For you NASA Historians, We Have a Request

TDB Reader, Diana Solomon has an interesting question she posted in the comments of one of our B-52 articles. 

She asks:

Can anyone tell me what the symbols on the B 52's that carried and dropped the X15 are. There is B52 sitting in Hickham AFB right now with 3 symbols of the x15 one nose down one nose up and one nose straight. We were wondering if this stands for the 3 flights and the condition at the end of the 3 flights.

Maybe someone out there has a Father or a Grandfather who flew or was crew. Thanks

- Diana Solomon

Well?… Anyone?  SteelJaw?  Hoot?   Pony up in the comments.

-JC

Comments

[Steeljaw Scribe]

Well - sorry for the late response, chalk it up to an incompetent internet service provider (oh the joys of a government-blessed monopoly...)
A complete rundown on the mission markings on "Double Balls 8" (NB-52 mothership) may be found here:
http://steeljawscribe.com/2006/11/16/flightdeck-friday-the-project-valour-it-challenge
See especially the close-up of the SRB/DTV mission marker (narrative added in red text)
- SJS

[Ken Schoeni]

"From my research only two B-52's carried the X-15.
The first was a NB-52A (AF/NASA #52-0003 "The High and the Mighty One") which was retired in 1968. She is on display at the Pima Air Museum near Tucson, AZ. Markings on this aircraft are a near vertical X-15 for powered and straight X-15 for glided flights.
The other was a NB-52B (AF/NASA #52-0008 "Balls 8") which was retired in Dec. 2004. This aircraft carried the vast majority of the X-15 flights. She is in storage at Edwards AFB, CA to be part of a museum at the base.
A B-52H was loaned to NASA but was returned the Air Force due to the lack of test projects needing a mother-ship launch.
A B-52 will be used for the X-51 project which will start in late 2009."

Thanks, Ken
Mile High Tailhooker det. Puget Sound

[joe wilson]

The nose up symbol was for a flight that came off the B-52 hooks and was successful.

The nose down symbol was for a flight that came off the B-52 hooks and was not successful. The X-15 would have to land at the launch dry lake or one of the intermediate dry lakes on the way to Edwards Air Force base.

The level symbol was for a flight that did not come off of the B-52 hooks (system problems etc.) and returned to base on the B-52.

[Parrothead Jeff]

I'm not sure, but I'm willing to take a guess. It could be that the nose up symbol was for a high altitude flight, the nose straight for a speed run, and the nose down for an emergency landing like the one at Delamar Dry Lake in Nevada.