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Illustrations Additional photographs pertaining to specific incidents portrayed in this book may be found on the author’s website at http://www.mach25media.com/x15index.html. 1. Scott Crossfield checks out the mockup x-15 cockpit . . . . .10 2. Three-view layout of the standard x-15 rocket plane. . . . . .12 3. x-15 no. 2 at rollout from North American Aviation. . . . . .13 4. Scott Crossfield drops away from the b-52 mothership. . . .23 5. The aftermath of an ice storm at the Ely radar site. . . . . . 50 6. Joe Walker’s reentry from 354,200 feet . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .61 7. Joe Walker and his sons, James, Joseph, and Thomas . . . . 62 8. President John F. Kennedy admires an x-15 model . . . . . . 67 9. b-52 flyby of x-15 no. 3 after landing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 93 10. Bob White prepares to leave the x-15 after landing. . . . . . 96 11. Technicians install the first xlr99-rm-1 rocket engine . . . 111 12. x-15 no. 1 is secured for a ground test run. . . . . . . . . . . . . 112 13. Forrest Petersen on the lakebed after an x-15 flight. . . . . .120 14. Jack McKay in the cockpit of his f4u Corsair . . . . . . . . . 132 15. Sheri and Jim McKay with their father, Jack . . . . . . . . . . 138 16. Aftermath of Jack McKay’s rollover accident . . . . . . . . . . 143 17. Running off the edge of the lakebed at Delamar Dry Lake . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 154 18. The x-15 convoy stops for a break at a gas station. . . . . . . 156 19. Bob Rushworth is helped from the x-15 cockpit. . . . . . . .177 20. Bob Rushworth lands x-15 no. 3. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .180 21. Bob Rushworth receives his astronaut wings . . . . . . . . . . 181 22. Jettisoning the external fuel tanks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .192 23. Neil Armstrong at the controls of the “Iron Cross” . . . . 204 24. Paul Bikle, director of the nasa High Speed Flight Station. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 215 25. Neil Armstrong with John McTigue and Elmor J. Adkins . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .222 26. Joe Engle accelerates the x-15 after launch . . . . . . . . . . . 246 27. The lr-99 rocket engine is put on display . . . . . . . . . . . .250 28. x-15 being controlled by small attitude rockets in space . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .252 29. Joe Engle in the backup crew of Apollo 14 . . . . . . . . . . . .259 30. Milt Thompson aids x-15 “pilot” Matt Powell (David McLean) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 272 31. x-15 “pilot” Lt. Col. Lee Brandon (Charles Bronson) . . . 276 32. Milt Thompson following the first m2-f2 flight. . . . . . . 292 33. Three-view layout of the x-15a-2 with external fuel tanks. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .301 34. Pete Knight prepares the fully loaded x-15a-2 for launch. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .316 35. The burned and scarred scramjet model after flight . . . . .320 36. Pete Knight receives the Harmon Trophy. . . . . . . . . . . . .323 37. Bill Dana prior to his first x-15 flight . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .336 38. Bill Dana in the x-15 simulator . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .345 39. Deployments of x-15 experiments while in space . . . . . . . 352 40. x-15 no. 3 prepares for drop from b-52 no. 008. . . . . . . . .374 41. The crash site of x-15 no. 3. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .386 42. The lighter side of Michael Adams. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 400 43. x-15 no. 1 arrives at the Smithsonian Institute . . . . . . . . 408 44. An advanced concept converting an x-15 into a delta wing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 409 45. Bill Dana receives his astronaut wings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 424 ...

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