Skip to content
79,433 pages · 13,741 images · since 1994 Browse A–Z Today in space history
Encyclopedia Astronautica The full story of spaceflight
Encyclopedia entry

X-1E

Aircraft · USA

Original archive entry. The text, images and links below are kept as they were written.

X-1E
X-1E
Credit: NASA

American manned rocketplane. Study 1954. The X-1E was designed to test an ultra-thin 4% thickness to cord wing for supersonic flight.

Country
USA
Engines
LR8-RM-5
Agency
Bell
Bibliography
4296, 49, 97

Chronology

27 events

1955 December 3

  • X-1E Flight 1 - . Payload: X-1E flight 1. Nation: USA. Class: Manned. Type: Manned rocketplane. Spacecraft Bus: XS-1. Spacecraft: X-1E. Captive flight..

1955 December 12

  • X-1E Flight 2 - . Crew: Walker, Joseph. Payload: X-1E flight 2. Nation: USA. Related Persons: Walker, Joseph. Class: Manned. Type: Manned rocketplane. Spacecraft Bus: XS-1. Spacecraft: X-1E. NACA flight 1. Glide flight for pilot check-out and low speed evaluation..

1955 December 15

  • X-1E Flight 3 - . Crew: Walker, Joseph. Payload: X-1E flight 3. Nation: USA. Related Persons: Walker, Joseph. Class: Manned. Type: Manned rocketplane. Spacecraft Bus: XS-1. Spacecraft: X-1E. NACA flight 2. First powered flight. Engine ran at excessive pressure, 4 overspeeds of turbopump and 2 automatic shutdowns. Power terminated by pilot..

1956 April 3

  • X-1E Flight 4 - . Crew: Walker, Joseph. Payload: X-1E flight 4. Nation: USA. Related Persons: Walker, Joseph. Class: Manned. Type: Manned rocketplane. Spacecraft Bus: XS-1. Spacecraft: X-1E. NACA flight 3. Mach 0.85 at 9150 m. Damping characteristics good; number 1 cylinder failed to fire..

1956 April 30

  • X-1E Flight 5 - . Crew: Walker, Joseph. Payload: X-1E flight 5. Nation: USA. Related Persons: Walker, Joseph. Class: Manned. Type: Manned rocketplane. Spacecraft Bus: XS-1. Spacecraft: X-1E. NACA flight 4. Turbopump did not start; no engine operation..

1956 May 11

  • X-1E Flight 6 - . Crew: Walker, Joseph. Payload: X-1E flight 6. Nation: USA. Related Persons: Walker, Joseph. Class: Manned. Type: Manned rocketplane. Spacecraft Bus: XS-1. Spacecraft: X-1E. NACA flight 5. Wind-up turns to Clmas from mach 0.69 to 0.84; also control pulses..

1956 June 7

  • X-1E Flight 7 - . Crew: Walker, Joseph. Payload: X-1E flight 7. Nation: USA. Related Persons: Walker, Joseph. Class: Manned. Type: Manned rocketplane. Spacecraft Bus: XS-1. Spacecraft: X-1E. NACA flight 6. Mach 1.55 at 13725 m. Longitudinal and lateral trim changes in transonic region found annoying to pilot..

1956 June 18

  • X-1E Flight 8 - . Crew: Walker, Joseph. Payload: X-1E flight 8. Nation: USA. Related Persons: Walker, Joseph. Class: Manned. Type: Manned rocketplane. Spacecraft Bus: XS-1. Spacecraft: X-1E. NACA flight 7. Mach 1.74 at 18300 m. Damaged on landing..

1956 July 26

  • X-1E Flight 9 - . Crew: Walker, Joseph. Payload: X-1E flight 9. Nation: USA. Related Persons: Walker, Joseph. Class: Manned. Type: Manned rocketplane. Spacecraft Bus: XS-1. Spacecraft: X-1E. NACA flight 8. Subsonic because cylinders 3 and 4 world not fire..

1956 August 31

  • X-1E Flight 10 - . Crew: Walker, Joseph. Payload: X-1E flight 10. Nation: USA. Related Persons: Walker, Joseph. Class: Manned. Type: Manned rocketplane. Spacecraft Bus: XS-1. Spacecraft: X-1E. NACA flight 9. Mach 2.0 at 18300 m. Sideslips, pulses, rolls..

1956 September 14

  • X-1E Flight 11 - . Crew: Walker, Joseph. Payload: X-1E flight 11. Nation: USA. Related Persons: Walker, Joseph. Class: Manned. Type: Manned rocketplane. Spacecraft Bus: XS-1. Spacecraft: X-1E. NACA flight 10. Mach 2.1 at 18910 m. Stabilizer, rudder, and aileron pulses..

1956 September 20

  • X-1E Flight 12 - . Crew: Walker, Joseph. Payload: X-1E flight 12. Nation: USA. Related Persons: Walker, Joseph. Class: Manned. Type: Manned rocketplane. Spacecraft Bus: XS-1. Spacecraft: X-1E. NACA flight 11. Brief engine power only; flight aborted, unspecified engine malfunction..

1956 October 3

  • X-1E Flight 13 - . Crew: Walker, Joseph. Payload: X-1E flight 13. Nation: USA. Related Persons: Walker, Joseph. Class: Manned. Type: Manned rocketplane. Spacecraft Bus: XS-1. Spacecraft: X-1E. NACA flight 12. Only 60-sec rocket operation; intermittent pump operation. Flight aborted, turbopump and engine replaced..

1956 November 20

  • X-1E Flight 14 - . Crew: Walker, Joseph. Payload: X-1E flight 14. Nation: USA. Related Persons: Walker, Joseph. Class: Manned. Type: Manned rocketplane. Spacecraft Bus: XS-1. Spacecraft: X-1E. NACA flight 13. No engine operation, ignition failure due to lack of manifold pressure..

1957 April 25

  • X-1E Flight 15 - . Crew: Walker, Joseph. Payload: X-1E flight 15. Nation: USA. Related Persons: Walker, Joseph. Class: Manned. Type: Manned rocketplane. Spacecraft Bus: XS-1. Spacecraft: X-1E. NACA flight 14. Mach 1.71 at 20435 m. Aileron and rudder pulses..

1957 May 15

  • X-1E Flight 16 - . Crew: Walker, Joseph. Payload: X-1E flight 16. Nation: USA. Related Persons: Walker, Joseph. Class: Manned. Type: Manned rocketplane. Spacecraft Bus: XS-1. Spacecraft: X-1E. NACA flight 15. Mach 2.0 at 22,265 m. Aileron pulses and rolls, sideslips, and wind-up turns. Plane severely damaged upon landing..

1957 September 19

  • X-1E Flight 17 - . Crew: Walker, Joseph. Payload: X-1E flight 17. Nation: USA. Related Persons: Walker, Joseph. Class: Manned. Type: Manned rocketplane. Spacecraft Bus: XS-1. Spacecraft: X-1E. NACA flight 16. Planned mach number not attained, loss of power during pushover from climb..

1957 October 8

1958 May 14

  • X-1E Flight 19 - . Crew: Walker, Joseph. Payload: X-1E flight 19. Nation: USA. Related Persons: Walker, Joseph. Class: Manned. Type: Manned rocketplane. Spacecraft Bus: XS-1. Spacecraft: X-1E. NACA flight 18. First flight with ventral fins; longitudinal and lateral stability and control maneuvers. Engine airstart made at 21,350 m..

1958 June 10

  • X-1E Flight 20 - . Crew: Walker, Joseph. Payload: X-1E flight 20. Nation: USA. Related Persons: Walker, Joseph. Class: Manned. Type: Manned rocketplane. Spacecraft Bus: XS-1. Spacecraft: X-1E. NACA flight 19. Flight aborted after only 1 cylinder of engine fired. Plane damaged on landing..

1958 September 10

  • X-1E Flight 21 - . Crew: Walker, Joseph. Payload: X-1E flight 21. Nation: USA. Related Persons: Walker, Joseph. Class: Manned. Type: Manned rocketplane. Spacecraft Bus: XS-1. Spacecraft: X-1E. NACA flight 20. Stability and control investigation with ventral fins..

1958 September 17

  • X-1E Flight 22 - . Crew: Walker, Joseph. Payload: X-1E flight 22. Nation: USA. Related Persons: Walker, Joseph. Class: Manned. Type: Manned rocketplane. Spacecraft Bus: XS-1. Spacecraft: X-1E. NACA flight 21. Stability and control with ventral fins and a new stabilizer bell crank permitting greater stabilizer travel..

1958 September 19

  • X-1E Flight 23 - . Crew: McKay. Payload: X-1E flight 23. Nation: USA. Related Persons: McKay. Class: Manned. Type: Manned rocketplane. Spacecraft Bus: XS-1. Spacecraft: X-1E. NACA flight 22. Checkout flight for John McKay..

1958 September 30

  • X-1E Flight 24 - . Crew: McKay. Payload: X-1E flight 24. Nation: USA. Related Persons: McKay. Class: Manned. Type: Manned rocketplane. Spacecraft Bus: XS-1. Spacecraft: X-1E. NACA flight 23. Check of low-speed stability and control..

1958 October 16

  • X-1E Flight 25 - . Crew: McKay. Payload: X-1E flight 25. Nation: USA. Related Persons: McKay. Class: Manned. Type: Manned rocketplane. Spacecraft Bus: XS-1. Spacecraft: X-1E. NACA flight 24. First flight with elevated chamber pressure; cut short because overcast obscured pilot's view of lakebed..

1958 October 28

  • X-1E Flight 26 - . Crew: McKay. Payload: X-1E flight 26. Nation: USA. Related Persons: McKay. Class: Manned. Type: Manned rocketplane. Spacecraft Bus: XS-1. Spacecraft: X-1E. NACA flight 25. Elevated chamber pressure; good stability and control data gathered..

1958 November 6

  • X-1E Flight 27 - . Crew: McKay. Payload: X-1E flight 27. Nation: USA. Related Persons: McKay. Class: Manned. Type: Manned rocketplane. Spacecraft Bus: XS-1. Spacecraft: X-1E. NACA flight 26. Elevated chamber pressure; low-altitude and low-mach investigation of U-Deta fuel. Last NASA flight..