| NASA Center: |
Dryden Flight Research Center |
|---|
| Image # : |
E-22715 |
|---|
| Date : |
01/01/1971
|
|---|
|
Title
Pilot Major Cecil Powell and the X-24A on Lakebed
Full Description
Air Force pilot Major Cecil Powell stands in front of the X-24A after a
research flight. Built for the Air Force by Martin Marietta, the X-24A was a
bulbous vehicle shaped like a tear drop, with three vertical fins at the rear
for directional control. It weighed 6,270 pounds, was just over 24 feet long,
and had a width of nearly 14 feet.
The first unpowered glide flight of the X-24A was on April 17, 1969. The pilot
was Air Force Major Jerauld Gentry. Gentry also piloted the vehicle on its first
powered flight March 19, 1970. It was flown 28 times in a program which, like
the HL-10, helped validate the concept that a space shuttle vehicle could be
landed unpowered. Fastest speed in the X-24A was l,036 mph (Mach 1.6). The pilot
was John Manke, who also reached the highest altitude in the vehicle, 71,400
feet.
He was also the pilot on its final flight June 4, 1971. The X-24A was later
modified with a different nose configuration and became the X-24B.
Keywords
X-24 Lifting Body X-24A X-24B Major Cecil Powell NASA Flight Research Center
Subject Category
Top 20 Dryden Aircraft, X-Series Aircraft,
Reference Numbers
- Center:
DFRC
- Center Number:
E-22715
- GRIN DataBase Number:
GPN-2000-000222
Source Information
- Creator/Photographer: NASA
- Original Source: DIGITAL
| Resolution | Format | Width
(Pixels) | Height
(Pixels) | Size
(KBytes) |
Thumbnail |
.jpg |
90 |
70 |
10 |
Small |
.jpg |
640 |
500 |
194 |
Medium |
.jpg |
1500 |
1172 |
1,063 |
Large |
.jpg |
3000 |
2343 |
4,325 |
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Updated October 31, 2002
• History Questions: NASA History Office
• Responsible NASA Official: Steve Garber
• Author: Michael Hahn. Editor: Dwayne A. Day
• Curator & Technical Questions: Erin Needham
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