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HL-10 Lifting Body
HL-10 Lifting Body - HL-10 Lifting Body with B-52 and Test Pilot Dana

Credit: NASA. 23,185 bytes. 412 x 302 pixels.

Class: Manned. Type: Spaceplane. Nation: USA. Manufacturer: Northrop.

The HL-10 was the favored lifting body configuration of NASA's Langley. It reached Mach 1.86 and 27,700 m during its flight test. This configuration was found to be the best of the lifting bodies, and it was used in several of the orbiter proposals in NASA's Phase A and Phase B shuttle design studies. It is also very similar to the winning X-33 configuration proposed by the Lockheed. Purportedly an unmanned test vehicle of this design was tested at orbital speeds by the US Air Force in a black Lockheed Skunk Work's project, possibly on two Titan 3B / Agena D launches in 1972.

The HL-10 was one of five lifting body designs flown at NASA's Dryden Flight Research Center, Edwards, Calif., from July 1966 to November 1975 to study and validate the concept of safely maneuvering and landing a low lift-over-drag vehicle designed for reentry from space. It is now on permanent public display near the main entrance of Dryden.

The other designs were the M2-F2, M2-F3 (rebuilt M2-F2 following a landing accident), X-24A and X-24B (rebuilt X-24A with a different aerodynamic shape).

Wingless lifting bodies attained aerodynamic stability and lift from the shape of the vehicle. Lift resulted from more air pressure on the bottom of the body than on the top. They used energy and aerodynamic lift for in-flight maneuvering and a powerless, glider-like landing.

Background

The original idea of lifting bodies was conceived in 1957 by Dr. Alfred J. Eggers Jr., then the assistant director for Research and Development Analysis and Planning at NASA's Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, Calif.

The lifting body concept was originally tested at Dryden with a plywood prototype designated the M2-F1 and built in late 1962. It featured a plywood shell built by Gus Briegleb, a sailplane builder from Mirage Dry Lake, Calif., placed over a tubular frame built at Dryden. The M2-F1 was towed aloft, first behind an auto and then a C-47 more than 100 times, to validate basic lifting body stability and control characteristics. This led to establishment of the formal program which resulted in the HL-10 and its sister vehicles.

Northrop Corporation built the HL-10. The contract for construction of the HL-10 and the M2-F2, first of the fleet of lifting bodies flown at Dryden and also built by Northrop, was $1.8 million. "HL" stands for horizontal landing, and "10" refers to the tenth design studied by engineers at NASA's Langley Research Center, Hampton, Va.

The HL-10 was delivered to NASA in January 1966. During the next 10 months it was instrumented for the research program and prepared for flight. The HL-10 and the M2-F2 were tested in wind tunnels at Ames Research Center before research flights began.

First flight of the HL-10 was on Dec. 22, 1966, with research pilot Bruce Peterson in the cockpit. Although an XLR-11 rocket engine was installed in the vehicle, the first 11 drop flights from the B-52 launch aircraft were powerless glide flights to assess handling qualities, stability, and control.

The HL-10 was flown 37 times during the lifting body research program and logged the highest altitude and fastest speed in the program. On Feb. 18, 1970, Air Force test pilot Peter Hoag piloted the HL-10 to Mach 1.86 (1,228 mph). Nine days later, NASA pilot Bill Dana flew the vehicle to 90,030 feet, which became the highest altitude reached in the program.

Typical Flight Profile

During a typical lifting body flight, the B-52 -- with the research vehicle attached to the pylon mount on the right wing between the fuselage and inboard engine pod -- flew to a height of about 45,000 feet and a launch speed of about 450 mph.

Moments after being dropped, the XLR-11 rocket engine (same type engine used in the Bell X-l) was ignited by the pilot. Speed and altitude increased until the engine was shut down by choice or fuel exhaustion, depending upon the individual mission profile. The lifting bodies normally carried enough fuel for about 100 seconds of powered flight and routinely reached altitudes of 50,000 to 80,000 feet and speeds above Mach 1.

HL-10HL-10 - Three view of the HL-10, the favored lifting body configuration of NASA's Langley. This configuration was found to be the best of the lifting bodies.

Credit: © Mark Wade. 4,352 bytes. 701 x 455 pixels.

Following engine shutdown, the pilot maneuvered the vehicle through a simulated return-from-space corridor into a pre-planned approach for a landing on one of the lakebed runways on Rogers Dry Lake at Edwards. A circular approach was used to lose altitude during the landing phase. On the final approach leg, the pilot increased his rate of descent to build up energy. At about 100 feet altitude, a "flare out" maneuver dropped air speed to about 200 mph for the landing.

The HL-10 helped develop energy management and landing techniques used presently with the space shuttle orbiters.

Specifications

Dimensions: Length, 22 ft. 2 in.; Width, 15 ft. 7 in.; Height, 11 ft. 5 in.; Min. Weight, 5,265 lbs.; Max. Weight, 9,000 lbs (with water ballast tanks full).

Controls: Elevons between vertical and center fins for pitch and roll control. Split rudder on center fin for yaw and speed control. All surfaces used in three-axis stabilizer-augmenter system.

Power: One XLR-11 four-chamber rocket engine fueled by ethyl alcohol and liquid oxygen, producing maximum of 6,000 lbs thrust; built by Chemical Reaction Motors, Inc.

Aux. Power: Silver zinc batteries provided electrical power for control system, flight instruments, radios, cockpit heat, and stability augmentation system. To assist in pre-landing flare, four throttleable hydrogen peroxide rockets provided up to 400 lbs of thrust.

Landing Gear: Main gear was modified T-38 system retracted manually, and lowered by nitrogen pressure. Nose gear was modified T-39 nose gear, retracted manually and lowered with nitrogen pressure.

Pilot Ejection System: Modified F-106 system.

Specification

Total Length: 6.8 m. Maximum Diameter: 4.6 m. Total Mass: 4,080 kg. Total Propellants: 1,300 kg. Primary Engine Thrust: 2,700 kgf. Main Engine Propellants: LOX/Alcohol. Total spacecraft delta v: 850 m/s. Electrical System: Batteries.

HL-10 Chronology

30 June 1957 Semiballistic design for a manned reentry spacecraft.

Alfred J. Eggers, Jr., of the NACA Ames Aeronautical Laboratory, worked out a semiballistic design for a manned reentry spacecraft.

01 September 1962 M2-F1 lifting body first flight.

The lifting body concept was first tested at Dryden with a plywood prototype designated the M2-F1 built in late 1962. It featured a plywood shell built by Gus Briegleb, a sailplane builder from Mirage Dry Lake, Calif., placed over a tubular frame built at Dryden. The M2-F1 was towed aloft, first behind an auto and then a C-47 more than 100 times, to validate basic lifting body stability and control characteristics. This led to establishment of the formal program which resulted in the HL-10, M2-F2, M2-F3, X-24A, and X-24B lifting bodies.

HL-10 Lifting BodyHL-10 Lifting Body

Credit: NASA. 14,052 bytes. 366 x 222 pixels.

01 January 1966 HL-10 delivered to NASA

During the next 10 months it was instrumented for the research program and prepared for flight. The HL-10 and the M2-F2 were tested in wind tunnels at Ames Research Center before research flights began.

22 December 1966 HL-10 Flight 1 Program: NASA Lifting Body. Flight Crew: Peterson Bruce.

First flight HL-10. Maximum Speed - 735 kph. Maximum Altitude - 13720 m. Flight Time - 187 sec.

15 March 1968 HL-10 Flight 2 Program: NASA Lifting Body. Flight Crew: Gentry.

Maximum Speed - 684 kph. Maximum Altitude - 13720 m. Flight Time - 243 sec.

03 April 1968 HL-10 Flight 3 Program: NASA Lifting Body. Flight Crew: Gentry.

Maximum Speed - 732 kph. Maximum Altitude - 13720 m. Flight Time - 242 sec.

25 April 1968 HL-10 Flight 4 Program: NASA Lifting Body. Flight Crew: Gentry.

Maximum Speed - 739 kph. Maximum Altitude - 13720 m. Flight Time - 258 sec.

03 May 1968 HL-10 Flight 5 Program: NASA Lifting Body. Flight Crew: Gentry.

Maximum Speed - 732 kph. Maximum Altitude - 13720 m. Flight Time - 245 sec.

16 May 1968 HL-10 Flight 6 Program: NASA Lifting Body. Flight Crew: Gentry.

Maximum Speed - 719 kph. Maximum Altitude - 13720 m. Flight Time - 265 sec.

28 May 1968 HL-10 Flight 7 Program: NASA Lifting Body. Flight Crew: Manke.

Maximum Speed - 698 kph. Maximum Altitude - 13720 m. Flight Time - 245 sec.

11 June 1968 HL-10 Flight 8 Program: NASA Lifting Body. Flight Crew: Manke.

Maximum Speed - 697 kph. Maximum Altitude - 13720 m. Flight Time - 246 sec.

21 June 1968 HL-10 Flight 9 Program: NASA Lifting Body. Flight Crew: Gentry.

Maximum Speed - 681 kph. Maximum Altitude - 13720 m. Flight Time - 271 sec.

24 September 1968 HL-10 Flight 10 Program: NASA Lifting Body. Flight Crew: Gentry.

XLR-11 engine installed. Maximum Speed - 722 kph. Maximum Altitude - 13720 m. Flight Time - 245 sec.

Lifting BodiesLifting Bodies - Manned Lifting Bodies

Credit: NASA. 11,596 bytes. 467 x 127 pixels.

03 October 1968 HL-10 Flight 11 Program: NASA Lifting Body. Flight Crew: Manke.

Maximum Speed - 758 kph. Maximum Altitude - 13720 m. Flight Time - 243 sec.

23 October 1968 HL-10 Flight 12 Program: NASA Lifting Body. Flight Crew: Gentry.

First powered flight. Premature shutdown. Maximum Speed - 722 kph. Maximum Altitude - 12100 m. Flight Time - 189 sec.

13 November 1968 HL-10 Flight 13 Program: NASA Lifting Body. Flight Crew: Manke.

2 chambers, 186-sec powered flight. Maximum Speed - 843 kph. Maximum Altitude - 13000 m. Flight Time - 385 sec.

09 December 1968 HL-10 Flight 14 Program: NASA Lifting Body. Flight Crew: Gentry.

2 chambers. Maximum Speed - 872 kph. Maximum Altitude - 14450 m. Flight Time - 394 sec.

17 April 1969 HL-10 Flight 15 Program: NASA Lifting Body. Flight Crew: Manke.

3 chambers. Maximum Speed - 973 kph. Maximum Altitude - 16070 m. Flight Time - 400 sec.

25 April 1969 HL-10 Flight 16 Program: NASA Lifting Body. Flight Crew: Dana.

Glide. Maximum Speed - 743 kph. Maximum Altitude - 13720 m. Flight Time - 252 sec.

09 May 1969 HL-10 Flight 17 Program: NASA Lifting Body. Flight Crew: Manke.

3 chambers, first supersonic. Maximum Speed - 1197 kph. Maximum Altitude - 16250 m. Flight Time - 410 sec.

20 May 1969 HL-10 Flight 18 Program: NASA Lifting Body. Flight Crew: Dana.

Maximum Speed - 959 kph. Maximum Altitude - 14970 m. Flight Time - 414 sec.

28 May 1969 HL-10 Flight 19 Program: NASA Lifting Body. Flight Crew: Manke.

2 chambers. Maximum Speed - 1311 kph. Maximum Altitude - 18960 m. Flight Time - 398 sec.

06 June 1969 HL-10 Flight 20 Program: NASA Lifting Body. Flight Crew: Hoag.

Glide. Maximum Speed - 1483 kph. Maximum Altitude - 19540 m. Flight Time - 231 sec.

19 June 1969 HL-10 Flight 21 Program: NASA Lifting Body. Flight Crew: Manke.

2 chambers. Maximum Speed - 1483 kph. Maximum Altitude - 19540 m. Flight Time - 378 sec.

23 June 1969 HL-10 Flight 22 Program: NASA Lifting Body. Flight Crew: Dana.

2 chambers. Maximum Speed - 1350 kph. Maximum Altitude - 19450 m. Flight Time - 373 sec.

06 August 1969 HL-10 Flight 23 Program: NASA Lifting Body. Flight Crew: Manke.

First 4-chambered flight. Maximum Speed - 1641 kph. Maximum Altitude - 23190 m. Flight Time - 372 sec.

03 September 1969 HL-10 Flight 24 Program: NASA Lifting Body. Flight Crew: Dana.

4 chambers. Maximum Speed - 1541 kph. Maximum Altitude - 23760 m. Flight Time - 414 sec.

18 September 1969 HL-10 Flight 25 Program: NASA Lifting Body. Flight Crew: Manke.

4 chambers. Maximum Speed - 1340 kph. Maximum Altitude - 24140 m. Flight Time - 426 sec.

30 September 1969 HL-10 Flight 26 Program: NASA Lifting Body. Flight Crew: Hoag.

2 chambers. Maximum Speed - 780 kph. Maximum Altitude - 16380 m. Flight Time - 436 sec.

27 October 1969 HL-10 Flight 27 Program: NASA Lifting Body. Flight Crew: Dana.

Maximum Speed - 1675 kph. Maximum Altitude - 18470 m. Flight Time - 417 sec.

03 November 1969 HL-10 Flight 28 Program: NASA Lifting Body. Flight Crew: Hoag.

Maximum Speed - 1482kph. Maximum Altitude - 19540 m. Flight Time - 439 sec.

17 November 1969 HL-10 Flight 29 Program: NASA Lifting Body. Flight Crew: Dana.

Maximum Speed - 1693 kph. Maximum Altitude - 19690 m. Flight Time - 408 sec.

21 November 1969 HL-10 Flight 30 Program: NASA Lifting Body. Flight Crew: Hoag.

Maximum Speed - 1532 kph. Maximum Altitude - 24160 m. Flight Time - 378 sec.

12 December 1969 HL-10 Flight 31 Program: NASA Lifting Body. Flight Crew: Dana.

Maximum Speed - 1401 kph. Maximum Altitude - 24370 m. Flight Time - 428 sec.

19 January 1970 HL-10 Flight 32 Program: NASA Lifting Body. Flight Crew: Hoag.

Maximum Speed - 1398 kph. Maximum Altitude - 26410 m. Flight Time - 410 sec.

26 January 1970 HL-10 Flight 33 Program: NASA Lifting Body. Flight Crew: Dana.

Maximum Speed - 1443 kph. Maximum Altitude - 26730 m. Flight Time - 411 sec.

18 February 1970 HL-10 Flight 34 Program: NASA Lifting Body. Flight Crew: Hoag.

Maximum speed. Maximum Speed - 1976 kph. Maximum Altitude - 20520 m. Flight Time - 380 sec.

27 February 1970 HL-10 Flight 35 Program: NASA Lifting Body. Flight Crew: Dana.

Maximum altitude. Maximum Speed - 1400 kph. Maximum Altitude - 27524 m. Flight Time - 416 sec.

11 June 1970 HL-10 Flight 36 Program: NASA Lifting Body. Flight Crew: Hoag.

Glide landing study. Maximum Speed - 809 kph. Maximum Altitude - 13716 m. Flight Time - 202 sec.

17 July 1970 HL-10 Flight 37 Program: NASA Lifting Body. Flight Crew: Hoag.

Maximum Speed - 803 kph. Maximum Altitude - 13716 m. Flight Time - 252 sec.

Bibliography:

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Last update 12 March 2001.
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© Mark Wade, 2001 .