30 June 1961 - The Black Vault

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Chapter 2
HIOHLIGh"'I'S, ACHIEVEMENTS, AND PROBLEril AREAS
In the past the temptation arose often to title this chapter
"Hlghlights and Breakthroughs", but a look at the Air Force
Die tlonary def1nitlon 'for "Breakthrough" discouraged one from
throwing the·....ord a.round loosely. Therefore j the decision was
made to title this ehaptermora in line with what it contained-­
highl1ghts, achievements, and problem areas, a condensed report
of items not neaessarily covered elsewhere.
!!!&hl1ghts and AQhlevements
Great strides forward. were ,.de in the ~eed and a·lt1tude
regimes of piloted aircraft under the joint Air Force. N!!.tic:'!al
Aeronautics and Space Aclln1n1atrat1on (NASA), and Navy X:-15 rocket
re.flearcha1rcraftprogram.F1rat AF'/NASA/Navy flight of the airplane
us1..'1gthe XLR":'.99 engine with 57 J 000 pounds of thrust was
perton:ned by ·MaJor Robert M. White., USAF, on 7 March 1961. In
th!se1x months interim, nine research !'llghts were attempted
and five resulted in powered flights. Altitude was extende~ to
169,600 feet on 30 March by NASA pilot Joe Walker, and ~peed was
upped to 3,603 miles per hour byv!ajor White on 23 June.
While the X-15 l"ocket research aircraft was nearing 1ts
deslgn goals, another manned space program wag just gett~ng underway.
Its title} Dyna-Soar, was based on its boost-glide principle.
Responsibility was ass1gned to the A1r Force Flight Teet Center
(APFTC) in July 1961 tor organizatjon of the Dyna-Soar test force
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