Neil Armstrong

Neil Armstrong during his days as a NASA test pilot, next to the X-15 ship #1 (56-6670) after a research flight. The X-15 was a rocket-powered aircraft 50 feet long with a wingspan of 22 feet. It was a missile-shaped vehicle with an unusual wedge-shaped vertical tail, thin stubby wings, and unique side fairings that extended along the side of the fuselage. January 1961.

Photo courtesy of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration. Image E-USAF-ARMSTRONG-X15