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HL-10 Lifting Body - HL-10 Lifting Body with B-52 and Test Pilot Dana Credit: NASA. 23,185 bytes. 412 x 302 pixels. |
NASA's Ames Research Center and Langley had promoted the idea of 'lifting bodies', rounded half-cones, for use as manned recoverable spacecraft. These provided lift for maneuver and recovery at an airfield after re-entry from orbit. The original M2-F1 was a plywood glider towed from pickup trucks and C-47 transports as part of an 'in house' NASA Edwards project in 1963. Results were encouraging, and NASA contracted Northrop to build, at cut-rate prices, two rocket-powered lifting bodies that would be air-dropped from a B-52 bomber to explore the handling qualities of the two competing configurations. The M2-F2 was a 'flying bathtub' with a rounded belly / flat top layout. The M2-F2 crashed on 10 May 1967, seriously injuring the test pilot (the footage became familiar to millions when it was used in the opening credits of the television series 'The Six Million Dollar Man'). The crashed M2-F2 was rebuilt as the M2-F3 with enlarged vertical stabilizers. Maximum speed achieved was Mach 1.6, top altitude 21,800 m. The final X-30 National Aerospace Plane configuration seemed to owe much to the M2.
The HL-10, with a flat bottom and rounded dorsal body, was the favored lifting body configuration of NASA 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. Major Events: .
First flight M2-F2. Maximum Speed - 727 kph. Maximum Altitude - 13720 m. Flight Time - 217 sec.
Maximum Speed - 634 kph. Maximum Altitude - 13720 m. Flight Time - 245sec.
Maximum Speed - 656 kph. Maximum Altitude - 13720 m. Flight Time - 278 sec.
Maximum Speed - 718 kph. Maximum Altitude - 13720 m. Flight Time - 241 sec.
![]() | M2F2 Lifting Body - M2F2 Lifting Body with F-104 Chase Plane Credit: NASA. 14,475 bytes. 381 x 204 pixels. |
360 degree approach. Maximum Speed - 750 kph. Maximum Altitude - 13720 m. Flight Time - 210 sec.
Maximum Speed - 677 kph. Maximum Altitude - 13720 m. Flight Time - 211 sec.
Maximum Speed - 702 kph. Maximum Altitude - 13720 m. Flight Time - 233 sec.
Maximum Speed - 713 kph. Maximum Altitude - 13720 m. Flight Time - 233 sec.
Maximum Speed - 713 kph. Maximum Altitude - 13720 m. Flight Time - 225 sec.
Maximum Speed - 692 kph. Maximum Altitude - 13720 m. Flight Time - 234 sec.
![]() | HL-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. |
Maximum Speed - 642 kph. Maximum Altitude - 13720 m. Flight Time - 261 sec.
Maximum Speed - 716 kph. Maximum Altitude - 13720 m. Flight Time - 230 sec.
First flight HL-10. Maximum Speed - 735 kph. Maximum Altitude - 13720 m. Flight Time - 187 sec.
Maximum Speed - 661 kph. Maximum Altitude - 13720 m. Flight Time - 231 sec.
Landing accident. Maximum Speed - 648 kph. Maximum Altitude - 13720 m. Flight Time - 223 sec.
Maximum Speed - 684 kph. Maximum Altitude - 13720 m. Flight Time - 243 sec.
![]() | HL-10 Lifting Body Credit: NASA. 14,052 bytes. 366 x 222 pixels. |
Maximum Speed - 739 kph. Maximum Altitude - 13720 m. Flight Time - 258 sec.
Maximum Speed - 732 kph. Maximum Altitude - 13720 m. Flight Time - 245 sec.
Maximum Speed - 719 kph. Maximum Altitude - 13720 m. Flight Time - 265 sec.
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 - 681 kph. Maximum Altitude - 13720 m. Flight Time - 271 sec.
XLR-11 engine installed. Maximum Speed - 722 kph. Maximum Altitude - 13720 m. Flight Time - 245 sec.
![]() | M2-F3 Credit: © Mark Wade. 3,169 bytes. 679 x 348 pixels. |
Maximum Speed - 758 kph. Maximum Altitude - 13720 m. Flight Time - 243 sec.
First powered flight. Premature shutdown. Maximum Speed - 722 kph. Maximum Altitude - 12100 m. Flight Time - 189 sec.
2 chambers, 186-sec powered flight. Maximum Speed - 843 kph. Maximum Altitude - 13000 m. Flight Time - 385 sec.
2 chambers. Maximum Speed - 872 kph. Maximum Altitude - 14450 m. Flight Time - 394 sec.
3 chambers. Maximum Speed - 973 kph. Maximum Altitude - 16070 m. Flight Time - 400 sec.
Glide. Maximum Speed - 743 kph. Maximum Altitude - 13720 m. Flight Time - 252 sec.
![]() | M2F3 Lifting Body - M2F3 Lifting Body Launch from B-52 Credit: NASA. 15,023 bytes. 452 x 239 pixels. |
Maximum Speed - 959 kph. Maximum Altitude - 14970 m. Flight Time - 414 sec.
2 chambers. Maximum Speed - 1311 kph. Maximum Altitude - 18960 m. Flight Time - 398 sec.
Glide. Maximum Speed - 1483 kph. Maximum Altitude - 19540 m. Flight Time - 231 sec.
2 chambers. Maximum Speed - 1483 kph. Maximum Altitude - 19540 m. Flight Time - 378 sec.
2 chambers. Maximum Speed - 1350 kph. Maximum Altitude - 19450 m. Flight Time - 373 sec.
First 4-chambered flight. Maximum Speed - 1641 kph. Maximum Altitude - 23190 m. Flight Time - 372 sec.
![]() | Lifting Bodies - Manned Lifting Bodies Credit: NASA. 11,596 bytes. 467 x 127 pixels. |
4 chambers. Maximum Speed - 1340 kph. Maximum Altitude - 24140 m. Flight Time - 426 sec.
2 chambers. Maximum Speed - 780 kph. Maximum Altitude - 16380 m. Flight Time - 436 sec.
Maximum Speed - 1675 kph. Maximum Altitude - 18470 m. Flight Time - 417 sec.
Maximum Speed - 1482kph. Maximum Altitude - 19540 m. Flight Time - 439 sec.
Maximum Speed - 1693 kph. Maximum Altitude - 19690 m. Flight Time - 408 sec.
Maximum Speed - 1532 kph. Maximum Altitude - 24160 m. Flight Time - 378 sec.
![]() | M2F1 Lifting Body - The M2-F1 was the first lifting body configuration tested. This glider was made from plywood. It was later succeeded by the M2-F2 metal version. Credit: NASA. 6,086 bytes. 211 x 141 pixels. |
Maximum Speed - 1398 kph. Maximum Altitude - 26410 m. Flight Time - 410 sec.
Maximum Speed - 1443 kph. Maximum Altitude - 26730 m. Flight Time - 411 sec.
Maximum speed. Maximum Speed - 1976 kph. Maximum Altitude - 20520 m. Flight Time - 380 sec.
Maximum altitude. Maximum Speed - 1400 kph. Maximum Altitude - 27524 m. Flight Time - 416 sec.
First M2-F3 flight. Maximum Speed - 755 kph. Maximum Altitude - 13716 m. Flight Time - 218 sec.
Glide landing study. Maximum Speed - 809 kph. Maximum Altitude - 13716 m. Flight Time - 202 sec.
Maximum Speed - 803 kph. Maximum Altitude - 13716 m. Flight Time - 252 sec.
Maximum Speed - 708 kph. Maximum Altitude - 13716 m. Flight Time - 228 sec.
Maximum Speed - 690 kph. Maximum Altitude - 13716 m. Flight Time - 236 sec.
First powered flight. Maximum Speed - 859 kph. Maximum Altitude - 15819 m. Flight Time - 377 sec.
Maximum Speed - 755 kph. Maximum Altitude - 13716 m. Flight Time - 241 sec.
Maximum Speed - 821 kph. Maximum Altitude - 13716 m. Flight Time - 348 sec.
Maximum Speed - 788 kph. Maximum Altitude - 18440 m. Flight Time - 353 sec.
Maximum Speed - 1035 kph. Maximum Altitude - 18898 m. Flight Time - 415 sec.
First M2-F3 supersonic flight. Maximum Speed - 1163 kph. Maximum Altitude - 20513 m. Flight Time - 390 sec.
Maximum Speed - 772 kph. Maximum Altitude - 12802 m. Flight Time - 210 sec.
Glide flight. Maximum Speed - 784 kph. Maximum Altitude - 13716 m. Flight Time - 215 sec.
Maximum Speed - 1356 kph. Maximum Altitude - 21580 m. Flight Time - 391 sec.
Maximum Speed - 861 kph. Maximum Altitude - 14265 m. Flight Time - 451 sec.
Maximum Speed - 1049 kph. Maximum Altitude - 18562 m. Flight Time - 420 sec.
Maximum Speed - 1168 kph. Maximum Altitude - 20480 m. Flight Time - 375 sec.
Maximum Speed - 1344 kph. Maximum Altitude - 20330 m. Flight Time - 376 sec.
Maximum Speed - 935 kph. Maximum Altitude - 14020 m. Flight Time - 387 sec.
Maximum Speed - 1424 kph. Maximum Altitude - 20330 m. Flight Time - 366.5 sec.
Maximum Speed - 1455 kph. Maximum Altitude - 20210 m. Flight Time - 376 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 - 961 kph. Maximum Altitude - 14260 m. Flight Time - 364 sec.
Maximum Speed - 1524 kph. Maximum Altitude - 20330 m. Flight Time - 377 sec.
Maximum Speed - 1432 kph. Maximum Altitude - 20570 m. Flight Time - 357 sec.
Maximum Speed - 1265 kph. Maximum Altitude - 20820 m. Flight Time - 332 sec.
Fastest M2-F3 flight. Maximum Speed - 1712 kph. Maximum Altitude - 20330 m. Flight Time - 383 sec.
Last M2-F3 flight, also highest. Maximum Speed - 1377 kph. Maximum Altitude - 21790 m. Flight Time - 390 sec.