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The [[North America]]n X-15 was a [[hypersonic]] rocket plane used for research on whether the human body could stand such high speeds.  The aircraft's designers used a .45 caliber bullet as the basic design for the plane.  Only three were built, but overall it made 199 flights.   

The [[North America]]n '''X-15''' was a [[hypersonic]] rocket plane used for research on whether the human body could stand such high speeds.  The aircraft's designers used a .45 caliber bullet as the basic design for the plane.  Only three were built, but overall it made 199 flights.   

The maiden flight of the plane was on June 8, 1959 by Scott Crossfield, who flew the plane more times than anyone else.  He also flew the plane to the greatest height: 354,200 feet above ground.  The plane was too rocket-like to take off from the ground.  Instead, a [[B-52 Stratofortress]] "mother ship" carried the plane under it's right wing up to 45,000 feet, where the plane would be dropped.  Then the pilot was on his own, although an average flight took about four minutes after the plane was released from the bomber.  Usually, during test flights, there is a chase plane to watch the tested plane and follow it, but with the X-15, nothing could keep up with it after the release.  In an extremely short time, the plane would be up to past 200,000 ft and going Mach 5.  One test pilot recalled, "[The X-15] really left the scene after you lit that engine."  

The maiden flight of the plane was on June 8, 1959 by Scott Crossfield, who flew the plane more times than anyone else.  He also flew the plane to the greatest height: 354,200 feet above ground.  The plane was too rocket-like to take off from the ground.  Instead, a [[B-52 Stratofortress]] "mother ship" carried the plane under it's right wing up to 45,000 feet, where the plane would be dropped.  Then the pilot was on his own, although an average flight took about four minutes after the plane was released from the bomber.  Usually, during test flights, there is a chase plane to watch the tested plane and follow it, but with the X-15, nothing could keep up with it after the release.  In an extremely short time, the plane would be up to past 200,000 ft and going Mach 5.  One test pilot recalled, "[The X-15] really left the scene after you lit that engine."