| M2-F1 | |
|---|---|
 | |
| General information | |
| Type | Lifting-body technology demonstrator |
| Manufacturer | Dryden Flight Research Center |
| Designer | |
| Status | On display |
| Primary user | NASA |
| Number built | 1 |
| History | |
| First flight | 16 August 1963 |
| Retired | 16 August 1966 |
| Variants | Northrop M2-F2 Northrop M2-F3 |
The NASA M2-F1 is a lightweight, unpowered prototype aircraft, developed to flight-test the wingless lifting body concept. Its unusual appearance earned it the nickname "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.[1]
- ^ Reed, R. Dale; Darlene Lister (2002). Wingless Flight: The Lifting Body Story. University Press of Kentucky. ISBN 0-8131-9026-6.