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Dryden People

NASA aerospace engineer Dale Reed in 1967 with model of the M2-F1 Lifting Body and the actual M2-F1 flown in a research program at the Flight Research Center.

 
Photo Number: E-16475
Photo Date: March 6, 1967
 
Formats: 432x640 JPEG Image (116 KBytes)
863x1280 JPEG Image (347 KBytes)
2022x3000 JPEG Image (1505 KBytes)
 
Photo
Description:
Dale Reed with a model of the M2-F1 in front of the actual lifting body. Reed used the model to show the potential of the lifting bodies. He first flew it into tall grass to test stability and trim, then hand-launched it from buildings for longer flights. Finally, he towed the lifting-body model aloft using a powered model airplane known as the "Mothership." A timer released the model and it glided to a landing. Dale's wife Donna used a 8 mm camera to film the flights of the model. Its stability as it glided--despite its lack of wings--convinced Milt Thompson and some Flight Research Center engineers including the center director, Paul Bikle, that a piloted lifting body was possible.
 
Keywords: R. Dale Reed, Robert Dale Reed, aerospace engineer, M2-F1, Father of the Lifting Bodies, model
 


Last Modified: March 18, 2005
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