For a great read on that project and some other neat stuff up at Edwards, check out 'Flying without wings' by Milt Thompson. He was a test pilot on that project as well as the X-15 project and a bunch of other stuff.
Some highlights:
Buying a super hotrodded Charger with blower, etc, for NASA to use as a tow-test vehicle. Painting is NASA white and pulling various gliders as well as a manned rogalo parafoil test vehicle.
Getting stuck in the middle of nowhere when the staff C-47 that they used to do casual part runs broke down, then cajoling a replacement part out of the local reserve.
Landing an X-15 and sliding off the dry lake bed into the scrub.
Testing dry lake beds near Mojave for suitability as emergency landing spots by dropping bowling balls on them from the C-47.
Crashing a crop duster as a teenager in Mexico, then wheeling it to the road with the help of a farmer and his tractor and flying back, alternately going high and low as his fear that a: the engine might quit and he'd need to glide fought with his other fear that b: the crash might have broken an engine bolt and the engine might fall off.
Great stuff, highly recomended.
