Come On Over and Northrop M2-F2: Difference between pages

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The Northrop M2-F2 was a heavyweight lifting body based on studies at NASA's Ames and Langley research centers. Built by the Northrop Corporation in 1966. The "M" refers to "manned" and "F" refers to "flight" version.

Development

The success of Dryden's M2-F1 program led to NASA's development and construction of two heavyweight lifting bodies based on studies at NASA's Ames and Langley research centers -- the M2-F2 and the HL-10, both built by the Northrop Corporation. The "M" refers to "manned" and "F" refers to "flight" version. "HL" comes from "horizontal landing" and 10 is for the tenth lifting body model to be investigated by Langley.

The first flight of the M2-F2 -- which looked much like the "M2-F1" -- was on July 12, 1966. Milton O. Thompson was the pilot.

By then, the same B-52 used to air launch the famed X-15 rocket research aircraft was modified to also carry the lifting bodies. Thompson was dropped from the B-52's wing pylon mount at an altitude of 45,000 feet on that maiden glide flight. He reached a gliding speed of about 450 mile per hour.

Operational history

On May 10, 1967, during the sixteenth glide flight leading up to powered flight, a landing accident severely damaged the vehicle and seriously injured the NASA pilot, Bruce Peterson.

The M2-F2's 16th glide flight, was scheduled to be the last one before the powered flights began. However, as pilot Bruce Peterson neared the lakebed, the M2-F2 suffered a pilot induced oscillation (PIO). The vehicle rolled from side to side in flight as he tried to bring it under control. Peterson recovered, but then observed a rescue helicopter that seemed to pose a collision threat. Distracted, Peterson drifted in a cross-wind to an unmarked area of the lakebed where it was very difficult to judge the height over the lakebed because of a lack of the guidance the markers provided on the lakebed runway.

Peterson fired the landing rockets to provide additional lift, but he hit the lakebed before the landing gear was fully down and locked. The M2-F2 rolled over six times, coming to rest upside down. Pulled from the vehicle by Jay King and Joseph Huxman, Peterson was rushed to the base hospital, transferred to March Air Force Base and then the UCLA Hospital. He recovered but lost vision in his right eye due to a staph infection.

Four pilots flew the M2-F2 on its 16 glide flights. They were Milton O. Thompson (5), Bruce Peterson (3), Don Sorlle (3) and Jerry Gentry (5).

NASA pilots and researchers realized the M2-F2 had lateral control problems, even though it had a stability augmentation control system. When the M2-F2 was rebuilt at Dryden and redesignated the M2-F3, it was modified with an additional third vertical fin -- centered between the tip fins -- to improve control characteristics.

The M2-F2/F3 was the first of the heavy-weight, entry-configuration lifting bodies. Its successful development as a research test vehicle answered many of the generic questions about these vehicles.

NASA donated the M2-F3 vehicle to the Smithsonian Institute in December 1973. It is currently hanging in the National Air and Space Museum along with the X-15 aircraft number 1, which was its hangar partner at Dryden from 1965 to 1969.

Most of text taken from NASA Dryden webpage.

Aircraft serial number

NASA M2-F2 - NASA 803, 16 unpowered flights

Specifications (M2-F2)

General Characteristics

Crew: one pilot
Length: 22 ft 2 in (6.75 m)
Wingspan: 9 ft 8 in (2.94 m)
Height: 9 ft 6 in (2.89 m)
Wing area: 160 ft² ( m²)
Empty: 4,620 lb (2,095 kg)
Loaded: 7,485 lb (3,395 kg)
Maximum takeoff: lb ( kg)
Powerplant: 1 x Reaction Motors XLR-11 four-chamber rocket engine. 6,000 lbs thrust.

Performance

Maximum speed: 466 mph (750 km/h) - Mach 0.707
Range: miles ( km)
Service ceiling: 45,000 ft (13,700 m)
Rate of climb: ft/min ( m/min)
Wing loading: 28.9 lb/ft² ( kg/m²)
Thrust-to-Weight: 1:1.3

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