It did, however, create a lot of drag and made the aircraft very top heavy so bank angles were limited. Columbia carried a crew of two mission commander john w. An homage to the recently retired space shuttle program, this set is the shuttle carrier aircraft sca. How was the boeing 747 able to lift the space shuttle. October 28, 2006 nasa photo tony landis sca project description. A conceptual approach, the rds design software, and dan raymers simplified aircraft design for homebuilders. The wikipedia article for the shuttle carrier aircraft mentions an escape tunnel the avionics and engines were also upgraded, and an escape tunnel system similar to that used on boeings first 747 test flights was added. The space model specialist worldwide proach models. Space shuttle discovery, atop the shuttle carrier aircraft sca, touches down at nasa kennedy space centers shuttle landing facility on aug. The shuttle was creating lift, but how that affected it aerodynamically is hard to say, it was always mounted the same way so we had no basis of comparison. The freeflight phase of the alt program allowed shuttle pilots to.
Boeing 747 shuttle carrier aircraft carried the enterprise, a prototype orbiter, during eight captive tests to determine how well the two vehicles flew together and to test some of the orbiters systems. Only difference is the passenger and the seats weight in normal b747 are replaced by shuttle and the instr. Five orbiter free flights were flown using basically the same separation procedures. The technical books below have proven useful during years of aircraft conceptual design experience in industry and during the writing of aircraft design. The nasa sca is a boeing 747 100 series purchased from american airlines on june 17, 1974.
You can buy a 2020 calendar featuring my photographs of space shuttle carrier aircraft a dozen photos of 747 shuttle carrier aircraft. Nasa modified and reinforced 747 jumbo jet adapted to shuttle carrier aircraft with shuttle orbiter. Does the space shuttles own aerodynamic lift as a glider. Space transportation system, shuttle carrier aircraft haer no. Eight of the nine pilots and flight engineers from the johnson space center and dryden flight research center who have flown nasas shuttle carrier aircraft in recent years lined up for the photographer prior to a pilot proficiency flight in nasa 905 march 29. The maximum takeoff weight for shuttle carrier aircraft sca is 730000lb which is more or less equal to the b747s maximum takeoff weight. Ed060202020a brief tour through nasas modified boeing 747 shuttle carrier aircraft was a popular attraction at the edwards air force base open house oct.
Sts1 space transportation system1 was the first orbital spaceflight of nasas space shuttle program. The aft section of the shuttle carrier aircraft, or sca, that will take space shuttle endeavour from nasas kennedy space center in florida to. Nasa keeps two 747s, known as the shuttle carrier aircraft sca, set up this way on purpose. The space shuttle prototype enterprise flies free of nasas 747 shuttle carrier aircraft sca during one of five free flights carried out at the dryden flight research facility, edwards, california in 1977 as part of the shuttle programs approach and landing tests alt. A superb book that has gone through many revisions, but remains true to its original concepts. We are also more than willing to talk about proach models experiences building various complex projects. Space shuttle orbiter approach and landing test alt program final evaluation report complete details on the 1977 captive and free flight tests on the 747 sts carrier aircraft kindle edition by world spaceflight news, national aeronautics and space administration nasa. Other aspects of the shuttle design further complicated the task for engineers. The two jets, dubbed shuttle carrier aircraft, or scas, are almost identical in appearance and functionality. Nasaksc nasa keeps two 747s, known as the shuttle carrier aircraft sca, set up this way on purpose.
Full text of aerodynamic design of the space shuttle orbiter. I actually own almost every one of them and use them often. It was modified to ferry orbiters to and from various shuttle facilities and to transport and release ov101 for the alt program. Sca has fine raised panel lines, detailed engine nacelles with turbofan engines, detailed optional position undercarriage, piggyback cradles and display stand. Naming conventions aircraft states that there are exceptions to including the manufacturer name in page titles when the aircraft is very well known without it for example, in the case of concorde. We are big promoters of aerospace education and will address groups of any size to discuss developments in the various space programs from countries around the world. The space shuttle prototype enterprise rides smoothly atop nasas first shuttle carrier aircraft sca, nasa 905, during the first of the shuttle programs approach and landing tests alt at the dryden flight research center, edwards, california, in 1977. Vehicle historical information is given in appendix b. This official nasa internal program document converted for accurate flowingtext ebook format reproduction is a comprehensive final report on the historic test flights of the enterprise with the boeing 747 shuttle carrier aircraft in 1977. Revell germany boeing 747 sca and space shuttle model kit. At the speed we were flying, the carrier itself was about 5 degrees nose high. Shuttle has raised and engraved surface detail, pivoting body flap, basic cargo. Download it once and read it on your kindle device, pc, phones or tablets.
One example was the concern for the vortex wake produced by the carrier. From left are henry taylor, larry larose, frank batteas. If you are interested in model aircraft aerodynamics, and want explanations that are a right and b well and simply explained, then get this book. Fulton was assigned as primary pilot, or one of the primary pilots on aircraft such as the xb70 highspeed research aircraft, the yf12sr71 aerodynamic research project, the nasa 747 shuttle carrier aircraft project, and the nasa b52b aircraft used to air launch the x15, lifting body aircraft and uninhabited aircraft.
The shuttle training aircraft sta was a nasa training vehicle that duplicated the space shuttles approach profile and handling qualities, allowing space shuttle pilots to simulate shuttle landings under controlled conditions before attempting the task on board the orbiter. On april 17, 2012, discovery was flown atop a shuttle carrier aircraft escorted by a nasa t38 talon chase aircraft in a final farewell flight. Nasas shuttle carrier aircraft 905, still sporting its original american airlines colors, is pictured here with shuttle enterprise during the first of the shuttle programs approach and landing tests alt at the dryden flight research center, edwards, california, in 1977. The scas are both erstwhile commercial airplanes with a few modifications. Ed060202076crowds thronged around nasas modified 747 shuttle carrier aircraft and an air force b1b lancer at the edwards air force base open house oct. At edwards air force base, california, the prototype space shuttle oriter, enterprise, ov101 was mated to the boeing 747100 shuttle carrier aircraft, n905na, call sign nasa 905, for the first of five approach and landing test flights. The shuttle vehicle was uniquely winged so it could reenter earths atmosphere and fly to assigned nominal or abort landing strips. Aerodynamics and flight the wings allowed the spacecraft. The sca is a modified boeing 747 that was used to transport the space shuttle from various landing sights back to the kennedy space center in cape canaveral, fl. The approach and landing tests were a series of taxi and flight trials of the prototype space shuttle enterprise, conducted in 1977 to test the vehicles flight characteristics both on its own and when mated to the shuttle carrier aircraft, prior to the operational debut of the shuttle system. October 28,2006 nasa photo tony landis sca project description.
The downstairs passenger area of these jetliners are kept as hollow inside as possible in order to carry a special cargo. What was the shuttle carrier aircraft escape tunnel. Inthe approach and landing test alt phase of the shuttle program, one of the major problems to be considered is the separation of the orbiter. Nasas shuttle carrier aircraft 905, still sporting its original american airlines colors, is pictured here with shuttle enterprise during the first of the shuttle program s approach and landing tests alt at the dryden flight research center, edwards, california, in 1977. The scas are used to ferry space shuttles from landing sites back to the launch complex at the nasa shuttle landing facility at the kennedy space center, and to and from other. It was the first american crewed space flight since the apollo. The tests were conducted to verify orbiter aerodynamics and handling. Enterprise was taken aloft on the sca to study the aerodynamics. Space shuttle prototype enterprise separates from nasa 905 for its first free flight, 12 august 1977. Pilots and flight engineers from the johnson space center and dryden flight research center who have flown nasas shuttle carrier aircraft in recent years lined up for the photographer prior to a pilot proficiency flight in nasa 905. The objectives were to determine if the plan was technically feasible, and if so, to determine the optimum location for positioning the orbiter on the c5a. Space shuttle enterprise approach and landing tests. The space shuttle prototype enterprise flies free after being released from nasas 747 shuttle carrier aircraft sca over rogers dry lakebed during the second of five free flights carried out at the dryden flight research center, edwards, california, as part of the shuttle. Tx116l page 6 mounted atop a scale model of the c5a were conducted in lockheeds low speed tunnel in burbank, california.
Aerodynamic loads decreased to fairly low levels as the shuttle accelerated past about mach 5 and the atmospheric density decreased with altitude, thus the aerodynamic testing for the ascent configuration was focused on the subsonic through high supersonic regimes. The scas, known as nasa 905 and nasa 911, are both erstwhile commercial airplanes with a few. N905na nasa boeing 747100 shuttle carrier aircraft space nasa boeing 747100 shuttle carrier aircraftspace shuttle. Space shuttle orbiter approach and landing test alt. The space shuttle prototype enterprise flies free after being released from nasas 747 shuttle carrier aircraft sca over rogers dry lake during the second of five free flights carried out at the dryden flight research center, edwards, california, as part of the shuttle programs approach and landing tests alt in 1977. Not that i have any real qualification to answer but if you look at the angle when they are flying together, youll see that the plane is at a really steep angle, like its taking off this seems to indicate to me that the shuttle requires a lo. The shuttle training aircraft sta was a nasa training vehicle that duplicated the space shuttle s approach profile and handling qualities, allowing space shuttle pilots to simulate shuttle landings under controlled conditions before attempting the task on board the orbiter. The two jets, dubbed shuttle carrier aircraft, are almost identical in appearance and functionality. The wings allowed the spacecraft to glide and bank like an airplane during much of the return flight phase. The need to perform an aerodynamic separation between two maneuverable vehicles required considerable aerodynamic testing and analysis. The sta was also flown to assess weather conditions just prior to space shuttle launches and landings. The 747100 and 747100sr are currently used as shuttle carrier aircraft sca while the 747sp is in use as stratospheric observatory for infrared astronomy sofia.