This is a list of NASA aircraft. Throughout its history NASA has used several different types of aircraft on a permanent, semi-permanent, or short-term basis. These aircraft are usually surplus, but in a few cases are newly built, military aircraft.
Registered as N905NA (which is a 747-100 model that was acquired from American Airlines in 1974) and N911NA (a 747-100SR model purchased from Japan Airlines in 1988). In 2013, Space Center Houston announced plans to display SCA 905 with the mockup shuttle Independence mounted on its back. NASA 905 was erected on site at the space center, having been ferried in pieces from Ellington Field, and the replica shuttle was mounted in August 2014. The display opened in early 2016. N911NA is currently on display at the Joe Davies Heritage Airpark at Palmdale Plant 42.
It was equipped to fly by wire and had three on board computers. After research was completed, it was returned to the US Army and upgraded to the CH–47D standard.[7]
USAF KC–135As (designated N930NA and N931NA) Potential astronauts were exposed to simulated near–weightlessness. These aircraft are also known as Vomit Comets.
Used as a mothership for the X-15 program, 127 Lifting body flight tests such as the HL-10 test flight, to support development in the Space Shuttle program, and several other miscellaneous test programs.[8] After almost 50 years flying service Balls 8 was retired from active service with NASA on December 17, 2004, following its participation in the Hyper-X program.[9]
X-48 series was utilized to "evaluate the low-speed stability and control of a low-noise version of a notional hybrid-wing-body design." NASA is hoping that this particular aircraft will aid in the design "green airlines." Blended Wing Body (BWB) testbed.[13]
The Galileo I aircraft was lost in a mid-air collision in 1973 with a P-3. The Galileo II continued service into the 1980s providing research into aeronautics, astronautics, astronomy, and earth observations, but was destroyed in 1985 by fire after the right main landing gear failed and punctured fuel tanks. NASA 810 was used to test the shuttle landing gear and braking systems, before being retired.
The experimental wing was designed, fabricated and installed by Boeing was a swept, supercritical design incorporating a boundary layer control system.[22][23]: 8 Instead of the standard engines, this aircraft was powered by four prototype Avco Lycoming YF102 high-bypass turbofan engines (originally from the Northrop YA-9 program) mounted above the wing to take advantage of the Coandă effect.[23]: 9–10 In 1980, this aircraft participated in carrier trials aboard USS Kitty Hawk, demonstrating STOL performance without the use of catapults or arrestor gear.[17][21]: 154
Used as a testbed for supersonic research and to train pilots for the X-20 Dyna-Soar program. The F5D-1 Skylancer had a wing planform similar to the proposed design for Dyna-Soar. After the Dyna-Soar program was canceled in December 1963, one F5D-1 stayed on at Armstrong, eventually becoming a flight simulator for the M2-F2, and a chase plane for experimental flights until 1970. In May 1970 one of the aircraft was retired and donated to the Neil Armstrong Air and Space Museum.[27]
Titanium alloy construction; low aspect ratio wings. Planned to test long-duration high-speed flight. Incapable of reaching design speed, but provided insights into inertia coupling.[28]
NASA one was a Gulfstream G-III with a seating capacity of 12 people. The jet is stored in an FAA hangar along with 3 other government planes.[32] NASA now shares a plane with FAA.
The plane was permanently retired in 1998, and the Air Force quickly disposed of their SR-71s, leaving NASA with the last two airworthy Blackbirds until 1999.[36] All other Blackbirds have been moved to museums except for the two SR-71s and a few D-21 drones retained by the NASA Dryden Research Center.[37]
The plane was permanently retired in 1998, and the Air Force quickly disposed of their SR-71s, leaving NASA with the last two airworthy Blackbirds until 1999.[36] All other Blackbirds have been moved to museums except for the two SR-71s and a few D-21 drones retained by the NASA Armstrong Flight Research Center.[37]
The plane was permanently retired in 1998, and the Air Force quickly disposed of their SR-71s, leaving NASA with the last two airworthy Blackbirds until 1999.[36] All other Blackbirds have been moved to museums except for the two SR-71s and a few D-21 drones retained by the NASA Armstrong Flight Research Center.[37]
Active flutter suppression and gust load alleviation technology for potential use in future high-altitude, long-endurance (HALE) reconnaissance aircraft.[40]
McDonnell conducted demonstrations with the prototype of french Breguet plane from June 9, 1964 to April 16, 1965. The aircraft was evaluated by both NASA and the US military
The F-15B research aircraft (tail number 837), the first two-seat F-15 built by McDonnell Douglas, was used initially for developmental testing and evaluation.
The NASA M2-F1 was a lightweight, unpowered prototype aircraft, developed to flight test the wingless Lifting body concept. It looked like a "flying bathtub," and was designated the M2–F1, the "M" referring to "manned" and "F" referring to "flight" version. In 1962, NASA Dryden management approved a program to build a lightweight, unpowered Lifting body prototype. It featured a plywood shell placed over a tubular steel frame crafted at Dryden. Construction was completed in 1963.[51]
Was designed to study the ability of the Rogallo wing, also called Parawing, to descend a payload such as the Gemini space capsule safely from high altitude to ground.[52][53] Specifically, the Paresev was a test vehicle used to learn how to control this paraglider for a safe landing at a normal airfield.
NASA participated heavily in the design and testing of the XB-70 Valkyrie in the mid to late 1960s. NASA and the United States Air Force had a joint agreement to use the second XB–70A prototype for high–speed research flights in support of the proposed SST program. These plans went awry on June 8, 1966, when the second XB–70 crashed following a midair collision with NASA's F–104N chase plane. After 33 research flights following the mid–air collision, the remaining XB–70A was flown to Wright-Patterson Air Force Base on February 4, 1969 for museum display.[54]
^Creech, Gray (November 30, 1998). "Lear Jet gets new cameras". The Dryden X-Press. Vol. 40, no. 22. NASA/Dryden Flight Research Center. Archived from the original on March 8, 2003.
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