F5D Skylancer

F5D Skylancer. . , NASA test pilot Neil Armstrong used the F5D Skylancer to create an emergency abort launch/landing procedure for NASA's Dyna-Soar program in the early 1960s. NASA used the F5D in this program because it had similar aerodynamics to the Dyna-Soar X-20 space plane. Armstrong and other test pilots tested the abort maneuver over 40 times., NASA 213-later renumbered 802-participated in the Lifting Bodies program as a chase plane until its retirement in 1970. This program tested how a vehicle's shape, rather than its wings, could create lift. NASA used information from this program during the development of the Space Shuttle., In 1972, the F5D Skylancer arrived at the Armstrong Air and Space Museum bearing tail number 802. While at the museum, the Skylancer underwent several paint schemes. In May 2018, the Skylancer returned from an eight-month restoration as NASA 213, its designation when Neil Armstrong flew it., View the F5D Skylancer's cockpit and find more information about the abort launch procedure inside the museum., Manufacturer: Douglas Aircraft Company . Weight (empty): 16,300 lbs or 7,393.56 kg . Wingspan: 33 ft 6 in, or 10.21 m . Wingspan with Tips Folded: 27 ft 6 in, or 8.38 m . Wing Area Excluding Elevons: 499.7 sq ft, or 153.31 sq m . Total Length: 53 ft 6.75 in, or 16.33 m . Total Height: 16 ft 4.5 in, or 4.99 m . Main Elevons Span: 11 ft 9 in, or 3.58 m . Main Elevons Area: 47.8 sq ft, or 14.6 sq m . Inboard Elevons Span: 3 ft, or 0.91 m . Inboard Elevons Area: 9.5 sq ft, or 2.9 sq m . Vertical Fin Area: 45.92 sq ft, or 14 sq m . Rudder Area: 9.88 sq ft, or 3.01 sq m . Rudder Trim Tab Area: 79.95 sq ft, or 24.37 sq m . Speed Brake Span: 24 in, or 0.61 m . Engine: Pratt and Whitney J-57-P8 with afterburner . Lift-to-Drag Ratio: 4.7 (similar to X-20)