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X-5 Program Flight Chronology 1952-1955
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The NACA High-Speed Flight Station operated the Bell X-5 #1 (50-1838) from 1952 to late 1955. Following the conclusion of the contractors program in October 1951, the airplane was grounded for installation of a NACA instrument package. In December 1951, the Air Force completed a brief evaluation program involving six flights; because data were taken, these were considered part of the overall NACA effort and were logged as join AF-NACA flights. The first all-NACA flight was flight 7, and it is with this flight that this chronology begins. The second X-5 (50-1839) was operated only by Bell and the Air Force and was lost in a spin accident in 1953.
Bell X-5 #1 (50-1838) Flights
|
Flight |
Date |
Pilot |
Remarks |
7 |
9 Jan. 1952 |
Joseph Walker |
Pilot Check |
8 |
14 Jan. 1952 |
Walker |
Static and dynamic longitudinal and latitudinal stability and control. |
9 |
21 Jan. 1952 |
Walker |
Same as flight 8. |
10 |
23 Jan. 1952 |
Walker |
Airspeed calibration. |
11 |
25 Jan. 1952 |
Walker |
Static and dynamic longitudinal and latitudinal stability and control. |
12 |
1 Feb. 1952 |
Walker |
Same as flight 11. |
13 |
5 Feb. 1952 |
Walker |
Same as flight 11. |
14 |
12 Feb. 1952 |
Walker |
Same as flight 11. |
15 |
-- |
-- |
Air Force pilot check flight. |
16 |
4 Mar. 1952 |
Walker |
Lateral stability at 60 sweep. |
17 |
13 Mar. 1952 |
Walker |
Flight aborted. |
18 |
17 Mar. 1952 |
Walker |
Latitudinal and longitudinal stability and control at 60 sweep. |
19 |
19 Mar. 1952 |
Walker |
Airspeed calibration. |
20 |
19 Mar. 1952 |
Walker |
Static and dynamic longitudinal and latitudinal stability and control. |
21 |
20 Mar. 1952 |
Walker |
Gust loads investigation 20 and 60 sweep. |
22 |
27 Mar. 1952 |
Walker |
Static longitudinal stability, 45 sweep. |
23 |
1 Apr. 1952 |
Walker |
Airspeed calibration. |
24 |
3 Apr. 1952 |
A. S. Crossfield |
Pilot check. |
25 |
29 Apr. 1952 |
W. P. Jones |
Pilot check. |
26 |
2 May 1952 |
Jones |
Static and dynamic longitudinal and lateral stability and control. |
27 |
6 May 1952 |
Jones |
Same as flight 26. |
28 |
7 May 1952 |
Jones |
Same as flight 26. |
29 |
8 May 1952 |
Crossfield |
Same as flight 26. |
30 |
16 May 1952 |
Crossfield |
Same as flight 26. |
31 |
27 May 1952 |
Jones |
Same as flight 26. |
32 |
28 May 1952 |
Jones |
Same as flight 26. |
33 |
29 May 1952 |
Jones |
Aborted; gear door opened in flight. |
34 |
20 June 1952 |
Jones |
Static and dynamic longitudinal and lateral stability and control. |
35 |
25 June 1952 |
Walker |
Same as flight 34. |
36 |
26 June 1952 |
Walker |
Same as flight 34. |
37 |
2 Jul. 1952 |
Walker |
Same as flight 34. |
38 |
10 Jul. 1952 |
Walker |
Same as flight 34. |
39 |
12 Jul. 1952 |
Walker |
Gust loads investigation. |
40 |
16 Jul. 1952 |
J. Reeder |
Pilot check for Langley pilot. |
41 |
17 Jul. 1952 |
Walker |
Static and dynamic longitudinal and lateral stability and control. |
42 |
22 Jul. 1952 |
Walker |
Same as flight 41. |
43 |
25 Jul. 1952 |
Walker |
Static and dynamic longitudinal stability and control. |
44 |
1 Aug. 1952 |
Walker |
Same as flight 43. |
45 |
7 Aug. 1952 |
Walker |
Static longitudinal and lateral stability and control. |
46 |
23 Sept. 1952 |
Walker |
Lateral control, longitudinal stability. |
47 |
25 Sept. 1952 |
Walker |
Static longitudinal control. |
48 |
26 Sept. 1952 |
Crossfield |
Static longitudinal stability and control. |
49 |
21 Oct. 1952 |
Walker |
Inadvertent spin. |
50 |
5 Dec. 1952 |
Walker |
Longitudinal stability and control. |
51 |
10 Dec. 1952 |
Walker |
Lateral stability and control. |
52 |
-- |
S. P. Butchart |
Pilot check. |
53 |
to |
Butchart |
Pilot check. |
54 |
18 Dec. 1952 |
Walker |
Photographic flight. |
55 |
to |
Butchart |
Aborted, inoperable stabilizer motor. |
56 |
22 Dec. 1952 |
Walker |
Static and dynamic longitudinal and lateral stability and control. |
57 |
8 Jan. 1953 |
Walker |
Vertical tail loads in maneuvers. |
58 |
12 Jan. 1953 |
Crossfield |
Stalls and maneuvers at 20 sweep. |
59 |
22 Jan. 1953 |
Crossfield |
Vertical tail loads in rolling pullouts. |
60 |
27 Jan. 1953 |
Walker |
Drag study (trailed F-80 jet). |
61 |
29 Jan. 1953 |
Walker |
Drag study (trailed B-29 bomber). |
62 |
29 Jan. 1953 |
A. Murray |
AF flight for comparison with AFX-5. |
63 |
6 Feb. 1953 |
Walker |
Drag study (trailed B-29). |
64 |
13 Feb. 1953 |
Walker |
Gust loads investigation. |
65 |
20 Feb. 1953 |
Walker |
Gust loads investigation. |
66 |
24 Feb. 1953 |
Walker |
Effect of wing translation on trim. |
67 |
25 Feb. 1953 |
Walker |
Same as flight 66. |
68 |
25 Feb. 1953 |
Walker |
Gust loads investigation. |
69 |
27 Feb. 1953 |
Walker |
Longitudinal stability and control during wing transition. |
70 |
26 Mar. 1953 |
Walker |
Emergency landing, gear failure. |
71 |
23 Apr. 1953 |
Walker |
Longitudinal stability and control. |
72 |
29 Apr. 1953 |
Walker |
Same as flight 71. |
73 |
30 Apr. 1953 |
Walker |
Same as flight 71. |
74 |
1 May 1953 |
Walker |
Same as flight 71. |
75 |
13 May 1953 |
Walker |
Strain gauge response to temperature. |
76 |
4 June 1953 |
Walker |
Buffet-induced tail loads. |
77 |
3 Jul. 1953 |
Walker |
Wing and horizontal tail loads. |
78 |
21 Jul. 1953 |
Walker |
Dynamic lateral stability. |
79 |
27 Jul. 1953 |
Walker |
Aborted, cabin pressurization malfunction. |
80 |
28 Jul. 1953 |
Walker |
Buffet-induced tail loads. |
81 |
30 Aug. 1953 |
Walker |
Buffet-induced tail loads. |
82 |
25 Aug. 1953 |
Walker |
Longitudinal stability and control wing and tail loads. |
83 |
27 Aug. 1953 |
Walker |
Same as flight 82. |
84 |
28 Aug. 1953 |
Crossfield |
Airspeed calibration of NACA B-47. |
85 |
4 Sept. 1953 |
Crossfield |
Pacer for NACA B-47 aircraft. |
86 |
12 Nov. 1953 |
Walker |
Lateral stability and control. |
87 |
16 Nov. 1953 |
Walker |
Wing twisting and bending tail loads. |
88 |
14 Jan. 1954 |
Walker |
Tail loads. |
89 |
21 Jan. 1954 |
Walker |
Longitudinal stability and control. |
90 |
26 Jan. 1954 |
Walker |
Aborted, landing gear door malfunction. |
91 |
29 Jan. 1954 |
Walker |
Lateral stability and control. |
92 |
2 Feb. 1954 |
Crossfield |
Gust loads at various wing sweeps. |
93 |
4 Feb. 1954 |
Walker |
Vertical tail loads. |
94 |
8 Feb. 1954 |
Walker |
Longitudinal stability and control. |
95 |
9 Feb. 1954 |
Walker |
Same as flight 94. |
96 |
10 Feb. 1954 |
Walker |
Lateral stability and control at 45 and 59, longitudinal stability and control at 59. |
97 |
12 Feb. 1954 |
Walker |
Longitudinal stability and control, wing and high tail loads. |
98 |
23 Feb. 1954 |
Walker |
Dynamic pressure effects on buffet. |
99 |
23 Feb. 1954 |
Walker |
Same as flight 98. |
100 |
16 Mar. 1954 |
Walker |
Same as flight 98. |
101 |
8 Apr. 1954 |
Walker |
Same as flight 98. |
102 |
9 Apr. 1954 |
Walker |
Same as flight 98. |
103 |
13 Apr. 1954 |
Walker |
Same as flight 98. |
104 |
15 Apr. 1954 |
Walker |
Same as flight 98. |
105 |
20 Apr. 1954 |
Walker |
Same as flight 98. |
106 |
21 Apr. 1954 |
Walker |
Same as flight 98. |
107 |
23 Apr. 1954 |
Walker |
Same as flight 98. |
108 |
7 June 1954 |
Butchart |
Vertical tail loads. |
109 |
11 June 1954 |
Crossfield |
Vertical tail loads. |
110 |
8 Dec. 1954 |
Butchart |
Instrumentation check. |
111 |
14 Dec. 1954 |
-- |
Pilot check. |
112 |
-- |
-- |
Pilot check. |
113 |
to |
-- |
Pilot check. |
114 |
-- |
-- |
Pilot check. |
115 |
27 Jan. 1955 |
Butchart |
Instrumentation check. |
116 |
28 Jan. 1955 |
Butchart |
Longitudinal stability and control. |
117 |
3 Feb. 1955 |
Butchart |
Longitudinal stability and control. |
118 |
3 Feb. 1955 |
Butchart |
Longitudinal stability and control. |
119 |
21 Feb. 1955 |
Butchart |
Longitudinal stability and control. |
120 |
23 Feb. 1955 |
Butchart |
Longitudinal and lateral stability and control. |
121 |
8 Mar. 1955 |
John McKay |
Longitudinal stability and control. |
122 |
21 Mar. 1955 |
McKay |
Longitudinal stability and control. |
123 |
23 Mar. 1955 |
McKay |
Longitudinal stability and control. |
124 |
23 Mar. 1955 |
Butchart |
Lateral stability and control. |
125 |
1 Apr. 1955 |
McKay |
Lateral stability and control. |
126 |
5 Apr. 1955 |
Butchart |
Lateral stability and control. |
127 |
6 Apr. 1955 |
McKay |
Lateral stability and control. |
128 |
to |
-- |
Lateral stability and control. |
129 |
8 Apr. 1955 |
McKay |
Lateral stability and control. |
130 |
-- |
-- |
Lateral control. |
131 |
to |
-- |
Lateral control. |
132 |
-- |
-- |
Lateral control. |
133 |
25 Oct. 1955 |
N. A. Armstrong |
Pilot check. Landing gear door separated in flight. Plane subsequently was retired. |