NASA Hyper III

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 control surfaces [1] that was designed to simulate a pop-out wing that had been proposed for a re-entry vehicle. The Hyper III had twin fins and rudders canted at 40° from the vertical, and hinged elevons on the horizontal surface.[1] The landing gear was a fixed tricycle type, using spring steel legs from a Cessna aircraft.[1] It was fitted with an emergency parachute system and controlled by 5-channel radio link; instrument data was downlinked using a 12-channel radio.[1]

On 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

Performance

See also


Related lists

References

Notes

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Taylor 1973, p. 523

Bibliography

  • Taylor, ed. (1973). Jane's All the World's Aircraft 1973-74. London, United Kingdom: Jane's Yearbooks. ISBN 0-354-00117-5.  |first1= missing |last1= in Authors list (help)
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