Scrapbook 2: Jun–Jul 1962 — Blue Water, X-15
DOUBT has been cast on the future of Blue Water, the 70-mile surface-to-surface guided missile under development by English Electric and designed to carry a British nuclear warhead.
Doubts have arisen from the annual appraisal of defence expenditure by the Treasury, which takes place in June. This year’s appraisal disclosed sharply rising costs within the next five years, and discussions on ways and means of off-setting these continued throughout July.
Blue Water is among the threatened projects. It is due to start coming into service in 1964. The Defence Committee of the Cabinet is to meet again to-day.
If work on Blue Water ceases, it will be solely for economy reasons. It would mean severely crippling and destroying the British missile industry and all that goes with it.
70-MILE RANGE
British contribution
Under current NATO plans Britain is required to provide a portion of the nuclear missiles in the 70-mile range.
This Britain would cease to do, and the Strategic Reserve would be without a local nuclear deterrent.
If work on Blue Water is stopped there will be no question of buying Sergeant, the American replacement for Corporal which, though it will be in service a year earlier, is tactically inferior and more expensive.
Blue Water missiles cost about £100,000 each, and Blue Water ancillary equipment, £250,000. Sergeant requires five vehicles, mostly larger and more complicated than the two required by Blue Water.
Intended to replace the obsolete Corporal, with which two Royal Artillery regiments in Germany are armed, Blue Water is also designed to accompany the Strategic Reserve as a local deterrent.
The missile is fired from a three-ton lorry after receiving orders from a computer carried in a long-based Land Rover.
Blue Water can be carried in the Argosy, the tactical air transport coming into service. Three Blue Waters could be carried in the Belfast strategic freighter.
ANGLO-FRENCH LINK
Possible bearing
The recently announced link-up of the British Aircraft Corporation with the French firm of Nord Aviation for joint research, development and production of guided missiles could have a bearing on the future of Blue Water.
The Germans have accepted Sergeant. But there is reason to believe that both the French and the Dutch would be interested in Blue Water.
The nuclear warhead, though of British manufacture, incorporates American “know-how” and the Americans will not agree to this being passed on.
But in time the French could produce their own warhead, though not so the Dutch.
The guidance system also has an element of American “know-how.” But the Americans could hardly object, on military grounds, to this being passed on.
X15 Sets 47-Mile Altitude Record
EDWARDS AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. (AP) — America’s X15 plane rocketed more than 47 miles into space, achieved its designed altitude maximum and set a new altitude record in the process.
Air Force Maj Robert M. White, holder of the X15 speed record of 4,093 miles an hour, was at the controls.
His altitude was given as 250,000 feet — precisely what he aimed for. His speed was approximately 3,682 miles and hour.
The little research plane’s designed maximum attitude is 250,000 feet. On a similar mission by space agency pilot Joe Walker last April the X15 fell a little short, hitting only 246,700 feet. In future flights, with the engine burning longer, it is expected to soar beyond 300,000.
At the peak of his flight, White radioed: “Boy, what a view. Just tremendous.” He was able to see for hundreds of miles.
X15 Passes New Heat Test Flight
EDWARDS AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. (AP)—The X15 rocket ship zipped through a heat test flight while 400 thermometers beneath its black skin checked temperatures hot enough to melt a conventional plane.
It was research pilot John McKay’s first trip aboard the sleek craft since installation of its powerful 57,000-pound-thrust engine. His last flight was Feb. 1, 1960, when it was still powered by engines with 16,000 pounds of thrust.
He hit 3,204 miles an hour and climbed to 83,000 feet for the test.
Officials estimated the temperature reached 1,000 degrees on parts of the special steel-nickel alloy outer surface. Air friction made the ship hot enough to blister its black paint and run streaks of white through a special green thermal paint on parts of the fuselage. The edges of the tail and stubby wings turned red hot as did large flaps used for speed brakes at the rear of the 52-foot craft.
Below Record
But it was still below the 1,250 degrees recorded on earlier flights. A conventional plane can go to about 400 degrees before its metal weakens.
Prime purpose of the flight was to determine which parts of the X15’s surface become hottest. This will aid in design of future aircraft.
A secondary purpose of the flight was to reintroduce McKay to the souped-up X15 that has flown 4,159 m.p.h. and up to 250,000 feet while he was on other assignments.
NASA officials said the 400 thermometers used were among 600 heat sensors spotted under all surfaces of the ship. The others were not used Thursday. The 400 in use sent electronic data to recording instruments in the craft.
The X15 dropped away from under the wing of its B52 mother ship at an altitude of 45,000 feet at 10:41 a.m. It landed 9 minutes later.
X15 Skip-Glides to Earth in Roller-Coaster Dips
EDWARDS AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. (AP) — X15 pilot Joe Walker streaked aloft at more than five times the speed of sound, then skip-glided back to earth here in a series of roller-coaster dips which returning spacecraft may copy some day.
The powerful little rocket plane ordinarily comes in from space in a long, shallow glide, but Walker was experimenting with methods of braking descent speeds.
After streaking to an altitude of 107,000 feet at speeds up to 3,733 miles an hour, the veteran space agency pilot nosed over for a series of seven down-the-stairsteps hops.
In the final two of these maneuvers, Walker slowed his speed from 2,200 m.p.h. to 1,100 m.p.h. in 51 seconds. The upcoming Dyna-Soar space glider is expected to use similar maneuvers in returning from orbit.
Walker’s purpose was to determine the stubby-winged space dart’s maneuverability, not to set records. The X15 has twice reached a record altitude of 246,700 feet and previously had gone 4,159 m.p.h.
A secondary purpose was to test an electronic device which helps the pilot control the X15 at extreme speeds. The device, called a filter, automatically screens out unnecessary signals from his guidance system that otherwise might come too fast for him to handle.
X15 Tries Risky Space Maneuvers
EDWARDS AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. (AP) — Rocketing a mile a second, X15 pilot Joe Walker swooped back to earth here on a miles-wide curve to pioneer a risky new landing maneuver for spacecraft.
It was the first time the stubby-winged space dart has ever deviated much from a straight-as-an-arrow path during the main portion of a flight.
The maneuver served to brake the X15’s swift descent and subjected it to extreme aerodynamic stresses and heat from air friction.
Walker hit a top speed of 3,716 miles an hour on the way up to a peak altitude of 102,000 feet. He was not trying to exceed the X15’s records of 4,093 m.p.h. and 246,7000 feet—instead he was deliberately pushing the craft close to its structural limits.
Over Daggett, Calif., he swung westward in an arc that extended some 50 miles southeast of the 170-mile direct line between launch point and this base.
Nearing home, he spiraled downward in a further speed-braking maneuver and touched down after an 8-minute flight.
Future spaceships will need this broad maneuverability to pick their landing sites as they scream back from the moon and other planets.
VIEW—Air Force Maj Robert M. White describes the “tremendous view” he had on a 47-mile-high X15 flight over Edwards AFB, Calif. —AP P[…]