X-15 Hypersonic Aircraft. Flying At 4,520 mph, And 354,200 feet High In A Rocket Plane

The story of North American X-15 hypersonic rocket aircraft, reaching a top speed of Mach and a staggering height of 67.1 mi ( ft / 108 km). Learn about the courageous pilots that flew it and a brief history of rocket planes, including the Bell X-1, piloted by Chuck Yeager, the first to break the sound barrier, or the Bell X-2 that flew at Mach 3. The X-15 first flight was in mid 1959, more than 60 years ago. It also includes a series of vintage documentaries on the subject. The X-15 set speed and altitude records in the 1960s, reaching the edge of outer space and returning with valuable data used in aircraft and spacecraft design. The X-15’s highest speed, 4,520 miles per hour (7,274 km/h; 2,021 m/s), was achieved on 3 October 1967, when William J. Knight flew at Mach 6.7 at an altitude of 102,100 feet (31,120 m), or miles. This set the official world record for the highest speed ever recorded by a crewed, powered aircraft, which remains unbroken. During the X-15 program, 12 p