Nice video on an important, albeit troubled program. Just working my way through the Osprey XPLANES issue on the Bell X-2. So great to come across the great content/narration here. Great summation at the end.
Was assigned to 6515th OMS at Edwards AFB in July of 1964 after tech school and first was a mechanic on a C-130A, then a B-47 and lastly the TB-58 chase for the XB-70. Then was transferred to MAC at Travis AFB CA and crew chief on the C-141 A, much later a crew chief on the C-130 E. Finally got out in 1990 after many adventures Air Force and 146th TAW CA ANG. Thanks for the video
Wonderful story, and an amazing career. You truly experienced the Golden Age of flight test and Air Force life. Thanks for your service and for watching the channel!
"Kramer Junction" is also the intersection of U.S. 395 and California route 58. There used to be a really good hamburger joint there, "Astro-Burger". It was closed the last time I went through there in August 2018. Much missed. The area is also called Boron, California. Lots of interesting 4X4 trails and ruins in the area.
Nice work Mike, you do good stuff and your love of aviation comes across clearly. Quite enjoy putting you on for my morning run to work or to wind down while eating dinner, keep it up mate, cheers from Australia
A very interesting and informative video, Mike. I am especially impressed with the way you link the subject aircraft to other aircraft to demonstrate its significance. An approach a true historian would take.
Thanks for this video. You're right when you say the X-2 is the most mysterious of the X-planes. All I really knew about it was it had a turbopumped rocket motor, took 10 years to get into the air, and killed Mel Apt. But as you say, its technologies that were troublesome at the time led to the success of the X-15 after they had matured from the lessons learned on the X-2. It would make an interesting video to do a deep dive on why it took so long to get the X-2 into the air. Being an engine guy, I suspect that developing a throttled liquid fuel engine was the main reason.
Thank you so much Mike. I can't say how much I appreciate your knowledge and hearing about your history with aircraft. I've always loved military and experimental aircraft, and the X2 is my all time favorite airframe. The most beautiful, yet evil aircraft ever built in my options noon. I'm in my early fifties, and grew up in Marietta Georgia not far from Lockheed- Dobbins/NAS Atlanta. Many great memories of all types of aircraft flying in and out of the bases there. Later in life, I lived about two miles from Langley, right in the glide path of the man runway. Good times! I was diagnosed with a brain tumor several years ago, and I have lost the majority of my vision because of it, but I will always cherish the memories of all the great aircraft I've been able to see. Thank you again for imparting your knowledge, and sharing your brilliant art as well!
Oddly, at the Chino Air Museum, Chino,CA.... there is a wingless fiberglass mock-up of the X-2 that always puzzled me, until I later discovered that it was made for a episode of the TV series “Quantum Leap”. Incidentally, I was always surprised that there was never an injected molded model kit of the X-2. I believe there are some resin kits of it, such as the 1/48 Collect-Aire version. Love the movie “Toward the Unknown”...I have a DVD copy of it somewhere....now I’ll have to find it and watch it again!
Yes, that movie really captured the Edwards experience! I remember seeing the X-2 TV mock-up at Chino, and was surprised at how large that airplane was. Always looked small to me in the photos. Thanks for the comment!
There was an injected kit of the X-2 made by Craft Industries back in the 1950s, which is quite rare to find unbuilt. It's about 1/40th scale, and a basic desk model turned into a kit. I have a built up I've been restoring that I picked up on eBay several years ago.
Mike, thank you so much for presenting one of the least covered of the major X planes. Happy to see all the detail photos and background info, especially on the "Hogan" goat, the most unlikely nose art for the world's most advanced piece of technology then. Was Kinch a farm boy? And surely even then the reference to a 19th century comic must have been really obscure! Anyway, love your work and I use your paintings as accurate references to the real plane bec of your extensive research! Great work!
I believed the X-2 model from the pilot episode of Quantum Leap was saved. I think it's in a museum somewhere in the Southwest US. It's such a unique, beautiful design and I don't think there are a lot of models of this design in museums. Again, they had the opportunity to save what was left after the last powered flight and restore the second X-2 for static display but the plane was scrapped!
Often overlooked or forgotten was this aircraft was originally designed as the Messerschmitt _Projekt 1110/I_ the plans were handed over by Adolf Busemann to Theodore Von Karman... who then gave the plans to Bell Aircraft.. Bell Aircraft had very close ties with Messerschmitt and DLA supersonic wind tunnel research labs at Braunschweig Germany after the war. The Bell X-1, Bell X-2 and Bell X-5 are all heavily based on or came from German designs developed by Adolf Busemann.
Appreciate your question which is quite valid, and the answer is that initially, there were no aircraft used as photo chase planes capable of reaching Mach 1 when the first experimental aircraft were flying supersonic in the late-1940s. By the 1960s, although two-seat chase aircraft like the F-100, F-104, and T-38 could fly supersonic in short bursts, the fuel consumption was excessive when in afterburner. The Convair TB-58 photo chase did indeed take photos of the North American XB-70 Valkyrie flying supersonic. Thanks for watching!
Hate to be a nit picker but I have watched a number of your videos and several times you have used the word Regime when think you actually meant to use the word 'Region' ...a common error...or am I mistaken..if so my apologies....Thank you for another interesting and informative video. Cheers!
Yes indeed ..life imitates art .. hopefully beautiful art … Another beautiful and fascinating episode you make a great point about it being a bridge to the X -15 … Did the pilot take off inside the x-2 or board it inside the mothership … ? Cause after an abort I’m not sure I would want to be inside the x2 when it lands …
Great question, and the procedure for all the first-generation X-Planes was to have the rocket pilot ride in the bomber's cockpit until it reached 10,000 feet, and then move back to board the research aircraft. This ensured there was enough altitude for either a manual bailout, or X-Plane launch and then glide back to the Lakebed. There were several instances of the pilot egressing back into the Mothership before the X-Plane was jettisoned due to malfunction and impending explolsion. The X-15, being mounted on the B-52's wing pylon, required the pilot to be in the rocketplane throughout the flight.
@@celebratingaviationwithmik9782 that sounds like a great episode … I couldn’t imagine how something could go wrong with a liquid fueled rocket plane in the bomb bay … …. that’s the interesting thing about egress procedures and systems … being ready for the worst case scenario…
The British had an X plane in 1945 with a Whittle engine + afterburner which they sent to America after giving up on supersonic research… so Eric Brown was denied his chance to break Mach … was it a viable program with potential to go supersonic ..?
I believe you're referring to the 1946 British Miles M.52, but that wasn't powered by the Whittle engine. That pioneering powerplant was built under license by General Electric and test flown in the Bell XP-59 in 1942. A model of the M.52 was air-launched and achieved a scale speed of Mach 1.38, but a full-scale manned jet aircraft doing that would have been a challenge back then. (By comparison, Chuck Yeager's Bell X-1 was rocket-powered.)
@@celebratingaviationwithmik9782 Thanks I’m a big Eric Brown Fan …as well as all test / fighter / cargo / commercial / helicopter ./ pilots … I don’t watch football
The Miles M.52 is a popular British myth that proports that the UK had a supersonic aircraft in 1947, this is a completely false revisionist myth that attempts to insert Britian into the early development history of supersonic aviation that it did not participate in or contribute to in any meaningful way. We know today that had the M.52 actually been built it would not be capable of Mach 1 in level flight, no aircraft powered by an obsolete and highly inefficient centrifugal jet engine has ever flown Mach 1, its simply not possible..
It's a shame they scrapped the X-2. Apparently, the last plane was in good enough shape even after the fatal accident of Apt that it could have been reused. At the very least, it could have been restored for static display! I don't understand the attitude of scrapping unique pieces of engineering. Not the first or last time that's been done. They scrapped both of the B-52 prototypes and those were unique in not only being the first B-52s but also the only two B-52s built with bubble canopies! The USAF had the second B-52 (YB-52) in its collection (but never delivered and on Museum ground premises) but then bailed it and allowed it to be scrapped in the mid-1960s to get a production plane! Now, they at least transfer planes between museums if there's room.
Mike: Thank you very much for posting. I've always considered the X-2 as the "dark horse" of the X series. Great artwork, gotta say.
Thanks for another interesting video. I liked the picture + explanation on how many people were involved in every X-2 flight.
Nice video on an important, albeit troubled program. Just working my way through the Osprey XPLANES issue on the Bell X-2. So great to come across the great content/narration here. Great summation at the end.
Was assigned to 6515th OMS at Edwards AFB in July of 1964 after tech school and first was a mechanic on a C-130A, then a B-47 and lastly the TB-58 chase for the XB-70. Then was transferred to MAC at Travis AFB CA and crew chief on the C-141 A, much later a crew chief on the C-130 E. Finally got out in 1990 after many adventures Air Force and 146th TAW CA ANG. Thanks for the video
Wonderful story, and an amazing career. You truly experienced the Golden Age of flight test and Air Force life. Thanks for your service and for watching the channel!
Mike, you're great! A lot of information and aeronautical culture. Thank you so much. Best regards from Brazil.
Thank you very much for the kind words, and glad you enjoyed the X-2 video.
Fascinating video. I had not heard of the Bell X-2 until very recently.
"Kramer Junction" is also the intersection of U.S. 395 and California route 58. There used to be a really good hamburger joint there, "Astro-Burger". It was closed the last time I went through there in August 2018. Much missed. The area is also called Boron, California. Lots of interesting 4X4 trails and ruins in the area.
Nice work Mike, you do good stuff and your love of aviation comes across clearly. Quite enjoy putting you on for my morning run to work or to wind down while eating dinner, keep it up mate, cheers from Australia
Appreciate the comment - many thanks!
...the X-2 looks like the box the Skyrocket came in... Just kiddin ! Great stuff...! Thanks !
A very interesting and informative video, Mike. I am especially impressed with the way you link the subject aircraft to other aircraft to demonstrate its significance. An approach a true historian would take.
Appreciate the comment, thanks Bert!
Thanks for this video. You're right when you say the X-2 is the most mysterious of the X-planes. All I really knew about it was it had a turbopumped rocket motor, took 10 years to get into the air, and killed Mel Apt. But as you say, its technologies that were troublesome at the time led to the success of the X-15 after they had matured from the lessons learned on the X-2. It would make an interesting video to do a deep dive on why it took so long to get the X-2 into the air. Being an engine guy, I suspect that developing a throttled liquid fuel engine was the main reason.
Its the most mysterious Bell aircraft... because it was actually the Messerschmitt _Projekt 1110/I_ designed by Adolf Busemann.
The level of detail you recall on these aircraft is incredible and fascinating ! Thank you 👍
Thank you so much Mike. I can't say how much I appreciate your knowledge and hearing about your history with aircraft.
I've always loved military and experimental aircraft, and the X2 is my all time favorite airframe. The most beautiful, yet evil aircraft ever built in my options noon.
I'm in my early fifties, and grew up in Marietta Georgia not far from Lockheed- Dobbins/NAS Atlanta. Many great memories of all types of aircraft flying in and out of the bases there. Later in life, I lived about two miles from Langley, right in the glide path of the man runway. Good times!
I was diagnosed with a brain tumor several years ago, and I have lost the majority of my vision because of it, but I will always cherish the memories of all the great aircraft I've been able to see. Thank you again for imparting your knowledge, and sharing your brilliant art as well!
Excellent presentation Mike. Thank you.
Thanks Ian - appreciate the comment!
You are awsume Im shareing this full stop...
A very nice presentation. And some great photos well done.
Thanks John, and 'hope you're doing well!
Oddly, at the Chino Air Museum, Chino,CA.... there is a wingless fiberglass mock-up of the X-2 that always puzzled me, until I later discovered that it was made for a episode of the TV series “Quantum Leap”.
Incidentally, I was always surprised that there was never an injected molded model kit of the X-2. I believe there are some resin kits of it, such as the 1/48 Collect-Aire version.
Love the movie “Toward the Unknown”...I have a DVD copy of it somewhere....now I’ll have to find it and watch it again!
Yes, that movie really captured the Edwards experience! I remember seeing the X-2 TV mock-up at Chino, and was surprised at how large that airplane was. Always looked small to me in the photos. Thanks for the comment!
There was an injected kit of the X-2 made by Craft Industries back in the 1950s, which is quite rare to find unbuilt. It's about 1/40th scale, and a basic desk model turned into a kit.
I have a built up I've been restoring that I picked up on eBay several years ago.
I have all those plane kits, showed at 02:12.!!!
Mike, thank you so much for presenting one of the least covered of the major X planes. Happy to see all the detail photos and background info, especially on the "Hogan" goat, the most unlikely nose art for the world's most advanced piece of technology then. Was Kinch a farm boy? And surely even then the reference to a 19th century comic must have been really obscure!
Anyway, love your work and I use your paintings as accurate references to the real plane bec of your extensive research! Great work!
Appreciate the comment, and thanks for watching!
Boy, that frozen gasket business was a concern, all the way till the O ring failure in the shuttle. Very sad days.
I really enjoy these longer videos that you do. Since I subscribed a few days ago, I’ve been trying to figure out when I’ll go back to Dayton!
Appreciate the comment and thanks for watching!
Kool The Gilbert XF-120 or the Martin XB-51
You forgot it’s role in the very first episode of quantum leap that the X-2 was in
I believed the X-2 model from the pilot episode of Quantum Leap was saved. I think it's in a museum somewhere in the Southwest US.
It's such a unique, beautiful design and I don't think there are a lot of models of this design in museums.
Again, they had the opportunity to save what was left after the last powered flight and restore the second X-2 for static display but the plane was scrapped!
I don't think he "forgot" that. I think it was "irrelevant to the story".
Often overlooked or forgotten was this aircraft was originally designed as the Messerschmitt _Projekt 1110/I_ the plans were handed over by Adolf Busemann to Theodore Von Karman... who then gave the plans to Bell Aircraft.. Bell Aircraft had very close ties with Messerschmitt and DLA supersonic wind tunnel research labs at Braunschweig Germany after the war. The Bell X-1, Bell X-2 and Bell X-5 are all heavily based on or came from German designs developed by Adolf Busemann.
great clip
Thanks Mike love this one
Thank you John - appreciate the comment.
I enjoy, very good job, thanks
Why don't we have any footage of planes flying faster than sound?
Appreciate your question which is quite valid, and the answer is that initially, there were no aircraft used as photo chase planes capable of reaching Mach 1 when the first experimental aircraft were flying supersonic in the late-1940s. By the 1960s, although two-seat chase aircraft like the F-100, F-104, and T-38 could fly supersonic in short bursts, the fuel consumption was excessive when in afterburner. The Convair TB-58 photo chase did indeed take photos of the North American XB-70 Valkyrie flying supersonic. Thanks for watching!
@@celebratingaviationwithmik9782 thanks for answering
Hate to be a nit picker but I have watched a number of your videos and several times you have used the word Regime when think you actually meant to use the word 'Region' ...a common error...or am I mistaken..if so my apologies....Thank you for another interesting and informative video. Cheers!
Yes indeed ..life imitates art .. hopefully beautiful art … Another beautiful and fascinating episode you make a great point about it being a bridge to the X -15 … Did the pilot take off inside the x-2 or board it inside the mothership … ? Cause after an abort I’m not sure I would want to be inside the x2 when it lands …
Great question, and the procedure for all the first-generation X-Planes was to have the rocket pilot ride in the bomber's cockpit until it reached 10,000 feet, and then move back to board the research aircraft. This ensured there was enough altitude for either a manual bailout, or X-Plane launch and then glide back to the Lakebed. There were several instances of the pilot egressing back into the Mothership before the X-Plane was jettisoned due to malfunction and impending explolsion. The X-15, being mounted on the B-52's wing pylon, required the pilot to be in the rocketplane throughout the flight.
@@celebratingaviationwithmik9782 that sounds like a great episode … I couldn’t imagine how something could go wrong with a liquid fueled rocket plane in the bomb bay … …. that’s the interesting thing about egress procedures and systems … being ready for the worst case scenario…
I have to ask, is there, or when will there be, a video on the Douglas D-558-1 and D-558-2?
Those airplanes are definitely on our future production list, thanks!
Lot of technology packed in this plane .
Bell proposed an enhanced plane , but lost out to the X-15.
Thanks for the comment Scott, and for subscribing! And yes, it was Bell, Republic, Douglas, and North American all competing for the X-15 contract.
Didn't "Fitz" Fulton go on to pilot B-58's?
Yes Matt, that is correct - Fitz was assigned as Chief Project Pilot on the B-58 in the late 1950s.
The British had an X plane in 1945 with a Whittle engine + afterburner which they sent to America after giving up on supersonic research… so Eric Brown was denied his chance to break Mach … was it a viable program with potential to go supersonic ..?
I believe you're referring to the 1946 British Miles M.52, but that wasn't powered by the Whittle engine. That pioneering powerplant was built under license by General Electric and test flown in the Bell XP-59 in 1942. A model of the M.52 was air-launched and achieved a scale speed of Mach 1.38, but a full-scale manned jet aircraft doing that would have been a challenge back then. (By comparison, Chuck Yeager's Bell X-1 was rocket-powered.)
@@celebratingaviationwithmik9782 Thanks I’m a big Eric Brown Fan …as well as all test / fighter / cargo / commercial / helicopter ./ pilots … I don’t watch football
The Miles M.52 is a popular British myth that proports that the UK had a supersonic aircraft in 1947, this is a completely false revisionist myth that attempts to insert Britian into the early development history of supersonic aviation that it did not participate in or contribute to in any meaningful way.
We know today that had the M.52 actually been built it would not be capable of Mach 1 in level flight, no aircraft powered by an obsolete and highly inefficient centrifugal jet engine has ever flown Mach 1, its simply not possible..
It's a shame they scrapped the X-2.
Apparently, the last plane was in good enough shape even after the fatal accident of Apt that it could have been reused. At the very least, it could have been restored for static display!
I don't understand the attitude of scrapping unique pieces of engineering.
Not the first or last time that's been done. They scrapped both of the B-52 prototypes and those were unique in not only being the first B-52s but also the only two B-52s built with bubble canopies!
The USAF had the second B-52 (YB-52) in its collection (but never delivered and on Museum ground premises) but then bailed it and allowed it to be scrapped in the mid-1960s to get a production plane! Now, they at least transfer planes between museums if there's room.