Page 12 - Aerotech News and Review, November 19, 2021

On this date ...

Nov. 24, 1959: The Hiller X-18 V/STOL (vertical/
Nov. 20, 1953: Scott Crossfield, a National Advisory Committee for short takeoff and landing) test vehicle made its
Aeronautics (NACA) test pilot, flew a Douglas D-558-II Skyrocket first actual flight (above 14’), a conventional
research plane to Mach 2.01 (1,272 mph) at an altitude of 62,000 Nov. 2, 1988: The B-2 Spirit bomber was first publicly displayed at U.S. Air takeoff piloted by George L. Bright and Bruce
feet to establish a new unofficial world’s speed record. The D-558- Force Plant 42 in Palmdale, Calif., where it was assembled. This viewing Jones. The X-18 was a tilt-wing proof-of-concept
II was Phase II of a U.S. Navy/Douglas Aircraft Company/National was heavily restricted, and guests were not allowed to see the rear of the vehicle powered by two Allison VT40-A-14
Advisory Committee on Aeronautics joint research project exploring B-2. However, Aviation Week editors found that there were no airspace turboprop engines driving contra-rotating
supersonic flight. It was a swept-wing airplane powered by a single restrictions above the presentation area and took aerial photographs of the propellers. It was designed to explore V/STOL
Reaction Motors LR8-RM-6 four-chamber rocket engine. aircraft’s then-secret rear section with suppressed engine exhausts. The properties in cargo-type aircraft.
B-2’s (s/n 82-1066/AV-1) first public flight was on July 7, 1989, when it flew
from Northrop’s Palmdale facility to Edwards Air Force Base.
Nov. 23, 1942: The
Vought V-173 “Flying
Pancake” made its first
flight. The V-173 featured
an unorthodox “all-wing”
design consisting of a
flat, somewhat disk-
shaped body serving
as the lifting surface.
Two piston engines
buried in the body Nov. 25, 1940: The B-26 Marauder,
Nov. 21, 1947: The first prototype Grumman drove propellers located with Martin test pilot William K. “Ken”
on the leading edge at
XF9F-2 Panther, with test pilot Corwin “Corky” Ebel at the controls, made its first
Myeyer, made its first flight. The Panther was the wingtips. flight. The Martin B-26 Marauder was
the first jet-powered aircraft to be built by an American twin-engined medium
Grumman. bomber that saw service in World War II.

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