Martin Marietta X-24

Martin Marietta X-24
Země	SPOJENÉ STÁTY
Roli	Koncepční demonstrátorová letadla
První let	pondělí 24. října 2000
Postaven	2

Tá Martin Marietta X-24 was an American experimental aircraft developed from a joint United States Air Force-NASA program named PILOT (1963–1975). It was designed and built to test lifting body concepts, experimenting with the concept of unpowered reentry and landing, later used by the Space Shuttle. Originally built as the X-24A, the aircraft was later rebuilt as the X-24B. The X-24 was drop launched from a modified B-52 Stratofortress at high altitudes before igniting its rocket engine; after expending its rocket fuel, the pilot would glide the X-24 to an unpowered landing.

Zdroj: Martin Marietta X-24 na Wikipedii

Martin X-24B Zvedání těla Procházka kolem
Fotografů	John Heck, Randy Ray
Lokalizace	Národní muzeum USAF
Fotografie	36

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Martin X-24A Zvedání těla Procházka kolem
Fotografů	John Heck, Randy Ray
Lokalizace	Národní muzeum USAF
Fotografie	34

Martin X-24A Lifting Body

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General Characteristics and Role

The Martin Marietta X-24B was an experimental aircraft developed from the earlier X-24A under a joint U.S. Air Force–NASA program (PILOT, 1963–1975). Its primary role was to test the concept of a lifting body: a wingless vehicle whose fuselage shape generates the aerodynamic lift necessary for flight. The X-24B was a major redesign of the bulbous X-24A, converting its shape into what was described as a “flying flatiron”—rounded top, flat bottom, and a sharp, double-delta planform. The goal was to prove that future reusable spacecraft could successfully reenter the atmosphere and perform an unpowered, precise gliding landing on a conventional runway, information that was crucial to the design of the Space Shuttle.

Property	Typical Value (X-24B)
Roli	Experimental Lifting Body (Reentry/Landing Research)
National Origin	Spojené státy americké
Výrobce	Martin Marietta Corporation
First Flight (X-24B)	1 August 1973 (Glide)
Posádky	1 Pilot
Délka	11.43 m (37 ft 6 in)
Rozpětí křídel	5.79 m (19 ft 0 in)
Výška	2.92 m (9 ft 7 in)
Maximum Takeoff Weight	6,260 kg (13,800 lb)

Powerplant and Performance

Engine: 1 x Reaction Motors XLR-11-RM-13 4-chamber liquid-fuelled rocket engine.
Thrust: Approximately 37.7 kN (8,480 lbf).
Launch Method: The X-24B was air-launched from a modified B-52 Stratofortress at an altitude of approximately 45,000 feet (13,700 m).
Maximum Speed: Mach 1.76 (1,873 km/h or 1,164 mph).
Service Ceiling: 22,590 m (74,130 ft).
Landing System: Unpowered glide landing, using its shape to generate lift and relying on the pilot’s precise maneuvers to reach a predetermined landing spot.

Program Outcome and Legacy

Key Achievement: The X-24B completed 36 flights. Its most pivotal missions were two precise unpowered landings made on the main concrete runway at Edwards Air Force Base in 1975 (other flights landed on dry lakebeds).
Space Shuttle Influence: These precision landings were the final, crucial step in the lifting body program, convincing NASA that the Space Shuttle orbiter could safely and routinely perform unpowered landings without needing heavy, expensive jet engines for a second chance at approach.
Design Evolution: The X-24B’s highly stable “flying flatiron” shape was the final, most efficient configuration tested in the long-running lifting body program.
Retirement: The program concluded in 1975. The X-24B is now displayed at the National Museum of the United States Air Force in Ohio.

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