Stilletto is a good name for the plane.
Looks like one.....FEELS like one.
There was an American made model kit (1/72) available in the 1960's (seen in a catalogue)......I was never able to track down a copy as a kid, but the intriguing visual impression remained with me all this time.
Thanks to Milton & Friends, I've finally been able to climb aboard this unique design and satisfy a curiosity that's been outstanding since at least....ummm....1965.....
So....a beta flight out of Edward's AFB was setup, real weather programed. About 66 degrees F. with a 5 knot crosswind. Even in October, Mojave deserty dry.
The manual startup regime as illustrated by the designer is obviously a great simplification from reality, but evocative enough to make you feel like you're doing something approaching prototypical activity. (Fun threshold maintained.)
Good notes, docs and illustrations, Milton!
After engines started and deemed happy, set elevator pitch (+2) and flaps (set 3), ease throttle to 80%,as RPM stabilize, release brakes. As takeoff roll is commenced, smoothly advance power to 100%. A satisfying afterburner thump is heard to aft, and a mild increase in "push" is noted.
I'm not going to quote V-speed schedule here as the numbers are so "stretched out" as to be too abstract in my mind.
....V2....? No such thing in a Stilletto. Loose an engine, there's only two simple options, either you've already got the touch down point made, or you're checking out for a sky-diving appointment.
So take off roll is a long, gradual affair. At roughly 260 knot, gentle back pressure on the yoke render an equally gentle rotation, pilot fixing it at about 5-6 degrees. At about 300 knots (ind) the X-3 flies off smoothly, and within a few seconds, gear is retracted.
Flaps raised to notch-2 at about 300 knots, nose held low allowing maximum acceleration with flaps finally cleaned up at around 360 knots (ind). Elevator trim is constantly unloaded as speed increases, at 400 knots I let her begin to climb in earnest. An easy ascent is plotted at about 2000 fpm at 406-408 knots (ind).
A note, just after departure, while retracting gear, the plane shows a fair degree of lateral (yaw) instability, easily provoked by the day's mild (4-5 knot) cross wind. It feels sort of like the plane is balance atop a pyramid of Jello, and your task is to keep it balanced there with minimum aid from your control surfaces....)
Once the Stilletto crosses 400 knots....the stability issue is corrected to the point that it feels "almost" like a conventional aircraft.Some experimenting with throttle settings leaves me climbing with power just below the afterburner kick, still maintaining 406-408 knots (ind) at roughly 2000 FPM.
In an easterly course across the desert, throttle is slowly increased to maintain IAS & Climb until full throttle is reached at about 25,000 feet, with the goal to achieve 30,000. Engine temperatures hold at reasonable levels.
Wishing to keep air speed above 400 knots, I beginning performing a step-climb regimen, lowering the nose to level flight and allowing the aircraft to accelerate to 420 knots (ind) and then relaxing the controls and allowing climb to resume until AS drops to 390 knots (ind), and then repeating.
At thirty thousand feet, the aircraft is trimmed for level flight, throttle reduced to just below the afterburner kick. Looking down, I'm over the town of Needles, California on the Colorado River.
Banking left, a gentle 180 degree turn is executed, noticing a little weight on the left rudder pedal needed to maintain a clean, coordinated turn. Airspeed begins to drop, throttle is eased to full, halfway through the turn. Aircraft happiness is maintained.
A westerly course is plotted to return to Edward's, I elect to lower the nose with full throttle maintained. Let's see what the Stilletto will do. Very quickly the "Mach'o'meter" is pinned. The FSX overhead display tells me it's 580 knots indicated at around 25,000 feet and dropping. The aircraft feels happily stable. ( In this case I like to imagine that the FSX overhead display might be a "telemetry" readout perhaps radio'ed back to me.)
At twenty thousand I level out, reduce power to just below the afterburner trigger. I'm not bothering with engine RPM, it'll take what it needs.....all temps and pressures seem good.
Indicated speed coming back down to to about 405 knots (ind) I opt to try some Dutch rolls, one left, one right. Aircraft seems stable, if somewhat stiff. Return to level flight in an easy and predictable manner.
Full throttle added, let's try a barrel roll. Speed builds up to a 440 knots in a slight dive, gently pull up nose to about 30 degrees vertical, around she goes with a bit of rudder and aileron. Nice. like it's on rails, until we return to level flight. Then the nose starts hunting around in a mild 360 degree gyration.
Full power is maintained and I resist to try and correct the oscillation. With full power and building airspeed, the movement gradually reduces itself until a clean trajectory is again resumed.
Very interesting.....
I'm down to 13,000 feet, and the San Bernadino Ranges now lay between me and Edward's AFB. Back to afterburner, climbing to 18,000 feet to maintain a safe bailout margin should the requirement arise.....(!!)
Once clear of that, I begin maneuvering to align my landing at home base. I'm dropping at about 500 FPM with engines at high cruise setting....just below afterburner kick. Nothing's easy here....engine life must have very......VERY....short.
Quite amused by the high volume of AI GA aircraft trundling about in the restricted airspace around the Edward's. The X-3 is already way overweight.....I guess installing an automatic weapon or two would be demanding a bit much of the engines and non-existent wings.....you know.....the Gatling Gun that broke the camel's back.....
Still....it's kind of fun to blast across the nose of an errant C.152 at 400 knots in a machine that looks like it just escaped from a Star Wars movie. I wonder if FSX would allow my vortex to flip the Cessna on his back..? Sorry, I haven't the time or courage to look back, eyes pinned on the gauges and telemetry....
Approaching Edward's (the longest runway please!!) there is no plan to enter pattern. I'm coming in, and I'm comin' down NOW! Everybody out of my way. It's interesting to imagine the flight priority these test pilots would have received in the day.
As speed reduces, high power settings are still maintained.
Runway in sight, maintain about 360 knots, slowing below that, 1rst notch flaps selected, re-trim, one eye on airspeed, other eye on engine readouts, third eye maintaining visual with runway.
At 320 knots, second notch flaps, add throttle, re-trim, maintain gentle descent. Angle of attack is growing, visibility diminishing. A curving F4U Corsair type approach might work better, but I'm not the guy to dare. Crash recognition setting is ON.
Coming in low and fast, less than a mile from the threshold, we're going "gear down and full flaps", engines screaming and the "sound pack's turbulent wake departure file" in full and constant roar.
Five knot cross wind is keeping me busy, every rubbery yaw make me feel as if the plane is going to drop a wing. We're back atop the mountain of Jello!!
Touchdown at 240 knots, air brakes kicked out, Stilletto seems to think this is all normal. Slowdown takes forever, but not to worry....pavement runs for over 13,000 feet, plus a lot of really nicely graded and compacted desert floor after that.
Come to an eventual stop, pull off the runway, shut it all down, and realize in the deafening silence that my palms are sweaty.....as is my forehead. Stilletto looks at me, raise one eyebrow, and says with great emphasis, simply, "....WHAT..?!!!"
Huh....that was intense.
Even though I'm a non-smoker.....I step outside and have a cigarette. It seems necessary.
It's a beta release, so let's make the post flight report while I puff away....:
Graphic model.....looks good inside and out. Apologizing for my "Magoo " vision.....despite which I could find no visual anomalies. MDL and texture render clean and slick. It's a vicious looking plane, and the artistry therein is provocatively so. Perfectly done, Milton.
Controls, animations and effects (sound and visual) all worked perfectly, my setup being a really stable old copy of Windows Vista with FSX Acceleration installed. I read that the sound-pack is the default F-18, however, there is a "slip-stream departure" rumble that really communicates well, goes a long way to tell you what the aircraft is doing. Good selection.
The flight model is a nasty piece of composition, my compliments to Pam & Paul....I can't imagine the time versus blood, sweat, and tears that went into working out that piece of code. Having read this thread since it's inception, and having read up a bit about the original Stilletto test aircraft, I was not disappointed at all with the physics programmed here.
In fact, delivery made as advertised.
Massively well done, this thing keeps you on your toes while balanced on a razor blade. That a desktop flightsim could create a performance scenario that would build a towering respect for the test pilots of the original real-world aircraft, I'd say....job done to perfection.
The flight model isn't finished development yet? Okay....but whatever subtleties are in the refinement stage, this version, at this stage, is beyond perfect in my estimation.
Magnificent project you guys. Very evocative, and a great experience. To Milton and all the crew of technicians, craftspeople, and artisans, a big thank-you for sharing this great piece of work.
Now that the nicotine is beginning to flow in my veins, I think I'll go fly a biplane for a little bit and calm down, before I try to look the Stilletto in the eyes again.
Cheers!!