30 June 1961 - The Black Vault

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stand (PSTS) rocket engine f1ri.tlgs for the six months ending
30 June 1961. ProG'esslng of gas turbine engine S ,-las defined
as any maintenance, overhaul J and test; and could be an~r one J
any combinat1on J
or all .three.
X~15 RO,cket Engine Te.st1ng ..
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In the previous :AFF!''Chl~tory J
a complete report ",.as made
on the development-at' Reaction Motors Div,1aion XLR-99 rocket
eng1ne fo,rthe x-i5 ,rocket research aircraft. 9
It "las noted
that thethirdand£1nalN6rttl Amer~can
Av1ation contractor
demon.stration flight of the X--15 us1'ng XLR-99 Serial N1;1Dlber
103 ,went off on schedUle 6 December 1960 \'lith three successful
1nfl,l,gh't restarts -made by-contractor test pilot.; Scott
Crossfield.10F1!'st po\'1ered X-IS flight in the Air Force!
NASA/Navy flight research program using the XLR-99 rocket
eng1ne was made on 7 March 1961.11 In all J nine flights were
attempted until 30 June but only five attempts re;:;ulted in
successful powered f'ligh.ts.
.However,:l.twas lmportant to note
that none of the cancellations \'las due to XLR-99 rocket engine
failures .12
Besides the f1ve X-15 powered f11g,hts \.;1th the XLR-99
engine J
70 propulsion system test s,tand XLR-99 engine runs
Here performed.
As mentioned in the previous AFFl'C h1stor~i,
XLR-99-RM-l engine Serial Num1;Jer 101 which arrived a 't the Center
9. HiiSt of the AFF'TC, Jul - Dec 61, p. 150 .
10. I Ola J p. 160.
11. X~15 Plight Log t12, Hq AFF'I'C J 7 Feb 61. P.ppendix B, thi:.> hioi:..
12. I l91a 4
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