In the mid 50’s the cold war is in full force and the space race is on. NASA engineers have been working on an experimental project. The North American X-15 program’s objective was to create a way for man to maintain human control in space flight. The design of the X-15 required it to be drop launched from a B-52 bomber. The ship would then increase its altitude until it reached the edge of outer space. Then the craft would reenter the atmosphere and land under the pilot's control. A chase plane helps guide the X-15 when it returns to the atmosphere for landing.
A select group of pilots are part of the program. Among them are civilian pilot Matt Powell (David McLean), Lt. Col. Lee Brandon (Charles Bronson) and Major Ernest Wilde (Ralph Taeger). In charge of the program are Tom Deparma (James Gregory) and Air Force Colonel Craig Brewster (Kenneth Tobey).
The test flights experience problems which often result in tensions at home. Matt and his girlfriend Pamela Stewart (Mary Tyler Moore) are trying to get back together after having spit up for a time. Now they are talking marriage. Ernest’s wife Diane (Lisabeth Hush) is pregnant but has had a couple miscarriages in the past. She is not ready to tell her husband of the pregnancy until she is sure nothing bad will happen. Lee’s wife Margaret (Patricia Owens) and his young son Mike (Stanley Livingston) do what they can to keep their fears from showing. Especially when they all know that any day could be the last day they will see their husbands.
After several setbacks that have hampered the project everyone is getting anxious. A problem with a pressure failure required one test to be aborted. The X-15 was unable to release from the B-52 and had to make an emergency landing with both crafts still connected. In another instance, during one of the ground tests the engine explodes resulting in the death of one of the pilots. Matt, Lee and Ernest take turns with the other pilots flying the X-15 or one of the chase planes. Another tragic accident will happen and one of the three friends will not go home again.
“X-15” was released in 1961 and was directed by Richard Donner. It is an American aviation drama. The film is based on a fictional account of the real life X-15 rocket aircraft program.
The movie is really geared towards aviation junkies. NASA and the Pentagon were advisors on the film project so the information on the X-15 is accurate. Most of the stock footage is actual footage from NASA and Air Force archival footage from other disasters. The subplots involving the wives and girlfriends of the pilots is a little on the boring side. Some of the actors are well known but the script is more of an afterthought. The characters are mostly flat and the actors have very little to work with.
James Stewart narrated the film. Stewart was a brigadier general in the Air Force Reserve. Charles Bronson was an aerial gunner in WWII.
The X-15 was built by North American Aviation and Reaction Motors. The X-15 achieved an altitude of 67 miles or 107.8 km (Joe Walker pilot) and a speed of 4,520 mph, or 7,274 km/h (Pete Knight pilot) with a range of 280 miles or 450 km. The plane’s first flight was on June 8th, 1959. It still holds the official world record for the highest speed reached by a manned aircraft. Three X-15s were built. There were 12 test pilots. They flew a total of 199 test flights. The last flight was October 24th, 1968. Neil Armstrong was one of the X-15 test pilots.