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Collection:
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NASA Great Images in Nasa Collection
Collection
NASA Great Images in Nasa Collection
Collection
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Title:
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M2-F1 In Tow Flight
Title
M2-F1 In Tow Flight
Title
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Full Description:
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The M2-F1 lifting body is seen here under tow at the Flight Research Center (later redesignated the Dryden Flight Research Center), Edwards, California. The wingless, lifting body aircraft design was initially conceived as a means of landing an aircraft horizontally after atmospheric reentry. The absence of wings would make the extreme heat of re-entry less damaging to the vehicle. In 1962, Dryden management approved a program to build a lightweight, unpowered lifting body as a prototype to flight test the wingless concept. It would look like a "flying bathtub," and was designated the M2-F1, the "M" referring to "manned" and "F" referring to "flight" version. It featured a plywood shell placed over a tubular steel frame crafted at Dryden. Construction was completed in 1963. The first flight tests of the M2-F1 were over Rogers Dry Lake at the end of a tow rope attached to a hopped-up Pontiac convertible driven at speeds up to about 120 mph. These initial tests produced enough flight data about the M2-F1 to proceed with flights behind a NASA C-47 tow plane at greater altitudes. The C-47 took the craft to an altitude of 12,000 feet where free flights back to Rogers Dry Lake began.
Full_Description
The M2-F1 lifting body is seen here under tow at the Flight Research Center (later redesignated the Dryden Flight Research Center), Edwards, California. The wingless, lifting body aircraft design was initially conceived as a means of landing an aircraft horizontally after atmospheric reentry. The absence of wings would make the extreme heat of re-entry less damaging to the vehicle. In 1962, Dryden management approved a program to build a lightweight, unpowered lifting body as a prototype to flight test the wingless concept. It would look like a "flying bathtub," and was designated the M2-F1, the "M" referring to "manned" and "F" referring to "flight" version. It featured a plywood shell placed over a tubular steel frame crafted at Dryden. Construction was completed in 1963. The first flight tests of the M2-F1 were over Rogers Dry Lake at the end of a tow rope attached to a hopped-up Pontiac convertible driven at speeds up to about 120 mph. These initial tests produced enough flight data about the M2-F1 to proceed with flights behind a NASA C-47 tow plane at greater altitudes. The C-47 took the craft to an altitude of 12,000 feet where free flights back to Rogers Dry Lake began.
Full Description
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Date:
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01/01/1964
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NASA Center:
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Dryden Flight Research Center
NASA_Center
Dryden Flight Research Center
NASA Center
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Subject Category:
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Lifting Bodies
Subject_Category
Lifting Bodies
Subject Category
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Subject Category:
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Top 20 Dryden Aircraft
Subject_Category
Top 20 Dryden Aircraft
Subject Category
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Keywords:
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Dale
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Keywords:
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Center
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Keywords:
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Research
Keywords
Research
Keywords
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Keywords:
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Body
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Keywords:
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NASA
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Keywords:
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Flight
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Keywords:
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Lifting
Keywords
Lifting
Keywords
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Keywords:
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M2-F1
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Keywords:
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Milt
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Keywords:
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Thompson
Keywords
Thompson
Keywords
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Keywords:
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C-47
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Keywords:
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Reed
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Keywords:
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Pontiac
Keywords
Pontiac
Keywords
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Keywords:
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Catalina
Keywords
Catalina
Keywords
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Audience:
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General Public
Audience
General Public
Audience
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facet_where:
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California
facet_where
California
facet_where
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facet_where:
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Dryden Flight Research Center (DFRC)
facet_where
Dryden Flight Research Center (DFRC)
facet_where
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facet_when:
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1963
facet_when
1963
facet_when
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facet_when:
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1962
facet_when
1962
facet_when
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facet_when:
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01-01-1964
facet_when
01-01-1964
facet_when
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facet_when_year:
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1964
facet_when_year
1964
facet_when_year
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facet_when_year:
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1962
facet_when_year
1962
facet_when_year
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facet_when_year:
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1963
facet_when_year
1963
facet_when_year
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Image #:
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EC64-404
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original_url:
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original_url
original_url
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UID:
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SPD-GRIN-GPN-2000-00 0139
UID
SPD-GRIN-GPN-2000-00 0139
UID
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Center:
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DFRC
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Center Number:
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EC64-404
Center_Number
EC64-404
Center Number
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GRIN DataBase Number:
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GPN-2000-000139
GRIN_DataBase_Number
GPN-2000-000139
GRIN DataBase Number
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Creator-Photographer:
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NASA
Creator-Photographer
NASA
Creator-Photographer
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Original Source:
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DIGITAL
Original_Source
DIGITAL
Original Source
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