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John Manke was a Director of Flight Operations for the NASA Ames Research Center, which at the time included the Ames facility at Moffett Field, Calif., and Dryden Flight Research Facility at Edwards, Calif. He was Chief of Flight Operations at Dryden prior to its integration with Ames Research Center in October 1981, and continued in that capacity until his retirement on April 27, 1984.
Dryden resumed full Center status separate from Ames on October 1, 1994.
Manke was hired by NASA on May 25, 1962, as a flight research engineer. He was later assigned to the pilots office and flew various support aircraft including the F-104, F5D, F-111 and C-47. On May 28, 1968 he flew the HL-10. It was his first of a record 42 flights in Lifting Bodies.
The wingless Lifting Bodies demonstrated the ability to maneuver and safely land a vehicle with a shape that was designed for space flight. This research provided data and flight techniques used for the Space Shuttle. Manke's first flight in the HL-10 was a glide flight; but most of subsequent Lifting Body flights were rocket-powered. He flew the HL-10 ten times (including the first supersonic flight in a Lifting Body, on May 9, 1969), the M2-F3 four times, the X-24A twelve times, and the X-24B sixteen times. His last flight of one of these aircraft was on August 5, 1975, in the X-24B.
Manke was born in Selby, S. Dak., November 13, 1931. He attended the University of South Dakota before joining the US Navy in 1951. He was selected for the NROTC program and graduated from Marquette University, Milwaukee, Wis. in 1956 with a Bachelor's Degree in Electrical Engineering.
Following graduation Manke entered flight training and served as a fighter pilot with the US Marine Corps. He left the service in 1960 and worked for Honeywell Corporation as a test engineer for two years before coming to NASA.
Manke is a member of the Society of Experimental Test Pilots. In his spare time he has built and flown his own light airplane and glider, and flown radio-controlled model aircraft.
Maximum Speed - 698 kph. Maximum Altitude - 13720 m. Flight Time - 245 sec.
Maximum Speed - 697 kph. Maximum Altitude - 13720 m. Flight Time - 246 sec.
Maximum Speed - 758 kph. Maximum Altitude - 13720 m. Flight Time - 243 sec.
2 chambers, 186-sec powered flight. Maximum Speed - 843 kph. Maximum Altitude - 13000 m. Flight Time - 385 sec.
3 chambers. Maximum Speed - 973 kph. Maximum Altitude - 16070 m. Flight Time - 400 sec.
3 chambers, first supersonic. Maximum Speed - 1197 kph. Maximum Altitude - 16250 m. Flight Time - 410 sec.
2 chambers. Maximum Speed - 1311 kph. Maximum Altitude - 18960 m. Flight Time - 398 sec.
2 chambers. Maximum Speed - 1483 kph. Maximum Altitude - 19540 m. Flight Time - 378 sec.
First 4-chambered flight. Maximum Speed - 1641 kph. Maximum Altitude - 23190 m. Flight Time - 372 sec.
4 chambers. Maximum Speed - 1340 kph. Maximum Altitude - 24140 m. Flight Time - 426 sec.
Glide. Maximum Speed - 623 kph. Maximum Altitude - 12190 m. Flight Time - 238 sec.
Maximum Speed - 919 kph. Maximum Altitude - 17892 m. Flight Time - 435 sec.
2 chambers. Maximum Speed - 795 kph. Maximum Altitude - 13594 m. Flight Time - 513 sec.
Maximum Speed - 1051 kph. Maximum Altitude - 18593 m. Flight Time - 432 sec.
Maximum Speed - 1047 kph. Maximum Altitude - 19477 m. Flight Time - 413 sec.
First supersonic flight. Maximum Speed - 1261 kph. Maximum Altitude - 20696 m. Flight Time - 411 sec.
Maximum Speed - 1446 kph. Maximum Altitude - 21763 m. Flight Time - 417 sec.
Maximum Speed - 1093 kph. Maximum Altitude - 15819 m. Flight Time - 462 sec.
Maximum Speed - 1606 kph. Maximum Altitude - 20544 m. Flight Time - 447 sec.
Fastest X-24 flight. Maximum Speed - 1667 kph. Maximum Altitude - 21488 m. Flight Time - 446 sec.
3 chambers. Maximum Speed - 1265 kph. Maximum Altitude - 19903 m. Flight Time - 548 sec.
Final X-24A flight. Maximum Speed - 867 kph. Maximum Altitude - 16581 m. Flight Time - 517 sec.
Maximum Speed - 961 kph. Maximum Altitude - 14360 m. Flight Time - 359 sec.
Maximum Speed - 1292 kph. Maximum Altitude - 21730 m. Flight Time - 378 sec.
Maximum Speed - 1524 kph. Maximum Altitude - 20330 m. Flight Time - 377 sec.
Last M2-F3 flight, also highest. Maximum Speed - 1377 kph. Maximum Altitude - 21790 m. Flight Time - 390 sec.
First glide flight. Maximum Speed - 740 kph. Maximum Altitude - 12190 m. Flight Time - 252 sec.
Maximum Speed - 722 kph. Maximum Altitude - 13720 m. Flight Time - 267 sec.
Maximum Speed - 771 kph. Maximum Altitude - 13720 m. Flight Time - 277 sec.
Maximum Speed - 724 kph. Maximum Altitude - 13720 m. Flight Time - 271 sec.
First power flight. Maximum Speed - 961 kph. Maximum Altitude - 16080 m. Flight Time - 404 sec.
Maximum Speed - 1038 kph. Maximum Altitude - 19080 m. Flight Time - 434 sec.
First supersonic flight. Maximum Speed - 1139 kph. Maximum Altitude - 18390 m. Flight Time - 437 sec.
Maximum Speed - 1212 kph. Maximum Altitude - 17060 m. Flight Time - 448 sec.
Maximum Speed - 1480 kph. Maximum Altitude - 20770 m. Flight Time - 427 sec.
Maximum Speed - 1170 kph. Maximum Altitude - 22080 m. Flight Time - 467 sec.
Maximum Speed - 1722 kph. Maximum Altitude - 21960 m. Flight Time - 481 sec.
Maximum Speed - 1862 kph. Maximum Altitude - 22180 m. Flight Time - 477 sec.
Maximum Speed - 1279 kph. Maximum Altitude - 17650 m. Flight Time - 450 sec.
Max. altitude. Maximum Speed - 1744 kph. Maximum Altitude - 22370 m. Flight Time - 461 sec.
Maximum Speed - 1427 kph. Maximum Altitude - 17680 m. Flight Time - 426 sec.
Maximum Speed - 1381 kph. Maximum Altitude - 18290 m. Flight Time - 420 sec.