Lifting body
The Lifting body is an aircraft configuration where the body itself produce lift.
 Martin Aircraft X-24A |
| The Martin Aircraft Company X-24 built as part of an experimental US military program running from 1963 to 1975. |
| Note progression from a wing-like upper body (left), to one that is almost straight (right), with the body flattening out. |
 X-24A,M2-F3 and HL-10 Lifting bodies (NASA) |
Lifting body research arose from the idea of spacecraft re-entering the Earths' atmosphere and landing much like a regular aircraft. Wings would have to be built that could withstand stresses and temperatures at hypersonic speeds. A proposed answer was to eliminate wings altogether: Design the body itself to produce lift. The Space Shuttle contains some of the lifting body principles, although it relies more on the delta wing concept.
Research on lifting bodies began in 1962 with Dale Reed of NASA's Dryden Flight Research Center. Early models, such as the M2-F1, were made of wood. In 1963, NASA began experimenting with rocket powered models dropped from a B-52 Bomber. Another similar design was the HL-10, developed at NASA's Langley Research Center. The X-24 was based on the M-2 concept originated by Dr. A. Eggers of NASA Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, Mt. View, California. The M-2 competed in the design of the Space Shuttle.
A major difficulty with these designs was air flow separation; the air stream would become very turbulent causing loss of control and lift. The HL-10 attempted to solve part of this problem by angling the port and starboard vertical stablizers outward and enlarging the center one.
Much of the general public had never heard, or seen, anything about these lifting body designs until watching the 1970's television show "The Six Million Dollar Man." The introduction footage showed an M2-F2, piloted by Bruce Peterson, crashing and tumbling violently along the runway. The pilot survived to fly again and, the craft was rebuilt as the M2-F3.
External Links