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49-519: The "-2" in the aircraft's designation referred to the fact that the Skyrocket was the phase-two version of what had originally been conceived as a three-phase program. The phase-one aircraft, the D-558-1 , was jet powered and had straight wings. The third phase, which never came to fruition, would have involved constructing a mock-up of a combat type aircraft embodying the results from the testing of

98-856: A Naval Aviator in the Pacific Theater , earning the Air Medal with two clusters, and a Presidential Unit Citation . He graduated from Virginia Polytechnic Institute in 1950 with a Bachelor of Science degree in Aeronautical Engineering . He was married and had eight children. McKay worked for the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics (NACA) and its successor, NASA , from February 8, 1951, until October 5, 1971, and specialized in high-speed flight research programs. He began as an NACA intern, but assumed pilot status on July 11, 1952. In addition to

147-407: A 35-degree sweep and horizontal stabilizers with 40-degree sweep. The wings and empennage were fabricated from aluminum and the large fuselage was primarily magnesium. The Skyrocket was powered by a Westinghouse J34-40 turbojet engine having 3,000 lbf (13 kN) thrust fed through side intakes in the forward fuselage. This engine was intended for takeoff, climb and landing. For high speed flight,

196-619: A Mach 1.85 flight in June when he pushed over to a low angle of attack . The NACA engineers studied the behavior of the aircraft before beginning their own flight research in the aircraft in September 1951. Over the next couple of years, NACA pilot Scott Crossfield flew the aircraft 20 times to gather data on longitudinal and lateral stability and control, wing and tail loads, and lift, drag, and buffeting characteristics at speeds up to Mach 1.878. At that point, Marine Lt. Col. Marion Carl flew

245-477: A Westinghouse J-34-40 turbojet engine rated at 3,000 lbf (13 kN) static thrust. It carried 170 US gallons (640 L) of liquid oxygen, 192 US gallons (730 L) of diluted ethyl alcohol, and 260 US gallons (980 L) of aviation gasoline for a launch weight of 15,266 lb (6,925 kg). D-558-2 #1 Skyrocket is on display at the Planes of Fame Museum , Chino, California . The number two Skyrocket,

294-559: A flush cockpit canopy, but visibility from the cockpit was poor, so it was re-configured with a raised cockpit with conventional angled windows. This resulted in a larger profile area at the front of the aircraft, which was balanced by an additional 14 inches (36 cm) of height added to the vertical stabilizer. Like its predecessor, the D558-1, the D558-2 was designed so that the forward fuselage, including cockpit, could disconnect from

343-590: A four-chamber Reaction Motors LR8-RM-6 engine (the Navy designation for the Air Force's XLR11 used in the Bell X-1 ), was fitted. This engine was rated at 6,000 lbf (27 kN) static thrust at sea level. A total of 250 US gallons (950 L) of aviation fuel, 195 US gallons (740 L) of alcohol, and 180 US gallons (680 L) of liquid oxygen were carried in fuselage tanks. The Skyrocket originally had

392-478: A joint NACA/U.S. Navy research program for transonic and supersonic flight . As originally envisioned, there would be three phases to the D558 program: a jet-powered airplane, a mixed rocket/jet-powered configuration, and a design and mockup of a combat aircraft. A contract for design and construction of six D558-1 aircraft for the first phase was issued on 22 June 1945. The original plan had been for six aircraft with

441-420: A limiting and dangerous restriction on flight performance. Hence, they determined to make a complete investigation of the problem. In 1950, Douglas replaced the turbojet with an LR-8 rocket engine, and its pilot, Bill Bridgeman , flew the aircraft seven times up to a speed of Mach 1.88 (1.88 times the speed of sound) and an altitude of 79,494 ft (24,230 m), the latter an unofficial world's altitude record at

490-780: A member of the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics , as well as the Society of Experimental Test Pilots . On 9 November 1962, McKay undertook Flight 74 of the X-15 program on the X-15 56-6671 which was the Number-Two X-15 on its 31st flight. The X-15 was attached to its mothership the Boeing NB-52B Stratofortress 53-008, nicknamed Balls 8 . McKay's mission was to reach an altitude of 125,000 feet (38,000 m) at Mach 5.5 and to fly

539-464: A mixture of nose and side air inlets and varying wing airfoil sections. That plan was quickly reduced to three aircraft of a single configuration with a nose inlet. Plans for the second phase with mixed rocket/jet propulsion were also dropped. Instead, a new aircraft, the D558-2 , was designed with mixed rocket and jet propulsion for supersonic flight. Construction of the first 558-1 began in 1946 and

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588-526: A result of the crash, evidence was later found that he had sustained brain damage. Also, while he returned to piloting duties with NASA, recurring severe pain caused by the crash forced his early retirement. McKay died on April 27, 1975, in Lancaster, California , at the age of 52. Injuries suffered by McKay in the X-15 crash and subsequent permanent pain were a major factor in his premature death. He also suffered from diabetes and turned to alcohol to numb

637-454: A total of 313 times – 123 by the number one aircraft (Bureau No. 37973—NACA 143), 103 by the second Skyrocket (Bureau No. 37974 – NACA 144), and 87 by aircraft number three (Bureau No. 37975 – NACA 145). Skyrocket 143 flew all but one of its missions as part of the Douglas contractor program to test the aircraft's performance. NACA aircraft 143 was initially powered by the jet engine only, but

686-680: A total of 78 research flights with the NACA before being retired on June 10, 1953. The third Skystreak is on display at Carolinas Aviation Museum located at the Charlotte-Douglas International Airport (CLT) in Charlotte, North Carolina . The Skystreak reached Mach 0.99 in level flight, but only flew supersonic in a dive. In the public mind, much of the research performed by the D-558-1 Skystreaks

735-491: Is an American single-engine jet research aircraft of the 1940s. It was designed in 1945 by the Douglas Aircraft Company for the U.S. Navy Bureau of Aeronautics, in conjunction with the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics (NACA). The Skystreak was a turbojet -powered aircraft that took off from the ground under its own power and had unswept flying surfaces. The D558 program was conceived as

784-861: The XF-92A , this information contributed to solutions to the pitch-up problem in swept-wing aircraft. Its flight research was done at the NACA's Muroc Flight Test Unit in California , redesignated in 1949 the High-Speed Flight Research Station (HSFRS). The HSFRS became the High-Speed Flight Station in 1954 and was then known as the NASA Dryden Flight Research Center. In 2014 it was renamed Armstrong Flight Research Center in honor of Neil Armstrong . The three aircraft flew

833-461: The LR-8 engine's combustion chambers with nozzle extensions to prevent the exhaust gas from affecting the rudders at supersonic speeds. This addition also increased the engine's thrust by 6.5 percent at Mach 1.7 and 70,000 feet (21,300 m). Even before Marion Carl had flown the Skyrocket, HSFRS Chief Walter C. Williams had petitioned NACA headquarters unsuccessfully to fly the aircraft to Mach 2 to garner

882-426: The NACA's investigation of pitch-up lasting from September 1951 well into summer 1953. They flew the Skyrocket with a variety of wing-fence, wing-slat and leading edge chord extension configurations, performing various maneuvers as well as straight-and-level flying at transonic speeds. While fences significantly aided recovery from pitch-up conditions, leading edge chord extensions did not, disproving wind-tunnel tests to

931-523: The Navy and Douglas the second D-558-1 aircraft was delivered to the NACA in November 1947. The D-558-1 #2 underwent extensive instrumentation by the NACA Muroc instrumentation section. The number 2 Skystreak made a total of 19 flights with the NACA before it crashed on takeoff due to compressor disintegration on May 3, 1948, killing NACA pilot Howard C. Lilly . The third D-558-I, BuNo 37972 , aircraft

980-821: The Skyrockets had 35-degree swept wings. Until configured for air launch, NACA 143 featured a Westinghouse J-34-40 turbojet engine rated at 3,000 lbf (13 kN) static thrust. It carried 260 US gallons (980 L) of aviation gasoline and weighed 10,572 lb (4,795 kg) at takeoff. NACA 144 (and NACA 143 after modification in 1955) was powered by an LR-8-RM-6 rocket engine rated at 6,000 pounds-force (27 kN) static thrust. Its propellants were 345 US gallons (1,310 L) of liquid oxygen and 378 US gallons (1,430 L) of diluted ethyl alcohol. In its launch configuration, it weighed 15,787 lb (7,161 kg). NACA 145 had both an LR-8-RM-5 rocket engine rated at 6,000 lbf (27 kN) static thrust and featured

1029-695: The United States definition of the boundary of space. However, this altitude did not surpass the Kármán line as defined by the FAI , the FAI-accepted boundary of 100 kilometres (62.1 mi). On November 9, 1962, McKay was injured when forced to make an emergency landing in the X-15-2, the second of three planes in the X-15 fleet. The craft rolled over, and McKay suffered crushed vertebrae. Subsequently,

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1078-605: The X-15, he flew such experimental aircraft as the D-558 -1, D-558-2 , X-lB , and the X-lE. He has also served as a research pilot on flight programs involving the F-100 , F-102 , F-104 and the F-107 . In 1958, McKay was selected for and would have participated in the U.S. Air Force 's Man In Space Soonest program, had it come to fruition. McKay wrote several technical papers, and was

1127-511: The abilities of designers to produce more capable aircraft for the armed services, especially those with swept wings. Moreover, data on such matters as stability and control from this and other early research aircraft aided in the design of the Century Series of fighter aircraft, all of which featured the movable horizontal stabilizers first employed on the X-1 and D-558 series. All three of

1176-495: The aircraft for such purposes as to gather data on pressure distribution, structural loads, and structural heating, with the last flight in the program occurring on 20 December 1956, when McKay obtained dynamic stability data and sound-pressure levels at transonic speeds and above. Meanwhile, NACA 145 had completed 21 contractor flights by Douglas pilots Eugene F. May and William Bridgeman in November 1950. In this jet-and-rocket-propelled craft, Scott Crossfield and Walter Jones began

1225-536: The aircraft to a new (unofficial) altitude record of 83,235 feet (25,370 m) on 21 August 1953, and to a maximum speed of Mach 1.728. The altitude record was not recognized by the Federation of Aeronautique Internationale, because at that time aircraft making record attempts had to take off on their own power. Following Carl's completion of these flights for the Navy, NACA technicians at the High-Speed Flight Research Station (HSFRS) near Mojave , California, outfitted

1274-477: The aircraft without the lower part of its ventral fin. Further, the mission was to determine the flight response and stability of the aircraft and the characteristics of its flight boundary layer . The X-15 was released from the Stratofortress on schedule at 45,000 feet (14,000 m) over Mud Lake, Nevada at 10:23:07.0 local time with a launch speed of 450 knots. Upon release, McKay was unable to attain

1323-536: The aircraft's performance, except for the fact that the aircraft experienced less drag above Mach 0.85 than the wind tunnels had indicated. NACA 144 also began its flight program with a turbojet powerplant. NACA pilots Robert A. Champine and John H. Griffith flew 21 times in this configuration to test airspeed calibrations and to research longitudinal and lateral stability and control. In the process, during August 1949 they encountered pitch-up problems, which NACA engineers recognized as serious because they could produce

1372-401: The contrary. Slats (long, narrow auxiliary airfoils) in the fully open position eliminated pitch-up except in the speed range around Mach 0.8 to 0.85. In June 1954, Crossfield began an investigation of the effects of external stores (bomb shapes and fuel tanks) upon the aircraft's transonic behavior. McKay and Stanley Butchart completed the NACA's investigation of this issue, with McKay flying

1421-520: The damaged plane was refurbished to become the X-15A-2, a modified variant. Although McKay returned to flight as an X-15 pilot, his injuries contributed to an early death. He died on April 27, 1975, aged 52. Born on December 8, 1922, in Portsmouth, Virginia , to parents Milton Barron McKay (1895–1974) and Wilhelmina Emaline McKay ( née  Dearing ; 1885–1970). During World War II he served as

1470-441: The effects of the rocket exhaust plume on lateral dynamic stability throughout the speed range. (Plume effects were a new experience for aircraft.) The number three aircraft also gathered information about the effects of external stores (bomb shapes, drop tanks) upon the aircraft's behavior in the transonic region (roughly 0.7 to 1.3 times the speed of sound). In correlation with data from other early transonic research aircraft such as

1519-415: The final mission on 28 August 1956. Besides setting several records, the Skyrocket pilots had gathered important data and understanding about what would and would not work to provide stable, controlled flight of a swept-wing aircraft in the transonic and supersonic flight regimes. The data they gathered also helped to enable a better correlation of wind-tunnel test results with actual flight values, enhancing

Douglas D-558-2 Skyrocket - Misplaced Pages Continue

1568-706: The first axial-flow turbojets of American origin — and carried 230 US gallons (871 L) of jet fuel (kerosene). All the Skystreaks were initially painted scarlet, which led to the nickname crimson test tube. NACA later had the color of the Skystreaks changed to white to improve optical tracking and photography. The first of three D-558-1 Skystreaks, BuNo 37970 , made its maiden flight on 14 April 1947, at Muroc Army Air Field (later named Edwards AFB ). Less than 4 months later, on August 20, this aircraft with Commander Turner Caldwell , USN, reached 640.744 mph (1,031.178 km/h; 556.791 kn) flying D-558-1 #1. This

1617-670: The first aircraft to fly Mach 2, is on display at the National Air and Space Museum in Washington D.C. The third aircraft is displayed on a pylon in the grounds of Antelope Valley College , Lancaster, California . (Configured with mixed propulsion) Data from McDonnell Douglas aircraft since 1920 : Volume I, General characteristics Performance Related development Aircraft of comparable role, configuration, and era Related lists Douglas Skystreak The Douglas Skystreak ( D-558-1 or D-558-I)

1666-454: The full power of the rocket engine which became stuck at 30% power and unresponsive to throttle control. Due to the lack of throttle response it was decided to make a forced landing at Mud Lake instead of landing at Edwards Air Force Base due to concerns about the reliability of the engine. McKay was at an altitude of 53,950 feet (16,440 m) having attained a speed of Mach 1.49 when he started his descent for landing at Mud Lake. The motor

1715-434: The nose of the aircraft upwards), a problem prevalent in high-speed service aircraft of that era, particularly at low speeds during takeoff and landing, and in tight turns. The three aircraft gathered a great deal of data about pitch-up and the coupling of lateral (yaw) and longitudinal (pitch) motions; wing and tail loads, lift, drag and buffeting characteristics of swept-wing aircraft at transonic and supersonic speeds; and

1764-568: The phase one and two aircraft. The eventual D-558-3 design, which was never built, was for a hypersonic aircraft similar to the North American X-15 . When it became obvious that the D558-1 fuselage could not be modified to accommodate both rocket and jet power, the D558-2 was conceived as an entirely different aircraft. The supply contract was changed on January 27, 1947 to drop the final three D558-1 aircraft and substitute three new D558-2 aircraft. The Skyrocket featured wings with

1813-467: The research data at that speed. Finally, after Crossfield had secured the agreement of the Navy's Bureau of Aeronautics, NACA director Hugh L. Dryden relaxed the organization's usual practice of leaving record setting to others and consented to attempting a flight to Mach 2. In addition to adding the nozzle extensions, the NACA flight team at the HSFRS chilled the fuel (alcohol) so more could be poured into

1862-589: The rest of the aircraft in an emergency. Once the forward fuselage had slowed down, the pilot could escape from the cockpit by parachute. Douglas pilot John F. Martin made the first flight at Muroc Army Airfield (later renamed Edwards Air Force Base ) in California on 4 February 1948 in an aircraft equipped only with the jet engine. The goals of the program were to investigate the characteristics of swept-wing aircraft at transonic and supersonic speeds with particular attention to pitch-up (un-commanded rotation of

1911-446: The tank and waxed the fuselage to reduce drag. Project engineer Herman O. Ankenbruck drew up a plan to fly to about 72,000 feet (21,900 m) and push over into a slight dive. Crossfield made aviation history on 20 November 1953, when he flew to Mach 2.005, 1,291 miles per hour (2,078 km/h). It was the only Mach 2 flight the Skyrocket ever made. Following this flight, Crossfield and NACA pilots Joseph A. Walker and John B. McKay flew

1960-546: The time, achieved on 15 August 1951. In the rocket configuration, the aircraft was attached beneath the bomb bay of a Navy P2B , a variant of the B-29 bomber . The P2B would fly to about 30,000 feet (9,100 m), then release the rocket plane. During Bridgeman's supersonic flights, he encountered a violent rolling motion known as lateral instability. The motion was less pronounced during the Mach 1.88 flight on 7 August 1951 than during

2009-481: Was an American naval officer , World War II pilot , aeronautical engineer , test pilot , and astronaut . He was one of twelve pilots who flew the North American X-15 , an experimental spaceplane jointly operated by the United States Air Force and NASA . On September 28, 1965, he flew the X-15 to an altitude of 295,600 feet (90,100 m), thereby qualifying as an astronaut according to

Douglas D-558-2 Skyrocket - Misplaced Pages Continue

2058-743: Was broken by then-Lieutenant Colonel Marion Carl , USMC, going 10 mph (16 km/h; 8.7 kn) faster in D-558-1 #2, BuNo 37971 . This aircraft was delivered to the NACA Muroc Flight Test Unit in April 1949 after 101 flights had been completed by the Navy, Air Force, and Douglas. This aircraft was never flown by the NACA. The D-558-1 #1 is located at the National Naval Aviation Museum at Naval Air Station Pensacola , Florida . Following 27 flights by

2107-487: Was completed in January 1947. The fuselage used lightweight, high strength HK31 magnesium alloy extensively, while the wings were fabricated from more conventional aluminum alloys. The airframe was designed to withstand unusually high loads of up to 18 times gravity due to the uncertainties of transonic flight. The forward fuselage, including the cockpit, could be jettisoned from the aircraft in an emergency. The aircraft

2156-458: Was configured to carry more than 500 pounds (230 kg) of test equipment, including sensors (such as strain gauges and accelerometers) in 400 locations throughout the aircraft. One wing was pierced by 400 small holes for the pressure measurements required for calculating airloads. The Skystreaks were powered by one Allison J-35-A-11 engine (developed by General Electric as the TG-180) — one of

2205-435: Was delivered to the NACA Muroc Flight Test Unit in 1949 after three Douglas test pilots and Howard Lilly had flown it. The number three aircraft took over the planned flight program of the D-558-1 #2. From the first flight in 1949 through 1953 the third Skystreak was flown in an intensive flight-research program by seven NACA test pilots, with a great deal of useful data collected on high-subsonic handling. The D-558-1 #3 made

2254-459: Was kept operating for 70.5 seconds to burn excess fuel and to reduce weight. The flaps failed to activate during landing and the aircraft speed at touchdown was higher than normal. Due to the excess speed and weight the aircraft experienced failures because of the increased dynamic loading which eventually led to its overturning. The X-15 airframe rolled and struck the lakebed while inverted. While McKay appeared to suffer no permanent disabilities as

2303-498: Was later fitted with the rocket engine. In this configuration, it was tested by Douglas from 1949 to 1951. After Douglas' test program, it was delivered to NACA, who stored it until 1954. In 1954–55 the contractor modified it to an all-rocket air-launch capability with the jet engine removed. In this configuration, NACA research pilot John McKay flew the aircraft only once for familiarization on 17 September 1956. The 123 flights of NACA 143 served to validate wind-tunnel predictions of

2352-743: Was quickly overshadowed by Chuck Yeager and the supersonic Bell X-1 rocket plane. However, the Skystreak performed an important role in aeronautical research by flying for extended periods of time at transonic speeds, which freed the X-1 to fly for limited periods at supersonic speeds. Data from McDonnell Douglas aircraft since 1920 : Volume I, Jane's all the World's Aircraft 1949-50 General characteristics Performance Related development Aircraft of comparable role, configuration, and era Related lists John B. McKay John Barron McKay (December 8, 1922 – April 27, 1975)

2401-587: Was recognised as an official world air speed record , as the World War II German Me 163B V18 Komet rocket fighter prototype that was claimed to have reached 1,130 km/h (702 mph; 610 kn) in July 1944 did so in secrecy and not under the strict conditions that regulate official records (presence of FIA officials as observers, timed runs in two directions to cancel out wind speed, etc). The D-558-1 #1 Skystreak's record lasted 5 days, and

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