- NASA Hyper III
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Hyper III Role Lifting-body remotely piloted vehicle National origin United States Manufacturer National Aeronautics and Space Administration Designer Dale Reed First flight 12 December 1969 Primary user NASA Number built 1 The NASA Hyper III was an American unpowered full-scale lifting body remotely piloted vehicle designed and built at the NASA Flight Research Center at Edwards Air Force Base, California.[1]
Design and development
The Hyper III was designed to help in the M2 lifting body program, it had a flat bottom and sides and a simple straight wing with no flaps, ailerons or any control surfaces.[1] The wing was designed to simulate a pop-out wing that had been proposed for a re-entry vehicle. It had twin fins and rudders canted at 40° from the vertical with hinged elevons on the horizontal surface.[1] The landing gear was a fixed tricyle type, using spring steel legs from a Cessna aircraft.[1] It was fitted with an emergency parachute system and the aircraft was controlled by 5-channel radio link, instrument data was down-linked using a 12-channel radio.[1]
On the 12 December 1969 the Hyper III was launched from a helicopter at 10,000 feet. It glided 5 km, turned round, came back and landed. After the three-minute flight it was not flown again as the Center cancelled the program.[1]
Specifications
Data from Jane's All the World's Aircraft 1973-74[1]
General characteristics
- Length: 32 ft 0 in (9.75 m)
- Wingspan: 15 ft 0 in (4.57 m)
- Height: 7 ft 6 in (2.29 m)
- Wing area: 35.41 ft2 (3.29 m2)
- Empty weight: 950 lb (431 kg)
- Gross weight: 950 lb (431 kg)
Performance
- Maximum speed: 173 mph (277 km/h)
- Stall speed: 69 mph (111 km/h)
- Range: 11 miles (18 km)
- Service ceiling: 12000 ft (3660 m)
See also
- Related lists
References
Notes
Bibliography
- Jane's All the World's Aircraft 1973-74. London, United Kingdom: Jane's Yearbooks. 1973. ISBN 0 354 00117 5.
External links
Lists relating to aviation General Aircraft (manufacturers) · Aircraft engines (manufacturers) · Airlines (defunct) · Airports · Civil authorities · Museums · Registration prefixes · Rotorcraft (manufacturers) · TimelineMilitary Accidents/incidents Records Categories:- Lifting body aircraft
- United States experimental aircraft 1960–1969
- NASA aircraft
- Glider aircraft
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