- Mar. 9, 1971 - First flight of supercritical wing
flown by NASA pilot Tom McMurtry. Unusual wing shape, tested on a
modified F-8, increased flight efficiency and lowered fuel usage.
Concept now used widely on commercial and military aircraft
- Oct. 14, 1971 - A Piper PA-30 Twin Comanche became
a testbed to develop remotely piloted aircraft techniques from a ground-based
cockpit. Concept lead to successful projects such as three-eighths
scale F-15/spin research vehicle, Highly Maneuverable Aircraft Technology
(HiMAT) vehicle, and Boeing 720 jetliner purposely flown to a controlled
crash landing in an FAA test of anti-misting fuel additive
- May 25, 1972 - First flight of aircraft with all-electric
fly-by-wire flight control system, the NASA F-8 Digital Fly-By-Wire
research aircraft, with Gary Krier the pilot. Concept now used in
many aircraft, including space shuttles
- Aug. 1974 - A Boeing 747 (tail number 905) was
used for the first time in the wake vortex research program to study
ways of reducing the turbulence trailing behind large aircraft before
the 747 was sent to Boeing for modification as a future Shuttle Carrier
Aircraft
- Aug. 5, 1975 - NASA pilot John Manke landed X-24B
lifting body on the Edwards runway, showing that a space shuttle-like
vehicle could be landed safely on a designated runway after returning
from orbit
- Mar. 26, 1976 - NASA Flight Research Center was
dedicated in honor of the late Hugh L. Dryden. NASA personnel numbered
more than 560
- Oct. 26, 1977 - Last of 13 captive and free-flight
tests with Space Shuttle prototype Enterprise, proving the shuttle
glide and landing characteristics
- Oct. 31, 1979 - Last research flight of the NASA
YF-12 research program. With Fitz Fulton as pilot, and Victor Horton
flight test engineer on a YF-12A, one of three YF-12's flown during
the program. Nearly 300 research flights explored high-speed, high-altitude
flight, and yielded information on thermal stress, aerodynamics, high-altitude
environment, propulsion, and flight control systems
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