15 The
End…Finis…QED!
Bob Rushworth successfully flew to 112,000 feet
on his only flight in the AST . He was a
graduate engineer, had flown many hours of X-15
simulations and he had learned the difference
between atmospheric and space flight in a number
X-15 flights before he flew the AST. I was
successful on every zoom that I flew while
staying within what I knew was at least an
analyzed flight envelope. Not until I
intentionally, and inexcusably, exceeded the
instrumentation limits, and that by a truly
unreasonable margin, was I unable to succeed. I
had far less experience and flying ability than
Chuck. But I had what he lacked, which was
modern and excellent formal training in
instrument flying in high performance jets plus
understanding of the new environment of space
and control techniques for it, because I was a
graduate aeronautical engineer and had studied
space flight for six months in the Aerospace
Research Pilots School.
In fact, I think that the greatest tribute to
the people who created the AST and the uncanny
success that resulted from their combined effort
was the fact that the airplane had so much
margin of controllability and cockpit display
capability that on my very first zoom, I was
able to overcome the very serious wiring mistake
that caused a critical situation for attitude
control with the rocket thrusters, but there was
margin enough for that. The AeroSpace Trainer
became a pawn in a political game and/or a
victim of a loss of an Air Force mission in
space.
In my opinion Chuck was one of the great test
pilots of our time but proved he was out of his
element in the AST. Those responsible for
allowing his decision to fly were more
responsible than he, and naïve about space
flight. In comparison, Jimmy Doolittle, who was
arguably the greatest
pilot and test pilot of all time had a PhD in
Aeronautical Engineering from M.I.T.
There is a point that should not be overlooked
about the AST aircraft. That the people who
conceived the AST and those that designed and
fabricated it accomplished their goal
magnificently under the conditions of existing
technology, antique computers and minimal
funding. One major difference between then and
now was the computer. Today, truly unstable
airplanes can and are made to react correctly,
merely with a fly-by-wire system interjected as
interface between pilot and airplane. That
allows many advantages, even deriving
performance benefits from instability, or
gaining flight control by engine
thrust-vectoring, for example. They had none of
those benefits, little money, and no time to
acquire new hardware but provided a machine that
demanded only that pilots be skilled in test;
disciplined enough to remain within the design
boundaries, trained to understand the flight
environment and its peculiarities and
knowledgeable about the technical differences
between aerial and space-flight.
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