1970—Richard T. Whitcomb invented the Supercritical Airfoil to delay the drag rise that accompanied transonic airflow.

1972—F-8C Digital-Fly-By-Wire Control System was tested. The use of electrical and mechanical systems to replace hydraulic systems for aircraft control surface actuation was flight-tested.

1974–1997—The NASA 737 research aircraft was used for flight-testing a variety of large transport aircraft technologies, such as “glass cockpits,” airborne wind shear detection, microwave landing systems, and head-up displays.

1974–1981—Powered Lift Technology Quiet Short-haul Research Aircraft (QSRA) program developed and demonstrated technologies necessary to support short-takeoff and high-lift cargo aircraft. These technologies were employed on the C-17 Globemaster III.

1976–1978—The NASA-Army-Bell XV-15 tiltrotor research aircraft hovered (1976) and then demonstrated conversion and forward flight (1978) as the first tilting rotor vehicle to solve the problems of “prop whirl.” Its success directly led to the V-22 Osprey development.

1979–1980—Winglets, or small wings, which were applied at the tips of the aircraft’s main wing to improve vehicle aerodynamics, were first flown. Originally used on KC-135 aircraft to improve fuel efficiency, they are now universally accepted.

1979–1983—Highly Maneuverable Aircraft Technology (HiMAT) introduced on first unpiloted subscale flight-test vehicle. The outcome was used to validate technologies for future fighter aircraft. The extensive uses of composites, winglets, and canards appeared on other aircraft.

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