SPACE — On November 25, 1970, an experimental aircraft called the Northrop M2-F3 made its first powered flight. NASA’s aircraft is a heavy lifting body.
A lifting body is an aircraft that generates most of its lift through its fuselage, rather than through its wings. This type is usually referred to as a wingless aircraft. Furthermore, the M2-F3 will beat the speed of sound.
The first powered flight was performed by US Air Force test pilot Bill Dana. Previously, Dana had taken the M2-F3 on three unpowered glide test flights.
Dana soared to a height of 45,000 feet during a flight that lasted more than 6 minutes. On this first flight, he had not broken the sound barrier, but he did so on subsequent flights.
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The M2-F3 flew a total of 27 missions in its three-year flight history. Its top speed is 1.6 times the speed of sound, and its altitude is 71,500 feet.
Today the M2-F3 hangs in the National Air and Space Museum in Washington. NASA donated it to the Smithsonian Institution. Source: Space.com
2023-11-25 15:07:00
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