X-15

This article is about the 1961 movie. For the American experimental hypersonic research aircraft, see Category:North American X-15.

X-15 movie poster.

Movie (1961)
Italian title: Il leggendario X-15

Starring:
David McLean (NASA test pilot Matt Powell)
Charles Bronson (Lt. Col. Lee Brandon)
Ralph Taeger (Maj. Ernest Wilde)
Patricia Owens (Margaret Brandon)

X-15 is a 1961 dramatic aviation film that presents a fictionalized account of the X-15 research rocket plane program during its first two years.

Boeing NB-52B Stratofortress

Boeing NB-52B s/n 52-0008.
Same aircraft in other movies at IMPDb: Frequently Seen Aircraft (Military Fixed-Wing).

Lockheed F-104D-5-LO Starfighter

Serialed 71315, this Lockheed F-104D-5-LO Starfighter c/n 483-5027 was later sold to Taiwan (serial there : 4161).

Lockheed F-104A Starfighter

Built as YF-104A (s/n 55-2964), written off on 2 November 1957.

Lockheed F-104B-1-LO Starfighter

Lockheed F-104B-1-LO (c/n 283-5000) s/n FG-719, written off on 27 June 1958.

Lockheed F-104A Starfighter & North American F-100F-15-NA Super Sabre

FW-963 is North American F-100F-15-NA Super Sabre s/n 56-3963 (c/n 243-239) sold to Turkish AF in 1974 and crashed the following year.

North American F-100F Super Sabre

Seconds before the crash ...

North American F-100C-20-NA Super Sabre

North American F-100C-20-NA s/n 54-1907.
Same aircraft in other movies at IMPDb: Frequently Seen Aircraft.

Piasecki H-21B Workhorse

Another one just seen blured but with a different paint scheme.

Bell X-1E, AF s/n 46-063, seen in front of the NASA Dryden Flight Research Center headquarters building (Edwards Air Force Base, California).
Same aircraft in other movies at IMPDb: Frequently Seen Aircraft.

Douglas F5D Skylancer

In the right background, one of the four Douglas F5D prototype. Probably Douglas F5D NASA 212 (BuN 139208) with its color paint of the very first 60's. Transferred to Edward in 1961 for use as test aircraft in the Dyna-Soar project but eventually not used as it. He later changed to more red dayglo panels and NASA 708 code.

North American X-15A

Seen at every stage of the program, on the ground and in the air.
Backwards camera during the climb towards space frontier.

Seconds before landing, the X-15 jettisoned its lower half fin just before extending its short-legged landing skids.

North American X-15A

S/n 56-6670.
Same aircraft in other movies at IMPDb: Frequently Seen Aircraft.

North American X-15A

S/n 56-6671.
Same aircraft in other movies at IMPDb: Frequently Seen Aircraft.

North American X-15A

S/n 56-6672.
Same aircraft in other movies at IMPDb: Frequently Seen Aircraft.

Boeing NB-52A Stratofortress

Boeing NB-52A s/n 52-0003.

One of the very few shot of the NB-52 without the X-15.

Various Desk Models

All along the movie, we can see lot of models and posters especially at Brandon's office including : X-15, B-58, X-3, F-100, F-104, F-102, F-101.
Here are two examples with Convair F-102 Delta Dagger :