The X-15 was the ultimate “X” vehicle. Built in the 1950s, she became the fastest and highest-flying winged aircraft of its time. During 199 flights from 1959 through 1968, she collected data about hypersonic flight that was invaluable to aeronautics and to developers of the space shuttle. This e-book describes the genesis of the program, […]

For years, NASA has used subscale models of aircraft to test how they would perform at full size. In fact, since the 1920s during the days of the National Advisory Committee on Aeronautics, scientists have continually refined testing techniques including building and using new facilities, making models more sophisticated and learning how to best interpret […]