Category Archives: Video

North American X-15 – the Plane that Almost Melted at Mach 6.7

On October 3rd, 1967, at a millisecond before 14:32 local time, Air Force Major William J. “Pete” Knight hit the button. His North American X-15, one of the most experimental aircraft ever built, lit up its 600,000-horsepower XLR99 engine. The plane began to tear through the atmosphere, approaching a record-breaking speed of 4,520 miles per hour – Mach 6.7. Continue reading