And what country can preserve its liberties if their rulers are not warned from time to time that their people preserve the spirit of resistance? Let them take arms. The remedy is to set them right as to facts, pardon and pacify them. What signify a few lives lost in a century or two? The tree of liberty must be refreshed from time to time with the blood of patriots and tyrants.
It's 66670, the Number One airframe of the three. I believe it made the last flight of the program, as the #2 bird was heavily damaged in Pete Knight's high speed flight, and #3 was destroyed in Michael Adam's fatal flight. And it should be the one on display at the Smithsonian A&S museum.
This is an early picture, as it has a probe type nose, instead of the later "Q-ball" nose. And the wheels on the main gear are actually a trolley device for ground handling.
I had a color version of this photo as a kid. My Grandfather got it for me. He worked for North American as a machinist and built parts for it as well as many other "Inner and Outer" space projects.
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ReplyDeleteGet ready to "Kick the tire and light the fire!" .... also recite the prayer “Please, dear God, don’t let me f--- up.”
ReplyDeleteShepard's prayer. After Alan Shepard.
DeleteLooks like this particular X-15 is currently suspended from the roof of the Smithsonian Air & Space museum.
ReplyDeleteMust be a late model. Has wheels on the mains, not skid plates.
DeleteIt's 66670, the Number One airframe of the three. I believe it made the last flight of the program, as the #2 bird was heavily damaged in Pete Knight's high speed flight, and #3 was destroyed in Michael Adam's fatal flight. And it should be the one on display at the Smithsonian A&S museum.
ReplyDeleteThis is an early picture, as it has a probe type nose, instead of the later "Q-ball" nose. And the wheels on the main gear are actually a trolley device for ground handling.
DeleteI had a color version of this photo as a kid. My Grandfather got it for me. He worked for North American as a machinist and built parts for it as well as many other "Inner and Outer" space projects.
ReplyDelete