Northrop HL-10

E512388

The Northrop HL-10 was a NASA experimental lifting-body aircraft developed in the 1960s to study unpowered reentry and landing characteristics that informed the design of future spacecraft like the Space Shuttle.

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Statements (50)

Predicate Object
instanceOf experimental aircraft
lifting body aircraft
research aircraft
basedAt Edwards Air Force Base NERFINISHED
NASA Flight Research Center NERFINISHED
carrierAircraft B-52 Stratofortress NERFINISHED
configuration tailless lifting body
countryOfOrigin United States of America
surface form: United States
crewCapacity 1
designationMeaning HL stands for horizontal landing
developedInDecade 1960s
displayLocation NASA Armstrong Flight Research Center NERFINISHED
firstFlightDate 1966-12-22
height approximately 9 feet
influenced Space Shuttle approach and landing procedures
future lifting body spacecraft concepts
informedDesignOf Space Shuttle Orbiter NERFINISHED
landingMode unpowered gliding landing
lastFlightDate 1970-07-17
launchMethod air-launched from carrier aircraft
length approximately 21 feet
manufacturer Northrop Corporation NERFINISHED
maximumAltitude about 90,000 feet
maximumSpeed about Mach 1.86
notableAchievement achieved highest altitude of any NASA lifting body of its era
demonstrated precise unpowered landings on a runway
notablePilot Bill Dana NERFINISHED
Bruce Peterson NERFINISHED
Jerry Gentry NERFINISHED
John Manke NERFINISHED
numberOfFlights 37
operator NASA
primaryPurpose study landing characteristics of lifting bodies
study unpowered reentry characteristics
program NASA lifting body program NERFINISHED
programContext pre-Space Shuttle reentry research
programPartner U.S. Air Force NERFINISHED
propulsionType rocket-powered
relatedAircraft Martin X-24A NERFINISHED
Martin X-24B NERFINISHED
Northrop M2-F2 NERFINISHED
Northrop M2-F3 NERFINISHED
researchFocus aerodynamic stability and control at high angles of attack
approach and landing techniques for lifting bodies
pilot handling qualities during reentry-like profiles
retirementReason completion of lifting body research objectives
span approximately 13.6 feet
status retired
successorInProgram NASA Space Shuttle Approach and Landing Tests NERFINISHED
wingType low-aspect-ratio body-lift configuration

Referenced by (1)

Full triples — surface form annotated when it differs from this entity's canonical label.

NASA X-plane series includes Northrop HL-10