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X-5 Program Flight Chronology 1952-1955


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.

Source: NACA X-5 flight reports, 1952-1955; X-5 chronology prepared by Robert Mulac of Langley Researh Center.
From the book: On the Frontier: Flight Research at Dryden 1946-1981



Last Modified: November 24, 1996
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