The world speed-run X-15A-2.....

[SAustin16]

David,

Outstanding work as always, Sir. Your X stand is perfect for the X Planes.

I remember my Dad telling me about his conversation with Pete Knight regarding his speed run, where Pete mentioned that it was rather unsettling to see the windshield start to melt a few inches from his face as his airspeed topped-out. Decelerating sounded like a good idea at that point.

Those test pilots really had guts and brains.

Looking forward to your next build. You always set a higher bar.

Bravo from Texas

[dhanners]

Originally Posted by SAustin16

David,

Outstanding work as always, Sir. Your X stand is perfect for the X Planes.

I remember my Dad telling me about his conversation with Pete Knight regarding his speed run, where Pete mentioned that it was rather unsettling to see the windshield start to melt a few inches from his face as his airspeed topped-out. Decelerating sounded like a good idea at that point.

Those test pilots really had guts and brains.

Looking forward to your next build. You always set a higher bar.

Bravo from Texas

Thanks for the kind words. Yeah, a burn-through on the windshield could ruin your day. They thought the heat would melt and smear the white sealant, which would then cover the window, so which they stuck the eyelid apparatus on the left window.

The flight obviously got hotter than they anticipated. The damage to the rear fuselage, particularly the lower stabilator, was pretty extensive and could've been catastrophic.

There are even some post-flight videos on YouTube and elsewhere that show the damage, which would make for a cool build:
https://www.sciencephoto.com/media/7...ersonic-flight