Page 1

FA ( TS
An Educational Services Publication of the
NASA FACTS Vol. IV,.No. 2 National Aeronautics and Space Administration

LIFTING BODIES

"..o
y
(THRUI
IACCESSl NUMBER)

'"o"
,..
1 "-

:;
10
. ".
(PAGES)
L /
(CATEGORY)
(NASA CR OR TMX OR AD NUMBER)

Clole-up view of the M2-F2, a "lifting body."

How can you bring a manned spacecraft back The National Aeronautics and Space Admin-
into the atmosphere from orbit, have it withstand istration believes the answe r may be to use a
the inferno of reentry and permit the pilot to "lifting-body." Reentry and recovery of manned
maneuver over a wide area as he selects and spacecraft in the Mercury, Gemini and Apollo
touches down at the ground landing site that programs of NASA have required parachute sys-
suits him best? tems for deceleration and letdown, and the posi-
 o ~~::J()
;5"'Ll CL/J }

Page 2 c,~-d - (;.7

NASA FACTS Vol. IV, No.2
tioning of recovery ships across wide expanses it become necessary to choose between available
of the oceans. landing sites.
How much simpler it would be if a returning Theoretical studies and tests of lifting body
manned spacecraft could penetrate the atmos- concepts began in the United States in the early
phere and glide to a landing like a conventional 1950's. Combined research efforts soon cen-
aircraft. tered on a number of half-cone shapes that
promised to provide adequate lift for aerody-
Such is the prospect raised by lifting-body re-
namic flight.
search. Persons associated with the effort
In 1957, the idea of adapting these half-cone
envision a variety of future missions in space for
configurations to a manned vehicle capable of
advanced versions of these unusual craft.
orbiting and reentering the earth's atmosphere
lifting bodies are wingless vehicles that ob-
was developed by NASA. The problem was to
tain aerodynamic lift-essential to flight in the
design a craft suited to rocket vehicle require-
atmosphere-from their shape alone. Addition
ments and also one that would be aerodynam-
of two or three fins provides the stability re-
ically stable, and maneuverable from hypersonic
quired for pilot control.
(above 3,300 miles per hour) to subsonic
NASA is exploring and evaluating the poten- speeds and be capable of horizontal landings.
tial of these lifting body concepts in a flight To reduce heating resulting from high-speed
research program that evolved from earlier wind entry from space into earth's atmosphere, the
tunnel and theoretical studies. The overall lift- nose of the "cone" was blunted. Fins were in-
ing body program is the responsibility of NASA's stalled to provide stability and control surfaces
Office of Advanced Research and Technology. were added for maneuverability.
The aerodynamic advantages of lifting bodies Design innovations had to be built into lifting
over manned reentry vehicles in present use, the bodies to accommodate the transitional areas
low-speed handling and landing capabilities between space and atmospheric flight and,
demonstrated early in the flight test program, within the atmosphere, hypersonic, supersonic
and the emerging potential future uses for lifting and subsonic flight. Conditions vary for each
bodies combine to make this a highly promising flight regime.
area of advanced research. The fact that lifting bodies have no wings
lifting bodies provide greater lift and higher eliminates many possible problems in structures
lift-to-drag ratios than present manned reentry and reentry heating. However, the necessity
spacecraft. The Mercury, Gemini and Apollo for flight at hypersonic, supersonic, and subsonic
capsules follow a ballistic-type trajectory (like a speeds challenges designers to find the compro-
projectile or missile) on reentering the atmos- mises that will accommodate all of these speed
phere. Once committed by retro-fire, the astro- levels and conditions.
nauts had limited control over the subsequent NASA wind-tunnel studies, corroborated by
flight path. Changes in the touchdown point theoretical engineering analysis, have indicated
ranging to about 40 miles were the most they that a lifting body can generate enough lift to
could achieve. permit a pilot returning from a space flight to
However, as manned spacecraft become select his landing site.
larger and heavier, their missions more complex How precise the initial choice might be would
and far-ranging, space pilots will require increas- depend upon just when the landing selection was
ing authority in the decision for landing site made. For example, from far out in space only
selection. This does not mean necessarily that a hemispheric selection would need to be made.
some future space pilot returning to earth will If the Western Hemisphere were chosen then, as
be able to choose anyone of the 6,000 airports the craft neared earth, an area encompassing
dotting the U.S. landscape, but it does mean that the southern section of the United States might
he will be able to exercise some latitude should be selected. Then, as velocity and altitude
NASA FACTS Vol. IV- No.2 Page 3
Milton Thompson, National Aeronautics and Space Administration research pilot who heads the joint NASA-U.S. Air Force
team testing the M2-F2 lifting body research vehicle, tries out the craft's cockpit. Test flights are expected to demonstrote
how lifting body space vehicles would behave In the earth's atmosphere during the period between reentry and landings.
Page 4 NASA FACTS Vol. IV, No.2
dimi~ished, final determination of actual touch- trolling lifting bodies during the critical landing
down point would be made. local weather phase of flight.
conditions, visibility, runway lengths, and air The success of these tests led to a contract to
traffic congestion are factors that might enter private industry in 1964 for the construction of
these determinations. two heavyweight test vehicles designated the
Based on research work conducted at the M2-F2 and HL-10. The M2-F2 was delivered
Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, California, to NASA in mid- 1965, and HL- 10 in early 1966.
and at the Langley Research Center, Hampton, The M in the designation M2-F2 refers to
Virginia, two separate lifting body designs "Manned" and the F to "Flight" version. The
evolved and were proposed for flight investigation. 2 refers to the second modification of the basic
The first lifting body to be flight-tested by M2 shape. HL refers to "Horizontal landing"
NASA Flight Research Center, Edwards, Cali- and the number 10 means that it is the tenth
fornia, was called the M2-F 1. It was simply lifting body model to be investigated at Langley.
and inexpensively constructed of plywood and Both vehicles are 22 feet long, but the HL-l 0
tubular steel. Towed aloft by an aircraft, it was stands about two feet higher and five-and-one-
released at about 10,000 feet to glide to a con- half feet wider than the M2, for added stability.
trolled landing. The M2-F I, during its more The controls of the two craft are quite different,
than 100 flights, confirmed the feasibility of con- to test two different control techniques.

NASA', M2-F2 Lifting aody Is shown mated to the a-52 launch aircraft at NASA's Flight Research Center, Edwards, Cali-
fornia. Th. two vehlcl.s were joined together to evaluat. their compatibility, systems checkout, and to perform cer-
tain .tructural te.t.. NASA I. using the vehicle to study the lifting body concept for possible u •• a, a spacecraft of
the future that would be capabl. of re.nterlng from space and landing on earth under pilot control.
~-- - -- ...
NASA FACTS Vol. IV, No.2 Page 5

Artist's conception shows NASA's HL-l0 lifting body vehkle being dropped from a 8-52 mother ship. The HL-l0, a
NASA Langley Research Center configuration, Is being designed and fabricated by Northrop Corporation. Note the
adapter that allows the HL- 1 0 to be carried under an X-15 pylon.

The M2-F2 is flat on top and rounded on the neuvers and tests designed to develop piloting
bottom. The HL-l 0 is exactly the opposite and techniques and to evaluate control systems and
more of a delta-wing shape. Only the M2-F2 handling characteristics.
has a bubble-type cockpit canopy that protrudes Both the M2-F2 and HL- 10 are designed to
above its flat top surface. Both have rounded accommodate rocket engines for powered flight
windows in the nose for better pilot visibility. at a later phase in the research program.
Both vehicles weigh about 5,000 pounds or Duration of the early, unpowered drop-and-
9,000 pounds with water ballast tanks full. glide flights from launch to landing is approxi-
Small, throttlable hydrogen-peroxide rockets are mately four minutes. They can be launched at
installed on the rear of each to give the pilot up speeds up to about 530 miles per hour. Land-
to about 1000 pounds of thrust, providing ing speed, depending on the flight mission, can
added velocity if he needs it, during the landing vary between 160 and 240 miles per hour.
flareout and approach. Later, depending upon the nature of the con-
For the flight tests, the lifting body is carried tinuing flight research program, XLR-11 rocket
beneath the wing of a B-52 to an altitude of engines, used at one time to power the X-15
about 45,000 feet. Then it is released and high-altitude research plane, may be installed
glides to a landing on Rogers Dry Lake, Califor- aboard each of the two research spacecraft.
nia. The research pilots perform various ma- This will permit flights at higher velocities and
 NASA FACTS Vol. IV, No.2

Artist's conception shows NASA's M-2 lifting body vehicle landing at NASA Flight Research Center, Edwards, California. It
Is based on a configuration developed by the Ames Research Center. After thorough testing and evaluation both the M-2
and HL-10 are to be investigated in flight at Edwards. They are carried aloft by a 8-52 carrier-in a manner similar to
the X-15-and released at 45,000 feet. The pilot then glides the craft into a landing on Rogers Dry Lake at Edwards.

altitudes that more closely approximate the con- FLIGHT RESEARCH PROGRAM
ditions of a spacecraft returning from orbit.
The first free glide flight of the M2-F2 was
Operationally, this type of craft, with the ca- made July 12, 1966, with Milton O. Thompson
pability of operating in and out of the atmos- as pilot. It lasted about 4 minutes and was
phere, may prove extremely useful for a number completely successful.
of space missions. These may include orbiting As with the X-15 research program, a final
spacecraft inspection, space satellite repair, go-no-go checkout and countdown is conducted
logistic support and resupply of earth-orbiting while the lifting body is being borne aloft under
manned space stations, space search and rescue, the wing of the B-52. The checkout is handled
or possibly as a recoverable upper stage of a in this manner so that if any weather or technical
launch vehicle. problems arise during the last few moments the
glide flight can be cancelled.
At this time no mission or research plan has Prior to the first free flight of the M2-F2, cap-
been determined by NASA for the design or con- tive flights and ground runs were made. The
struction of an actual space flight vehicle, but the first captive flight, with the craft remaining locked
research must be performed well in advance to to the 8-52, was made March 23, 1966. A
permit freedom of choice if such a program be- complete systems checkout was made in flight
comes necessary. with the B-52 and the manned M2-F2.
 NASA FACTS Vol. IV, No. 2 Page 7

.. , ' M -2 LIFTING BODY RESEARCH VEHICLE

BALLAST TANK FWD.

UPPER FLAP ACTUATORS

B-52 ATTACH FITT INGS (2) OUTBD.

POWER SOURCE BATTERIES

SPECIFICATIONS AND COMPARISONS

OF THE M2-F2 AND HL-l0

M2-F2 HL-l0
LENGTH: 22 feet, 2 inches (nose ti p to tips Same
of backswept tail fins)
WIDTH: 9 feet, 7 inches (extreme rear of 15 feet, 1 inch (including tips of
vehicle) fins)
HEIGHT: 8 feet, 10 inches (ground to top of 11 feet, 5 inches (ground to top of
fins) center fin)
MINIMUM 5,000 pounds (with water ballast 5,265 pounds (with water ballast
WEIGHT: test tanks empty) test tanks empty)
MAXIMUM 9,000 pounds (water ballast tanks Same
WEIGHT: full for tests)
CONTROLS: A rudder on the outer face of each A thick "elevon" between each fin
fin for yaw (lateral movement back and the center fin for pitch and roll
and forth) control. Upper flaps for control. A split rudder on the cen-
roll (corkscrew action) control and ter fin for yaw and speed brake
pitch (nose up-nose down) trim. control. Each elevon has a flap on
One full length pitch flap on lower the upper surface, each outer fin
surfaces of the tail. has two trailing edge surfaces.
Page 8 NASA FACTS Vol. IV, No.2

AFT BALLAST TAN K

ATTITUDE GYRO

INSTRUMENT CONSOLE

AIR FLOW SENSI

FLIGHT CONTROLS
STATIC INVERTERS (2)

M2-F2 HL-l0
LAUNCH Special 22-foot-long adapter at- Same
STRUCTURES: tached to existing X-15 launch
pylon on wing of 8-52 aircraft.
The adapter encloses tanks for
both the M2-F2/HL-10 cabin pres-
surization and pilot oxygen while
the craft is in position under the
8-52 wing.

Ground taxi tests also were conducted with effects of different loadings, or handling and
the M2-F2 under the wing of the B-52 to test loading characteristics.
the structural integrity of the B-52 pylon Both NASA and Air Force pilots have been
adapter. Another series of taxi tests with the assigned lifting body flight responsibilities. All
M2-F2, using its landing rockets for power, was undergo training in ground simulators before ac-
made to test the steering and brake effectiveness tually flying in the lifting bodies.
of the landing gear. The NASA lifting body program is closely co-
ordinated with the Air Force which plans flight
During the flight program the amount of bal- tests of a third type of lifting body configuration
last in the vehicle will be varied to determine the called the SV5P.

NASA FACTS format Is designed for bulletin-board display NASA FACTS is an educational publication of NASA's Office
uncut. for 8 x lOY. looseleaf notebook Insertion when of Public Affairs. Educational Programs Division. It will be
cut along dotted lines and folded along solid lines. For mailed to teachers who request It from: NASA. Educational
notebook ring Insertion. punch at solid dots in the margins. Publications Distribution. FAD-l. Washington. D.C. 20546.

U. S. GOVERNMENT PR I NT I NG O"ICE : 1917 0"'-Z42-102

For sale by the Superintendent of Documents , U.S . Government Printing Office

Washington, D.C. 20402 - Price 10 cents per copy