about this craft was the motivating factor in my becoming a computer scientist.

The production value of these videos has set a high standard for other KZread creators. Love your content and the effort!

@xyers9757

3 жыл бұрын

1k likes and no comments, well that has to change

@xyers9757

3 жыл бұрын

@vladimir putin is andrei panin jfk is jimmy carter Bot!

@outerrealm

Жыл бұрын

Especially since he ditched all the asinine and obnoxious youtube commercials in favor of one sponsor he promotes respectably only at the end.

Brian you're a genius man, the efforts you've put into researching and explaining them so simply are commendable. Wouldn't be surprised if you've a TV show someday

@kizvy

3 жыл бұрын

he should be, maybe one of those discovery or pbs shows

@RealEngineering

3 жыл бұрын

I did present a TV show on Irish television. Will probably be on Amazon Prime at some stage, but I actually ended up paying them more than they paid me when I licensed their footage for the pumped hydro video. KZread is where it's at!

@alexanderphilip1809

3 жыл бұрын

@@RealEngineering wpuld be wonderful if you could do an analysis on something like the Iron Dome or S400 systems.

@Moses_VII

3 жыл бұрын

@@alexanderphilip1809 he is not military channel though he could cover the engineering than Covert Cabal can

@jhonnythejeccer6022

3 жыл бұрын

He basically is already. Or what do you think youtube has become?

The animation of the X-15 fly by the SR-71 hits on the whole other level when one knows how legendary the Blackbird was.

I learnt about this in Primary school in the 70's. UK. It's totally made me in awe, and I was a huge fan of the X-15. It's sad that today you seen very little of these daring pushes to go way beyond the limits. America's Golden age for sure.

@loveforthegame3

7 ай бұрын

Look at the James Webb Telescope and the F35. America hasnt reached its golden age yet, Not even close. The United States will be the nation that puts Humans on another Planet permanatley.

@jerseywalcott6408

2 ай бұрын

Thing are being tested in a closed environment today. Out of our eyes.

These engineers make me feel like I haven't accomplished shit with my life.

@fireballxl5328

3 жыл бұрын

I'm with you on that. They wore ties and carried slide rules in their pockets and went to the moon to walk around ! I can build a good chicken coop. Not much moon landing technology developed in that process though

@wakawaka5131

3 жыл бұрын

Wait ! We are supposed to achieve something other than rent money??

@kevinbaird7277

3 жыл бұрын

Don't be silly, you picked up the crisp packet at the bus stop and put it in the bucket, that crisp packet could have blown onto the road, stuck to a windscreen causing a major accident, you might have saved many lives picking up the crisp packet, you deserve a pizza slice.🍕

@TheAnimeist

3 жыл бұрын

What they have and you don't, is government funding at cost, as a minimum.

@johnpodo

3 жыл бұрын

American K-12 education system in late 1950s to early 1970s were considered the international "standard" Best in the world. Today, its all gone to shit.

Man, the production quality of this channel has grown exponentially! Also, love the 3D renders, live charts, and text style, they really help keep retention.

Seeing a X-15 in the Smithsonian Museum a couple of years ago was a dream come true after being fascinated by it for over 30 years. To think this came about 50 years after the first manned flight is outstanding!

This is just brilliant! Fun fact: In the cockpit of Concorde, a gap was created when going Mach 2.0. A new pilot put his hat in this gap. Once the plane landed his hat was squashed and he could only get it out again on the return trip :)

*When I was a young boy living in Albuquerque New Mexico, I was outside playing in my front yard when a B-52 with the X-15 attached came in for a landing at Kirtland A.F.B. I was amazed to see this so close in real life. I was 7 or 8 and I almost remember it like yesterday.*

@andrewdoesyt7787

3 жыл бұрын

That so cool! That’s my favourite plane

@dwyaneingente2899

3 жыл бұрын

:0 damnnnnnnnn

@ecurb10

3 жыл бұрын

Lucky guy!!

@Oxalis54

3 жыл бұрын

@@andrewdoesyt7787 mine too-have been trying to find a scale model but no luck yet PS it is Kirtland AFB

@larrysmith6797

3 жыл бұрын

Why would an X-15 show up at Kirkland Air Force Base? First, the base has no infrastructure to support or attach/detach the x-15 to the B-52 mother ship. Second, North American Aviation, the manufacturer was located in Southern California. I think you made this up.

“What? No, it’s *totally* an airplane. I mean, it _uses_ a rocket, but it’s NOT a rocket. It’s a plane. See the wings and stuff?”

@karagothshlomidabush3727

3 жыл бұрын

saying this thing had wings is the same as saying the t - rex had hands lol

@haryredneck

3 жыл бұрын

@@karagothshlomidabush3727 and it does have hands. Just cause their tiny doesn't eliminate the fact it has hands. Invalid analogy.

@karagothshlomidabush3727

3 жыл бұрын

@@haryredneck no it isn"t an invalid analogy !! because while it had wings .. and i am not disputing that ...nor am i disputing that the t- rex had hands ... they were not there to serve the x15 as wings ... only stablizers as well as the hands on the t-rex where not there to serve as hands to a full extent but they were there simply a by-product of it"s path throgh evolution

@Finchman63

3 жыл бұрын

@@karagothshlomidabush3727 They were wings, not fins or "stabilizers". Did you notice how the aircraft was recovered after its mission? Just like the space shuttle, it glided back to base. Sure, it was a lifting body with small wings, but the two are not mutually exclusive, thus the SR-71. Rockets, on the other hand, have the same glide ratio as a hammer and need to have a means of reducing vertical velocity before contacting the ground. Parachutes were pretty much the only technology available at that time. Finally, don't forget the four forces involved in heavier than air flight: Lift, Drag, Thrust and Weight, particularly lift and drag. The creation of lift causes drag; Drag causes friction, Friction causes the upper surface of the wings (as well as other areas) to heat up, and that was clearly demonstrated with the temperature sensitive paint that was used by the designers of the airplane. Not just the leading edges and joints between the skin panels, but the color change aft of there shows that the wing was generating lift. A fin does not. They are wings.

@karagothshlomidabush3727

3 жыл бұрын

@@Finchman63 CAN YOU READ ENGLISH MAN ???? READ MY COMMENT AGAIN

I had no idea there was so much involved in the X15, I'm glad I found this channel, Thanks to all involved in the production of this excellent video. 👍

The amount of time, attention to detail, and animations that went into this video are world class. Awesome job!!

the pilot in the pressurized astronaut suit getting into that 50s era pickup is such a great perspective

@icantthinkofaname4265

3 жыл бұрын

It really demonstrates the idea of the military always being years ahead of civilian tech.

@ponraul1221

3 жыл бұрын

@@icantthinkofaname4265 Not really. One guy was in a space suit and another guy had a truck, so it’s basically impossible to compare the two. Also, many (or even vast majority) of the most advanced technology the military used and uses were entirely developed by private corporations paid via contracts and tax payers. Ironically, things like civilian rifles and combat equipment are also more advanced than government developed equipment. This is especially evident by special forces mostly using commercially available equipment instead of standard issue.

@fivemeomedia

3 жыл бұрын

there's a photo of the Indian space program wheeling a satellite with a ox back in the 80s

@idontcare7961

3 жыл бұрын

you idiots still believe astronauts went to space, while they are just hollywood actors.

@pr-9

3 жыл бұрын

@@fivemeomedia also a satellite/rocket head carried on the back of a cycle

I'm studying aerospace engineering in Germany and I can only remark that you are doing an amazing job in breaking down all the complex formulas and ideas that were used during the design phase so every viewer can get a good understanding of the plane.

@peterpurpose

3 жыл бұрын

Speak for yourself. I've barely mastered arithmetic!

@shadowkillz9606

3 жыл бұрын

@@peterpurpose Those who fall behinds serve as the stepping stones for those who excel forward. Which one are you?

@utuberme1

3 жыл бұрын

@@shadowkillz9606 I don't know about him, but I'm the one that fell behind.

@jasperdecastro5215

3 жыл бұрын

@@utuberme1 same

@nomadMik

3 жыл бұрын

A lot of this stuff does go over my head, but I've still learnt a lot from this video. That's what's so good about it.

I think one of the most amazing parts about the x-15 project were all the problems that arose that the engineers successfully overcame to make this possible. Human ingenuity truly astonishes me at times.

@tbone1212

Жыл бұрын

And all with slide rulers and drafting boards. Maybe the old ways are the best ways. True ingenuity..

@johngrisham3784

Жыл бұрын

@@tbone1212 Yep definitely.

I saw the X-15 at the Dayton Air Force Museum thing. It is very cool and have a 13 minute video about the plane and what it accomplished. I really recommend to everyone that if they have an opportunity to check out the museum, please take it. It is so large that it took us 2 days to see everything

@brianthurow614

Жыл бұрын

Pp p

Those CG skills are getting absurd and I love it. That X-15 overtaking the Blackbird was GORGEOUS

@greenbanana311

3 жыл бұрын

It's awfully cute that you'd think he'd be doing that himself.

@velbythorngage

3 жыл бұрын

@@greenbanana311 isn't he though? Where did he get that footage otherwise ?

@beep813

3 жыл бұрын

@@velbythorngage @Tony Perri Read the description every now and again

@greenbanana311

3 жыл бұрын

@@velbythorngage Aw, bless your heart.

@_Rockok

2 жыл бұрын

@@greenbanana311 redditor spotted

Since around 1989 when I was 14. I’ve seen more documentaries than I can remember, many covering the X-15. None, not one ever mentioned jettisoning a part of the lower tail. I’m impressed! Thank You Sir!

@john-paulsilke893

3 жыл бұрын

Agreed. I was a kid when I first read about this rocket plane and not once was this mentioned.

@jcavilia1

3 жыл бұрын

@@john-paulsilke893 Well, I was an airplane-obsessed kid in the 1960's when it was flying, and I read lots of things about it, and I remember this as a significant point. And you can deduce it from looking at film of the plane in flight and landing. It's obvious that the the lower fin is too tall for the landing skids.

The longer I watched this video the more admired how well it was put together. Great video. Really enjoyed watching

Great video. Thank you. As a kid growing up in the SF Bay Area, I was in love with this machine. Somewhere around 1966 I was riding my motorcycle down the freeway and couldn't believe my eyes when I ran up along side a long flatbed with the fuselage of an X15 on it! I also love the story about when Neil skipped one off of the atmosphere and overshot Edwards by just a bit. :)

My family really doesn't have only but one hero and that was my grandfather John Everett. He was part of this project every time I see things about the x-15 it makes me grin. Thank you for the video

@josevilasvigo6057

3 жыл бұрын

I’m going

@aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa1261

3 жыл бұрын

@@josevilasvigo6057 where

@Acheron2010

3 жыл бұрын

Mine too. Dad was on the Reaction Motors team in New Jersey that developed the XLR-99 engine and thrust boosters.

@Anonymous-nj6of

3 жыл бұрын

@@aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa1261 ik

@aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa1261

3 жыл бұрын

@@Anonymous-nj6of where he goin

If they had this tech in the 60s and 70s it really makes you wonder what they are testing now.

@arthas640

3 жыл бұрын

the 60s and 70s saw alot of raw power output but now they're focusing on make it more sophisticated. Some of the top speed records were set in the 60s and 70s whereas now they focus on making things stealthier, quieter, and giving them better sensors instead. This is more complicated but less impressive.

@uschurch

3 жыл бұрын

Today social justice trumps everything. If you aren't LGBTQ, black or at least female whatever you say is irrelevant. "Scientific" effort goes into obscure social theory finding, to prove a point that men, especially if white, are bad. Other than that: Crystals, horoscopes, religion, anti-vaccination "skepticism", homeopathy. Real engineers lay low and all the (positive) media attention is not on great engineering/science achievements but on petty social reforms.

@partyparrot570

3 жыл бұрын

What?

@brownerjerry174

3 жыл бұрын

@@uschurch you need to get out of the internet man, I agree with what you are saying but it's a bit of an exaggeration I believe, and I am anything but someone who supports this mass-media tropes of these days.

@susanmaggiora4800

3 жыл бұрын

Urs Schuerch Omg. Dude, stop. Just stop🤦‍♂️

What an incredibly well put together video. Sources and all, just amazing to see

Ive watched your videos for years now. One thing that keeps repeating is an effect of the start of the videos. I usually start by thinking something like "Ok, i know this thing the video will discuss, Ive seen it before, i know something about it" and that creates the very short lasting sensation of "not expecting anything actually interesting" - which lasts about up to the first words of introduction start and by the end of that usually simple and direct introduction, i get the chills, the hair starts to raise on my arms and a new sensation washes over me. The sensation of "This is going to be amazing" (even for a sarcastic, ironic bastard like me). And it never fails. I am blown away in ways of understanding i would never know, if it wasn't for your videos.

This is a more concise and easier to understand explanation of rocket engine design than what I was able to get in 6 years of engineering school. You have an incredible talent for science communication.

@carlosandleon

3 жыл бұрын

I guess I'm a qualified rocket scientifist now.

I must congratulate you for the very impressive animations used in this video! At last, my two favourite airplanes are together and the best of all, with an animation of them flying in their max regime 1:40! Can we please have more??

Great easy to understand delivery of very complex systems, thank you.

Its amazing feat, yes, but I still always liked the SR-71 because to me it could take off and land on its own. It was the whole package. The X-15 was basically a manned missle.

@corysonnier3248

Жыл бұрын

The x-15 was just fast. Thats all it could do. The sr-71 is and will always be the best ever.

@jj4791

Жыл бұрын

@@corysonnier3248 um, fast, and could exit the atmosphere. It was an X-Plane. The SR was a practical operational aircraft. But it relied on data obtained from earlier X plane programs, and also NACAs supersonic wind tunnels and their scientists knowledge were also utilized in the program. There are photos of prototype A-12 models in the NACA wind tunnel.

@Atlantis.Reborn

Жыл бұрын

The X-15 is a rocket not an airplane. When it reached the edge of space it needed thrusters to maneuver in the near absence of air. The wings were needed simply for flight control to reach its desired altitude, reentry and landing. If we consider rocket powered craft as airplanes, the fastest aircraft to be considered must be the space shuttle, many times faster than the X-15!

@Nexsoxs

Жыл бұрын

​@@Atlantis.Reborn bullshit I've seen this argument before the X15 is a plane although it borders on rocket it is still definitively a plane it has the capability to maneuver in atmosphere and has always been referred to by the Pentagon as a plane not a rocket. Early models were also capable of taking off by itself but this was a study craft so that was deemed non essential. It also requires analog control unlike rockets which do not feature that kind of interface, do you know what does though a plane.

@Atlantis.Reborn

Жыл бұрын

@@Nexsoxs if you placed large enough wings on a Saturn V rocket it would have the same characteristics of the X-15. Would you consider the Saturn V a plane?

Imagine being the guy presenting the idea of this for the first time "Okay listen hear me out...we attach a big ass rocket to a big plane...but we put a seat at the front! I swear it would totally work!"

@matthewyabsley

3 жыл бұрын

It plays into human logic. At a certain point everyone who knows what they are talking about would say "it won't work", 50 levels of stupid above that and everyone goes "fuck it, let's have a go".

@cadetsparklez3300

3 жыл бұрын

hypersonics were not a good idea to create since scramjets are perfect for missles but pretty useless on planes. sooner or later there whoever pefects them first could nuke every country and shoot down all the nukes headed back at them.

@marcopohl4875

3 жыл бұрын

"A plane and a rocket? Is it going to fly through the air or space?" "Yes"

@gerhardlemmer5356

2 жыл бұрын

It was an already proven concept. The Nazis used rocket-powered airplanes in WW2. Although their max speed and altitude were ... a tad lower than the X-15's. ;-) By the end of the war, Britain already had similarly fast jets to the Nazi's rocket planes. The real revolutionary and daring part of the X-15 is simply its speed and the developments to enable flying at that speed without destroying itself and without the pilot losing control.

@vikingsoftomorrow4038

2 жыл бұрын

"OOH OHH, Lets give it a minigun, Bombs, Rockets and all that stuff as well. I'm sure nothing can go wrong."

My late grandfather, Victor Horton, was one of the engineers on the X-15 program. He was on a first name basis with the men who flew it, especially William Dana, who had the desk next to his in the Edwards pilot's office for 25 years. When Michael Adams had his fatal crash in the #3 ship (66672) in Nov. 1967, Grandpa organized and led the search and recovery efforts. He was also the one who had the idea for the ground-based 8-ball attitude indicator that was installed in the control room at Edwards to prevent future reentry accidents. Before he signed-on with NASA in 1958, he worked for Reaction Motors and was involved in testing the big XLR-99 engine; old press releases specifically list him as one of the personnel present during its first test firings and throttling demos at the old South Base rocket test site. I believe he also flew as launch panel operator aboard the B-52 mothership on some flights, as he did with the heavyweight lifting bodies, like the M2-F2 and HL-10.

@qmac9966

3 жыл бұрын

pog

@trumptookthevaccine1679

3 жыл бұрын

Are you half the man he used to be?

@trumptookthevaccine1679

3 жыл бұрын

@@qmac9966 small pp

@gabrielbennett5162

3 жыл бұрын

@Dick Johnson no skin off my nose if you don't believe me. Google "Victor Horton NASA" and you'll see a bunch of stuff about him.

@barbapappaowns

3 жыл бұрын

@@gabrielbennett5162 It's not that I don't believe you. Problem is that people can't verify many claims on the internet. There's no doubt Victor Horton existed and contributed a lot. But to verify his kinship to you is a hard challenge without any more information.

I had an aeroplane book as a kid and it featured the X15 Ever since reading that book some 50 years ago, the X15 had been my favorite plane ever since A full salute goes to the amazing pilots and engineers of that era 🎩🎩

Can we just take a moment to appreciate the INSANE amount of work he's put into this superb video

@official_skirt6440

3 жыл бұрын

@Dick Johnson Wierd answer

@ronjeremy5826

3 жыл бұрын

@@official_skirt6440 “weird”, clown

@hayleyxyz

3 жыл бұрын

yeah did he make those 3d models? if yes then yikes the work that went into this is insane. also @Dick Johnson I get that being a contrarian makes you feel edgy, but just stop with the cringe.

@brentsrx7

3 жыл бұрын

Appreciated.

@fernandoiturbide9109

3 жыл бұрын

@Dick Johnson duche

Dude, your 3D animations are getting seriously impressive. I love it. This is Discovery channel level quality you're achieving. Amazing work once again.

We used to live next to a retired NASA engineer who helped develop this aircraft. Amazing conversations with him. He passed away not too long ago and lived into his 90s. RIP Jack!

I have always loved the X-15 ever since the first time I read about it. I had a plastic model of it on my bookshelf.

Is it a coincidence that Half As Interesting, Real Engineering, and Real Life Lore, all published videos within about an hour...

@erblinbeqa6550

3 жыл бұрын

a lot of the channels I have subscribed have published videos today. I thought that was strange too

@RealEngineering

3 жыл бұрын

@@erblinbeqa6550 Sponsors often require you to upload within the month. That's why I uploaded today, last day of the month, otherwise I would have waited until Saturday.

@mr.sunmeadow

3 жыл бұрын

@@RealEngineering is signing up for curiosity stream worth it? I don’t like putting money on online subscriptions, so I’m asking to be sure.

@jpfidalgo7

3 жыл бұрын

@@mr.sunmeadow I Love it. Although I recommend if you have more than 1 area of interest. You make the most of it if you like more than 3 "subjects" (Engineering, physics, biology, antropology, economy, etc.). It has 1 downside IMO, regional restrictions, as some content is not available in some regions... (don't tell anyone but you can get around this with a vpn.... shhh) xD

@jeffbenton6183

3 жыл бұрын

@@mr.sunmeadow I haven't bought it yet, but I'll just say, it's the cheapest subscription service I've ever heard of.

"Temperatures will be very high." "We'll use our best heat-resistant material!" "That won't be enough." "We'll cover the plane in a highly explosive ablative material!" "... explosive?" "Don't worry, we'll paint it over!" I like how they have a simple solution for every problem.

@a-drewg1716

3 жыл бұрын

engineering is all about making highly complex systems..... realizing it doesn't work..... slapping an extremely "primitive" solution over the problem (god bless ducktape) and just forcing it to work

@drboze6781

3 жыл бұрын

@@a-drewg1716 - Sort of like the wag who said a bumblebee couldn't fly - something to do with wing area to body size, or something - but the bumblebee, being ignorant, flies anyway.

@timrburnham

3 жыл бұрын

notice how every solution feels like a last resort? I'm curious what they tried *before* coming to the end of their rope

@grlt23

3 жыл бұрын

I like how they used the term "slow - Mach5 flights" unironically. It is probably the only plane about which you can say it XD

Thanks for the video. I had known little about the X-15 before, but much more about the SR-71 aka "Blackbird" via the Net. It's really insane, given the fact the X-15 was being designed into the 50's, whereas there was usually a typical Tube Radio was standard for the ordinary masses....that kind of tech from the military/NASA was really well ahead of their time back then...

Amazing documentary . well done sir ! Great content, great editing and archive footage.

We don't deserve this channel for free, this is some netflix level shit 🙏❤️

@RealEngineering

3 жыл бұрын

*Nebula level shit ;)

@ronniessebaggala362

3 жыл бұрын

@@RealEngineering I see what you did there 😂

@DigitalRobin04

3 жыл бұрын

😂😂

@idontcare7961

3 жыл бұрын

@@RealEngineering deception brainwashing level shit for gullible sheep to suck on the lies.

@sovietsheep5051

3 жыл бұрын

@@idontcare7961 what do you mean?

Back sometime in the mid 60's when I was in elementary school the Air Force brought an x-15 on a flatbed truck to our school for the kids to see. It was the coolest thing in life that I had seen up to that point.

@NoSTs123

3 жыл бұрын

Incredible

@MrFescue

3 жыл бұрын

Best school to be a student. Where was that?

@shadowkillz9606

3 жыл бұрын

@@MrFescue United States

@5000rgb

3 жыл бұрын

"coolest thing in life that I had seen up to that point" What topped that?

@davidjones-vx9ju

3 жыл бұрын

i lived on an airforce base in washington state at 1-7 years old i remember hearing sonic booms from x-15

I just admire what these people where able to do...they whent from passing the sound barrier in rocket powered x planes to building the biggest plane at the time that could also go Mach 3 in less than 15 years ... and all of that without real computers....just wow

It's amazing seeing old films from the 60's with B52's and realising the same planes are STILL FLYING now !!!

Ohhh my lord that intro was like a god damn Oscar nominated movie

Two days ago, I hear a random fact that the X-15 is still record holder for highest speed achieved in a manned flight and make a mental note to root through YT at some point for a vid about it. Then along came Real Engineering...

@FIREBRAND38

2 жыл бұрын

Actually that's for powered, manned flight in a rocket plane. During the Space Shuttle's return as a glider it would hit Mach 28,

My god man the amount of engineering involved for this is just nuts! Absolutely fascinating!

My uncle an cousin both worked in southern California aviation industry and helped build X-15. Each revit hole had to be so close tolerance that only one drill bit was used to drill only one hole. So employees had thousands of these drill bits. When they came to visit, they gave me several of these drill bits. So, I've got drill bits that help make X-15.

Without a doubt the best documentary I've seen on the X-15.

I've always loved the X-15 and so far to date this is the most thorough explanation in graphic detail of the aircraft's systems and mechanisms of thrust and control. I appreciate you taking the time to explain the inner workings of an aircraft I have loved as a child, but never seemed to get the same glory and exposure as the SR-71.

@tonydoherty2190

2 жыл бұрын

I understand why the sr71 got the glory it was used as a spy plane and was used more often so had more exposure i think there both amazing the sr71 was made with a slide rule and mans brain these days computer programmes are used probably the x15 was made by slide rule so its a truly amazing awe inspiring thing back in the fifties

@mihailmilev9909

Жыл бұрын

@@tonydoherty2190 it really is bro, I didn't realize the fastest plane ever was still in the 50/60's. I didn't even know space planes actually existed until now!

@mihailmilev9909

Жыл бұрын

@@tonydoherty2190 does this mean star wars air-space vehicles is a possibility?

@tonydoherty2190

Жыл бұрын

@@mihailmilev9909 I have no idea

@minustheone80

4 ай бұрын

The US could have attached cannons or missiles to the x 15 and called it the world's fastest fighter jet or interceptor 💀

I can't help but notice some of the experimental aerodynamic shapes of the 1950s / 1960s have begun returning with modern material and flight computer / control systems emerging. It's incredible how visionary these amazing engineers were in a time before computer assisted design (CAD).

During the X-15 program I realize the significance of the stressing and using, titanium and I also realize that if we could build the aircraft stand the speed of 15000 mph, this was the most significant development and we did at an early time Hypersonic technology

My father, now having passed away, worked for Gen. Robert White when dad was stationed at 4 ATAF in Ramstein in the mid seventies. He thought highly of Gen. White, not just for his X-15 flights, but as a boss. Some stories involving the dissolution of the marriage and his marriage to Christa were related by my father and mother. Hearing those tales, they remind me that he was as human as you or I.

@TazyBaby

2 жыл бұрын

Robert white was my great uncle once removed or something, the family never talks about him because of this. Ive always wanted to know more info about him but this video is more than Ive gotten from my family

@JM800

2 жыл бұрын

@@TazyBaby My father held him in high regard, professionally, how could you not?. His boss before Gen. White was Gen. Gerhard Barkhorn, second leading ace of the Germans in WW2. I asked my father about writing something down about who he worked with. As for Gen. White, my father and mother were at function with him and his secretary Crista. My father was oblivious to the affair, my mother picked up on it immediately. I believe the dissolution of the marriage was rather hard on his wife at the time. My heart goes out to the families that have to pick up the pieces.

@TazyBaby

2 жыл бұрын

@@JM800 I was always interested and impressed by his career but no one in my family talks about him, its kind of hard to learn more when everyone stays silent you know. And wow thats crazy, thank you for the information. Id love to learn more about all of this

@JM800

2 жыл бұрын

@@TazyBaby The story that was related to me was from my father and mother when we were stationed in West Germany from 73-78. What I remember was that his first wife found out about the affair with Crista. Something happened, and for whatever reason, she moved back to the states with the kids. Her reaction to this may have hastened this. My dad and mother, both died in Germany in 2019, she was German, and as well as I remember, so was Crista. As stated, dad worked with him at 4ATAF in Ramstein West Germany. My father was a bit in awe of General White, as I am while hearing about him. The obituaries are all true, but never remind that he was as human as you or I. He seemed to be cut from a different bolt of cloth. I hope my recollections clarify his humanity, not demote his amazing accomplishments.

@skierpage

2 жыл бұрын

That jezebel Crista, a Russian honeyplant engineered to distract the X-15 program!

I never clicked so fast, the X-15 was always my childhood favorite plane

@RealEngineering

3 жыл бұрын

It's become my favourite plane while making this

@jeffbenton6183

3 жыл бұрын

@@RealEngineering I'm amazed by how little I really knew about the X-15. Thanks so much for making this video!

This was such a joy to watch! Thanks for all the research and effort to explain this to folks like me.

This is super fascinating!!! Great video and very well put together. Learned something new today!

Oh my, this is a long one. And I thought it couldn't get any better than the SR-71 video.. edit: the animations are mighty effing gorgeous

Another amazing thing about the X-15.. I'm now 70, and this flew when I was in second grade. We read about it in our "Weekly Reader," a little newspaper for school. Making and flying this 60+ years ago was quite an accomplishment.

@FillyCheesteak

2 жыл бұрын

It is always nice to hear from the Older generation, as they always give the perspective of what truly happened then and how it felt for them.

@jamesechevarria6177

Жыл бұрын

I’m 44 and read the weekly reader as a kid

Please do a behind-the-scenes video someday. In particular, Who and using what program are some of those killer graphics being performed? Those shots look fantastic.

Extremely good details of technical information in this video, thank you. I just love the early X plane development and the extreme speeds and temps that they withstood in flight 🤩🤩

That colour changing paint is the coolest thing I’ve ever heard of

@jimurrata6785

3 жыл бұрын

Ablative coatings shed heat by shedding themselves.

@TomFlaTTop_BMW

3 жыл бұрын

Yeah, I concur with Jim Urrata's comment, adding that technically it isn't even really a paint at all, but rather, a coating of thick, insulating, "sacrificial" ablative media designed to absorb & remove heat in a deliberate, measured, & controlled process of degradation as it's shed from the aircraft. The "colour changing" observed is simply the pink ablative coating showing through underneath the secondary white sealant coating, as both are scoured away by the fierce, superheated airflow passing over them hypersonically. The white sealant coating over the pink ablative was designed to provide a barrier between the aircraft's Liquid Oxygen fuel and the ablative coating, which had the potential to react in a violently catastrophic explosion if they were in contact and subject to even a slight impact. I wonder if a more modern & improved type of ablative coating wouldn't have been more reliable on the Space Shuttles than the insulating tiles they had so much trouble attaching to it's skin and keeping there, eventually causing the tragedy of the loss of the vehicle Columbia and all her crew on atmospheric re-entry.

@jimurrata6785

3 жыл бұрын

@@TomFlaTTop_BMW I think the black 'paint' was probably meant to radiate as much heat as possible. But we see that wasn't nearly enough to keep body panels from evaporating. The pink ablative coating added a lot of weight and had its own issues as outlined in the video. We've come a _LONG_ way in heat rejecting coatings in the past 60 years. Plasma sprayed ceramics would probably be their starting point today.

@TomFlaTTop_BMW

3 жыл бұрын

@@jimurrata6785 Yeah, Jim , I agree...the original black paint, similar to that used on the Blackbird Series aircraft, was designed to radiate heat as you describe, but that paint wasn't visible or applicable during the max velocity hypersonic runs as it was never designed to function & protect the aircraft at the extreme envelope of performance being targetted on this occasion, hence the need for the thick pink ablative material and the secondary white sealant applied over it. And I'd like to agree with you about how far we've come with heat management coatings in the past 60 years, but as I hinted at previously, the best we've come up with since then, as used on the Space Shuttle vehicles, is those pathetically inadequate & unreliable ceramic tiles that have had a history of regular failures. The fact that only one Shuttle Orbiter was lost with all crew on board during re-entry is almost exclusively down to luck, and had the potential to occur on any mission.🙄😫😠😡🤬👿👎👉 Hence, my query as to whether the ablative coating solution using more modern materials addressing the issues it had on the X-15 programme might have been a viable solution for the Shuttle Orbiters, but maybe not....although who knows? The Shuttle Engineers used a caulking-like compound intended for bathrooms and purchased at a local hardware store to attach the individual ceramic tiles that collectively formed the heat shield. With all the multi-millions of taxpayer funds spent on these programmes, THAT's the best they could come up with?!??!! It's a wonder they didn't use "Blu-Tac" or sticky tape!

@peterparker9286

3 жыл бұрын

@@TomFlaTTop_BMW As far as b series there ceramic tiles and they wipe the planes down with some kind of coating by hand. As far as the latest technology metals that still out of my league.

I never learned this much of chemistry in my whole High school period.

@codytran1719

2 жыл бұрын

Highly doubt you even passed school if you mistake chemistry with engineering

@ahil738

2 жыл бұрын

@@codytran1719 well, im sure someone who thinks chemistry has nothing to do with engineering would have done any better

@codytran1719

2 жыл бұрын

@@ahil738 didn't say they have no correlation between each other. Also you're talking to a marine engineer.

@BestofYouTubeHD

2 жыл бұрын

@@codytran1719 you heard the subject chemical engineering?

@jamesrobert4106

3 ай бұрын

​@@codytran1719 Is basic literacy not a requirement of marine engineering?

Your best episode yet. A lot of new, interesting information I'd never heard before. Thanks.

Hey appreciate the explanation of the wedge tail. Newton... who would have thought. :) It turns out a lot of engineering in the '50s went back to first principles. Remember on the sr-71, dimples on either side of the pitot tube hanging out front? I always thought it was for aerodynamic reasons. I finally got annoid enough to go down the internet rabbit hole. Ended up in a SR-71 manual. Turns out they are forward sensors.

Real Engineering: makes video about a spaceplane Wendover Productions: sweats nervously

@andrewdoesyt7787

3 жыл бұрын

*spacerocket

@LuchtLeiderNederland

3 жыл бұрын

@@andrewdoesyt7787 If you think it’s a space rocket, you have literally no clue what a plane and a rocket is.

@andrewdoesyt7787

3 жыл бұрын

@@LuchtLeiderNederland Lol, I know what a rocket is but my point is that it’s powered by a rocket engine and has short ass wings.

@LuchtLeiderNederland

3 жыл бұрын

@@andrewdoesyt7787 That confirms you know nothing what a plane and a rocket is. It doesn’t matter how small the wings are or what engine it has. If it generates lift with fixed-wings, has any-kind of propulsion and it’s heavier than air, you can call it a plane. The X-15 fulfills all these requirements, so it’s a plane. Also, the X-15 has bigger wings than the F-104 which is a jet fighter. And the Me 263 has a rocket engine as well, and it’s still a plane. All your points are invalid and here’s proof.

@willasproth

3 жыл бұрын

@@LuchtLeiderNederland calm down my man

One of the inspirations for me pursuing a career in engineering was this channel.

@greenbanana311

3 жыл бұрын

Cool. What are you doing now?

@chiekuen5177

3 жыл бұрын

Same!! :)

That fuel pump is more bad ass than you think! I work at the facility it was designed and manufactured in (company used to be called Argo-tech, than it was TRW and now it's an arm on eaton aerospace), Argo-tech was doing the most cutting edge stuff back in the day for defense, aerospace and space itself!

1:51 That was badass to see the X-15 zoom past the SR-71 like it's nothing!

The CG work on this video is absolutely insane, never seen CG this good from an edutainment youtuber. I was sure the video would end with "this great footage was from a new documentary on curiosity stream" but nope Hats off to you and your team!

Imagine flying an SR71 and this tiny plane just comes whizzing past you like nothing.

@bikerboy3k

3 жыл бұрын

except its not a plane, it's a rocket with a pilot cabin.

@jelink22

3 жыл бұрын

@@bikerboy3k Agreed. The SR-71 could go for hours at mach 3.2, but the X-15 achieved and kept its speed for only a few minutes, as its fuel was exhausted in about 90 seconds. Awesome performance , in any case.

@Realitygetreal

3 жыл бұрын

@@jelink22 :) like a cheetah and antelope

I read about the bell x1 the x15 over and over as a kid. They didn’t have all these details. I’m sure alot of it was still secret. Fun watching this and learning new things !

This video helps me understand the opening scene of “First Man” so much more. Along with the cinematography of the movie, the engineering is indeed, insane.

Love your videos. Since we no longer have educational TV channels. This is even better than what Discovery channel used to be 25 years ago.

This is on a quality level that is just leaps ahead of anything you typically see on TV. I like the visual presentation as well. Truly great work, I could easily watch an hour or more of this.

I love your series. This has been great, makes me think of my childhood when I would watch history channel with my dad.

I love this video so much! This is my 6th or 7th rewatch! Please keep covering fascinating aircraft like this

One interesting note: during that last high speed test, they attached a dummy scramjet engine underneath the X-15 to collect data (you can see it in the vid 27:57). The reason why the aircraft was damaged was because the shocks from the dummy scramjet impinged onto the strut holding it on the main body. The shock was like a super powered blowtorch and literally severed the dummy scramjet right off the bottom! Hypersonics is so cool, but pretty scary too :D I heard about this in a class, but this NASA report talks all about it: www.nasa.gov/centers/dryden/pdf/87756main_H-524.pdf

@ASJC27

3 жыл бұрын

There's an excellent summary of what happened there and the causes of it in the book "Hypersonic and high temperature gas dynamics".

@wonjez3982

3 жыл бұрын

you can see it better at 28:04, really interesting

Wow, the amount of engineering involved in this vehicle is mind boggling.

I was in grade school as this was all going on. We had a presentation from a NASA spokesperson come thru our school. He talked of the X15 program and the beginning years of Apollo program. Even at grade 4, I was amazed at all the new science and materials he was demonstrating. It was heady days a coming with rapid advancements in all fields of science on our way to the moon. It was an amazing era to grown up in.

Best X-15 doc I've ever seen. Never heard the technical breakdown before.

Proud of Nasa and the USAF for reaching such a mile for the whole world.

@ramsesrameez5430

3 жыл бұрын

Still more work ave to bee done ...

@rmm3803

3 жыл бұрын

Yeah, and then the US sat back and let the world catch up as it degenerated into childish, nonsensical partisan politics with citizens identifying not as Americans but as affiliated to a political party. Smh.

@speedy01247

3 жыл бұрын

@@rmm3803 I hate it and the fact that people are ok with this, rather then wanting to strive to be the "city on a hill" that we were supposed to be.

@scratchy996

3 жыл бұрын

...and the former Nazi scientists who developed the plane.

@skunkjobb

3 жыл бұрын

@@scratchy996 Can you name a few of these?

Seriously, this kind of engineering gets my eyes a little teared up. 🥲

The question of whether or not the X15 is a 'airplane' is still moot. Not often considered is the fact that the X15 was launched from a B52 partially because it had no conventional landing gear. They had methods in place which could have allowed development to a ground-launched plane, and fuel load was not the limiting factor. This X15 could have climbed to the B52 launch altitude in 30 seconds from rotation, and been travelling at Mach 1.5 by that point.

could you imagine the engineer/chemist who had to present the pink ablator to the project leads "so we got this really great new ablator that we can spray onto the plane where we need to further reduce aerodynamic heating, it just has the very tiny problem of violently exploding if it touches the fuel"

Dad, what's a slide rule ? Amazing people did amazing things with it Son.

@MrWATCHthisWAY

3 жыл бұрын

The EB6 is considered a rotational flight computer or slide ruler and one that was used by pilots while flying aircraft before battery powered calculators were approved. The advantage of using the rotational one was that you could use one hand to quickly calculate fuel usage, time aloft, distance or any math problem while maintaining control of the aircraft. They operated on the same principal as the liner slide ruler but laid out on disc. I flew with one every flight while in the US Navy in 1980-85. I think I still may have in my military flight gear.

@crankychris2

3 жыл бұрын

I'll kick your butt with my new Scientific calculator, if you give me some batteries...

@ralphm6901

3 жыл бұрын

slide rule == the original solar powered calculator...