Northrop M2-F3

M2-F3
M2-F3
General information
Type	Lifting body technology demonstrator
Manufacturer	Northrop
Status	Donated to the Smithsonian Institution, currently on display at the National Air and Space Museum
Primary user	NASA
History
First flight	2 June 1970
Retired	20 December 1972
Developed from	NASA M2-F1; Northrop M2-F2

The Northrop M2-F3 is a heavyweight lifting body rebuilt from the Northrop M2-F2 after it crashed at the Dryden Flight Research Center in 1967. It was modified with an additional third vertical fin - centered between the tip fins - to improve control characteristics. The "M" refers to "manned" and "F" refers to "flight" version.

Development

Early flight testing of the M2-F1 and M2-F2 lifting body reentry configurations had validated the concept of piloted lifting body reentry from space. When the M2-F2 crashed on May 10, 1967, valuable information had already been obtained and was contributing to new designs.

NASA pilots said the M2-F2 had lateral control problems, so when the M2-F2 was rebuilt at Northrop and redesignated the M2-F3, it was modified with an additional third vertical fin - centered between the tip fins - to improve control characteristics.

After a three-year-long redesign and rebuilding effort, the M2-F3 was ready to fly. The May 1967 crash of the M2-F2 had torn off the left fin and landing gear. It had also damaged the external skin and internal structure. Flight Research Center engineers worked with Ames Research Center and the Air Force in redesigning the vehicle with a center fin to provide greater stability. At first, it seemed that the vehicle had been irreparably damaged, but the original manufacturer, Northrop, did the repair work and returned the redesigned M2-F3 with a center fin for stability to the FRC.

While the M2-F3 was still demanding to fly, the center fin eliminated the high risk of pilot-induced oscillation (PIO) that was characteristic of the M2-F2.

Operational history

First flight of the M2-F3, with NASA pilot Bill Dana at the controls, was June 2, 1970. The modified vehicle exhibited much better lateral stability and control characteristics than before, and only three glide flights were necessary before the first powered flight on November 25, 1970. The 100th flight of the heavy-weight lifting bodies was completed on October 5, 1972, with pilot Bill Dana soaring to an altitude of 66,300 feet (20,200 m) and a Mach number of 1.370 (about 904 miles per hour (1,455 km/h)) in the M2-F3. Over its 27 missions, the M2-F3 reached a top speed of 1,064 mph (1,712 km/h) (Mach 1.6). Highest altitude reached by the vehicle was 71,500 feet (20,790 m) on December 20, 1972, the date of its last flight, with NASA pilot John Manke at the controls.

The M2-F3 at the National Air and Space Museum

A reaction control thruster (RCT) system, similar to that on orbiting spacecraft, was also installed to obtain research data about their effectiveness for vehicle control. As the M2-F3's portion of the lifting body program neared an end, it evaluated a rate command augmentation control system, and a side control stick similar to side-stick controllers now used on many modern aircraft.

NASA donated the M2-F3 vehicle to the Smithsonian Institution 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.

M2-F3 pilots
- William H. Dana - 19 flights
- John A. Manke - 4 flights
- Cecil W. Powell - 3 flights
- Jerauld R. Gentry - 1 flight
Most of text taken from NASA Dryden webpage.

Aircraft serial number

NASA M2-F3 - NASA 803, 27 flights

M2-F3 flights

Vehicle Flight #	Date	Pilot	Mach	Velocity (km/h)	Altitude		Duration	Comments
Vehicle Flight #	Date	Pilot	Mach	Velocity (km/h)	ft	m	Duration	Comments
M2-F3 #1	June 2, 1970	Dana	0.688	755	45,000	14,000	00:03:38	First M2-F3 Flight Unpowered glide
M2-F3 #2	July 21, 1970	Dana	0.660	708	45,000	14,000	00:03:48	Unpowered glide
M2-F3 #3	November 2, 1970	Dana	0.630	690	45,000	14,000	00:03:56	Unpowered glide
M2-F3 #4	November 25, 1970	Dana	0.809	859	51,900	15,800	00:06:17	1st powered flight
M2-F3 #5	February 9, 1971	Gentry	0.707	755	45,000	14,000	00:04:01	-
M2-F3 #6	February 26, 1971	Dana	0.773	821	45,000	14,000	00:05:48	Only 2 chambers lit
M2-F3 #7	July 23, 1971	Dana	0.930	988	60,500	18,400	00:05:53	-
M2-F3 #8	August 9, 1971	Dana	0.974	1,035	62,000	19,000	00:06:55	-
M2-F3 #9	August 25, 1971	Dana	1.095	1,164	67,300	20,500	00:06:30	1st supersonic flight
M2-F3 #10	September 24, 1971	Dana	0.728	772	42,000	13,000	00:03:30	Engine fire
M2-F3 #11	November 15, 1971	Dana	0.739	784	45,000	14,000	00:03:35	-
M2-F3 #12	December 1, 1971	Dana	1.274	1,357	70,800	21,600	00:06:31	-
M2-F3 #13	December 16, 1971	Dana	0.811	861	46,800	14,300	00:07:31	Only 2 chambers lit
M2-F3 #14	July 25, 1972	Dana	0.989	1,049	60,900	18,600	00:07:00	-
M2-F3 #15	August 11, 1972	Gentry	1.101	1,168	67,200	20,500	00:06:15	-
M2-F3 #16	August 24, 1972	Dana	1.266	1,344	66,700	20,300	00:06:16	-
M2-F3 #17	September 12, 1972	Dana	0.880	935	46,000	14,000	00:06:27	Small engine fire
M2-F3 #18	September 27, 1972	Dana	1.340	1,424	66,700	20,300	00:06:07	-
M2-F3 #19	October 5, 1972	Dana	1.370	1,455	66,300	20,200	00:06:16	100th lifting body flight
M2-F3 #20	October 19, 1972	Manke	0.905	961	47,100	14,400	00:05:59	-
M2-F3 #21	November 1, 1972	Manke	1.213	1,292	71,300	21,700	00:06:18	-
M2-F3 #22	November 9, 1972	Powell	0.906	961	46,800	14,300	00:06:04	-
M2-F3 #23	November 21, 1972	Manke	1.435	1,524	66,700	20,300	00:06:17	Planned Rosamond Lakebed landing
M2-F3 #24	November 29, 1972	Powell	1.348	1,432	67,500	20,600	00:05:57	-
M2-F3 #25	December 6, 1972	Powell	1.191	1,265	68,300	20,800	00:05:32	Planned Rosamond Lakebed landing
M2-F3 #26	December 13, 1972	Dana	1.613	1,712	66,700	20,300	00:06:23	Fastest flight
M2-F3 #27	December 20, 1972	Manke	1.294	1,378	71,500	21,800	00:06:30	Highest flight Last M2-F3 flight

Specifications (M2-F3)

NASA M2-F3 Lifting Body Diagram

Data from ^{[citation needed]}

General characteristics

Crew: 1
Length: 22 ft 2 in (6.76 m)
Wingspan: 9 ft 8 in (2.95 m)
Height: 9 ft 6 in (2.90 m)
Wing area: 160 sq ft (15 m²)
Empty weight: 5,071 lb (2,300 kg)
Gross weight: 6,000 lb (2,722 kg)
Max takeoff weight: 7,937 lb (3,600 kg)
Powerplant: 1 × Reaction Motors XLR-11 liquid-fuelled rocket motor, 8,000 lbf (36 kN) thrust with four combustion chamber/nozzle assemblies