X-24a Lifting Body

**GEEDUBBYA** · 29-12-2007

Howdy Guys and Gals,

The X-24 was one of a group of lifting bodies flown by the NASA Flight Research Center (now Dryden Flight Research Center) in a joint program with the U.S. Air Force at Edwards Air Force Base in California from 1963 to 1975. The lifting bodies were used to demonstrate the ability of pilots to maneuver and safely land wingless vehicles designed to fly back to Earth from space and be landed like an airplane at a predetermined site. This research was for use in the design of the United states Space shuttle.
The X-24 was built by Martin Marietta and flown from Edwards AFB, California. The X-24A was the fourth lifting body design to fly, it followed the NASA M2-F1 in 1964, the Northrop HL-10 in (1966), the Northrop M2-F2 in 1968 and preceded the Northrop M2-F3 (1970).

Anyway, this is my latest model, the X-24A, the X-24B to follow sometime in the future (They came as a set manufactured by Mach 2 models).
There were too many leaves in my driveway and with my neck in the shape its in, i wasnt about to try to rake them, so here is the X-24 sitting ontop of my pick-up trucks hood.

Anyway, I am considering trying to build another model today, maybe the XF2Y-1 SEA DART or the HU-16 ALBATROSS (in USCG markings)

Have a good day,

Greg

**GEEDUBBYA** · 30-12-2007

howdy Kevin,

Thanks for the kind words in your post, i dont know where it went lol, but i did recieve it in my email. The "Lifting Body's" have always been a fascination of mine too.
I always seem to think back to the 1970's series "The Six Million Dollar Man" where-in the main character, "Steve Austin" crashed in a test flight of the northrop M2-F2, which looks similar to the X-24A.
A quick search of "X-planes" in google images will provide you with tons of photos of most any "X" plane you can think of.

Anyway, thanks again,

Greg aka GW

**wonwinglo** · 01-01-2008

That sure is a most unusual model Greg,the rate of sink was rather dramatic on the full sized aircraft.