FLight Test Files

On June 14, 2021, the NF-16D Variable In-Flight Simulator Aircraft (VISTA) was officially redesignated as the X-62A. Stephen Chapis shares the story behind this change. […]

In 1963, a North American Aviation A-5A Vigilante jet was utilized for simulation studies related to a proposed supersonic transport. These flights were based on two flight plans derived from earlier studies at NASA’s Flight Research Center: one for a variable-sweep wing configuration and the other for a delta-wing design. NASA test pilot William H. Dana conducted approximately 21 flights along federal airways leading into Los Angeles. […]

With “The Other First Man,” we launch a series of articles called Flight Test Files dedicated to the captivating stories of aeronautical advancements pioneered first by NACA and later by NASA over the years. The […]