NASA M2-F1

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M2-F1 on its first flight, towed by a C-47

The NASA M2-F1 was an American experimental aircraft based on the lifting body concept . It was commissioned by the director of the Dryden research laboratory, Paul Bikle . NASA M2-F1 was the first in a series of wingless experimental aircraft tested between 1963 and 1975. Other machines were:

The letters M and F stood for manned (manned) and flight (aircraft version ). The test flights took place at the NASA Flight Research Center (now Dryden Flight Research Center ). With these experiments it could be shown that wing and non-propulsion aircraft can be safely controlled and landed at a defined point. The M2-F1 was a very simple, cheap (only $ 30,000), semi-conical, non-motorized construction that consisted of a welded steel frame with a very smooth outer skin made of mahogany wood segments that were glued together and then sanded into shape. She had a glazed bow and was equipped with small auxiliary missiles in the stern in case of an emergency.

The first flight took place as a towing car , pulled by a Pontiac Catalina convertible, on April 5, 1963 at around 140 km / h. There were violent rolling movements that could be eliminated by changing the controls. The speed was then increased to 180 km / h, with an altitude of 20 meters and up to 20 seconds of independent flight after releasing the rope. Before switching to tow starts with a Douglas C-47 as a tow plane, the machine was brought into a wind tunnel at the Ames Research Center for a few weeks in order to better test its flight behavior. The first flight of the M2-F1 with the pilot Milt Thompson at the controls in the F-tow then followed on August 16, 1963. The machine was towed to an altitude of 4000 meters and disengaged. After a steep descent at a rate of 1000 m / min, it landed on the runway at 250 km / h without any problems. After about 400 tow plows by car and 77 by plane (with famous pilots such as Chuck Yeager at the wheel), during which valuable information could be gained for the successor designs , the machine was decommissioned and the Northrop M2-F2 was commissioned given.

Technical specifications

  • Crew: 1
  • Length: 6.1 m
  • Span: 4.32 m
  • Height: 2.89 m
  • Wing area: 12.9 m²
  • Empty weight: 454 kg
  • Takeoff weight: 536-567 kg
  • Top speed: 250 km / h
  • Range: 16 km

swell

  • FliegerRevue 3/2008, pp. 58-61, "Lifting Bodies and Moon Landing Trainers"

Web links

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