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  Photo of the week 920 (June 11, 2022)

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Author Topic:   Photo of the week 920 (June 11, 2022)
heng44
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Posts: 3595
From: Netherlands
Registered: Nov 2001

posted 06-11-2022 02:34 AM     Click Here to See the Profile for heng44   Click Here to Email heng44     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote

The X-24B lifting body, flown by pilot Dick Scobee, makes a steep descent over Rogers Dry Lake on its approach to the runway at Edwards Air Force Base during Flight B-32-45 on October 21, 1975. It is accompanied by two chase planes.

oly
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From: Perth, Western Australia
Registered: Apr 2015

posted 06-11-2022 05:05 AM     Click Here to See the Profile for oly   Click Here to Email oly     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
Great image Ed, showing that the lifting body glides like a well weighted brick.

OV-105
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Posts: 879
From: Ridgecrest, CA
Registered: Sep 2000

posted 06-11-2022 07:22 AM     Click Here to See the Profile for OV-105   Click Here to Email OV-105     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
They were still flying the F-104 Starfighter into the early 1990’s at Dryden, now Armstrong. They looked fast even sitting on the ground.

Jurg Bolli
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From: Albuquerque, NM
Registered: Nov 2000

posted 06-11-2022 09:24 AM     Click Here to See the Profile for Jurg Bolli   Click Here to Email Jurg Bolli     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
Great picture.

Jonnyed
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Posts: 545
From: Dumfries, VA, USA
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posted 06-11-2022 09:44 AM     Click Here to See the Profile for Jonnyed   Click Here to Email Jonnyed     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
What fun!

David C
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Posts: 1343
From: Lausanne
Registered: Apr 2012

posted 06-11-2022 01:26 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for David C     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
quote:
Originally posted by oly:
Great image Ed, showing that the lifting body glides like a well weighted brick.

Fantastic shot, but you should never be fooled by anything shooting a “Drinkwater approach”. It ain’t gliding at best L/D, its diving - flying much faster. Not to say they’re good gliders in the first place, but they look much worse than they are.

NavyPilot
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From:
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posted 06-11-2022 02:47 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for NavyPilot     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
NASA: A Flight Evaluation of the Factors which Influence the Selection of Landing Approach Speeds (also available here).

bobslittlebro
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Posts: 224
From: Douglasville, Ga U.S.A.
Registered: Nov 2009

posted 06-11-2022 02:57 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for bobslittlebro   Click Here to Email bobslittlebro     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
Good picture Ed. I've never seen this one!

micropooz
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From: Washington, DC, USA
Registered: Apr 2003

posted 06-11-2022 03:36 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for micropooz   Click Here to Email micropooz     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
I remember a mantra associated with (if I remember right) the M2-F2 lifting body, that if the B-52 dropped both the M2-F2 and a brick at the same time, the M2-F2 would beat the brick to the ground. This photo certainly exemplifies that!

Jonnyed
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Posts: 545
From: Dumfries, VA, USA
Registered: Aug 2014

posted 06-11-2022 08:04 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for Jonnyed   Click Here to Email Jonnyed     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
Question for Galileo and Dave Scott:

In the moon's atmosphere, if you dropped a lifting body and a brick at the same time, which would hit the moon first?

machbusterman
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From: Dunfermline, Fife, Scotland
Registered: May 2004

posted 06-12-2022 04:41 AM     Click Here to See the Profile for machbusterman   Click Here to Email machbusterman     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
Great photo Ed, not one I've ever seen before so really appreciate you sharing!

Ian Limbrey
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From: England
Registered: Nov 2012

posted 06-12-2022 04:55 AM     Click Here to See the Profile for Ian Limbrey   Click Here to Email Ian Limbrey     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
Amazing photo Ed!

David C
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Posts: 1343
From: Lausanne
Registered: Apr 2012

posted 06-12-2022 09:44 AM     Click Here to See the Profile for David C     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
quote:
Originally posted by NavyPilot:
NASA: A Flight Evaluation of the Factors which Influence the Selection of Landing Approach Speeds
That report relates to powered approaches of jet airplanes. Drinkwater participated in lots of approach research. The first one of interest for spacecraft is probably NASA TN D-323 "A Flight Study of a Power-off Landing Technique Applicable to Re-entry Vehicles", 1960; Bray, Drinkwater and White. Those tests were conducted in a JF-104A. Can't find a copy or link unfortunately.

A flavour of the technique can be found in his later research for the shuttle.

onesmallstep
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From: Staten Island, New York USA
Registered: Nov 2007

posted 06-13-2022 11:48 AM     Click Here to See the Profile for onesmallstep   Click Here to Email onesmallstep     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
Scobee, then an Air Force captain, would later take the controls of a different carrier aircraft, the NASA 747 SCA, and would pilot it many times before his own first space flight. One memorable trip was Enterprise's journey to Europe for the Paris Air Show in 1983. It's also worth noting that Scobee came from the heavy, multi-engine AF pilot community, and was chosen for the X-24B lifting body program to see if qualified pilots with his background could fly high-speed types like rocket planes, and later the Space Shuttle.

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