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NASA M2-F3 Lifting-Body Research Aircraft Family

The NASA M2-F3 was the rebuilt M2-F2 lifting-body research aircraft, modified with a third vertical fin between its outer fins to improve lateral stability and control. Bill Dana flew its first unpowered glide on June 2, 1970. It made 27 flights in total through December 20, 1972, including the initial glide and 26 subsequent missions. Rocket-powered testing reached Mach 1.6; later experiments examined reaction-control jets, rate-command augmentation, and a side-arm controller. The M2-F3 demonstrated improved handling of a wingless atmospheric-entry shape and extended the control-system research begun with the M2-F2.

NASA M2-F3 Lifting-Body Research Aircraft Family
NASA photo ECN-2461 · NASA content is generally not subject to U.S. copyright and may be used factually for educational or informational purposes with NASA acknowledged; no NASA endorsement is implied. Usage guidelines: https://www.nasa.gov/nasa-brand-center/images-and-media/ · Source
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Identity

Aliases
M2-F3M2-F3 lifting bodyNorthrop M2-F3M2-F3 Heavyweight Lifting Body
Family Name
NASA M2-F3
Full Name
NASA M2-F3 Lifting-Body Research Aircraft Family
Roles
researchexperimentaltechnology_demonstrator
Status
retired
Type
aircraft

Details

Aircraft Specs
Configuration
other
Crew Capacity
1
Operating Modes
land
Description
The NASA M2-F3 was the rebuilt M2-F2 lifting-body research aircraft, modified with a third vertical fin between its outer fins to improve lateral stability and control. Bill Dana flew its first unpowered glide on June 2, 1970. It made 27 flights in total through December 20, 1972, including the initial glide and 26 subsequent missions. Rocket-powered testing reached Mach 1.6; later experiments examined reaction-control jets, rate-command augmentation, and a side-arm controller. The M2-F3 demonstrated improved handling of a wingless atmospheric-entry shape and extended the control-system research begun with the M2-F2.
First Flight Year
1,970
Last Flight Year
1,972
Manufacturer
Parent Vehicle Family
Propulsion Configurations
  • Entries
    • Count
      1
      Propulsion System
      Role
      main
      Variant Notes
      NASA identifies the XLR-11 model; no exact subvariant is inferred.
    Name
    M2-F3 XLR-11 rocket installation

Links

Official Url
https://www.nasa.gov/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/171367main_FS-011-DFRC.pdf

Assets & Meta

Creation Time
August 13, 2026 at 21:26:22 UTC
Updated Time
October 29, 2026 at 15:20:03 UTC
Image
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