Dale Reed with a model of the M2-F1 in front of the actual lifting body.
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Dale Reed with a model of the M2-F1 in front of the actual lifting body. Reed used the model to show the potential of the lifting bodies. He first flew it into tall grass to test stability and trim, then hand-launched it from buildings for longer flights. Finally, he towed the lifting-body model aloft using a powered model airplane known as the “Mothership.” A timer released the model and it glided to a landing. Dale’s wife Donna used a 9 mm. camera to film the flights of the model. Its stability as it glided – despite its lack of wings – convinced Flight Research Center (FRC) pilot Milt Thompson and some FRC engineers including the center director, Paul Bikle, that a piloted lifting body was possible.
March 6, 1967NASA Photo