Structural Design of the X-15

Abstract

The 1346th Lecture to be delivered before the Society, “Structural Design of the X-15”, by Dr. R. L. Schleicher, was given on 18th April 1963 in the Society's Lecture Theatre with Mr. B. S. Shenstone, M.A.Sc, F.R.Ae.S., F.A.I.A.A., F.C.A.S.L, in the Chair. Introducing the lecturer, Mr. Shenstone said that Dr. Schleicher was Manager, Structures Engineering, at the Los Angeles Division of North American Aviation, Inc., and he had been with the firm since its inception in 1934. Dr. Schleicher was a graduate of Villanova University and held a degree of B.S. in M.E., and his D.Sc. had been conferred on him in 1957. He had nearly 34 years experience in aircraft structures engineering beginning in 1929. He had been Chief Structures Engineer at North American Aviation, Inc. on all the aircraft designed and built by the Los Angeles Division of that company and that included the X-15. He was a member of the Society for Experimental Stress Analysis and an Associate Fellow of the A.I.A.A. From 1943 to 1958 he had been a member of a number of NACA (now NASA) Committees and Sub-committees and had written a number of technical papers. He was currently serving on an Advisory Committee on Aircraft Structures for the U.S. Air Forces.They were indeed grateful to Dr. Schleicher for coming all this way to lecture.