- Mar. 4, 1952 - Joe Walker was first to fly variable
sweep wing X-5 to full 60-degree angle. Concept used today on F-14,
F-111, and B-1 aircraft
- Apr. 9, 1953 - First NACA flight of XF-92A, a delta-wing
aircraft to study the problem of pitching up during maneuvering caused
by the delta configuration
- Oct. 14, 1953 - Last NACA flight of XF-92A. The
flight research using this aircraft, the D-558-2, and the X-5 showed
the desirability of a low horizontal tail surface. That configuration
was later used on such supersonic sweptwing fighters as the F-100
Super Saber and F8U Crusader
- Nov. 20, 1953 - Scott Crossfield, in rocket-powered
D-558-2 Skyrocket, was the first pilot to fly twice the speed of sound
- June 26, 1954 - NACA personnel moved from old South
Base site to new headquarters, Bldg. 4800, the original core of today's
Dryden complex. Cost to build the new complex then: $3.8 million.
Personnel numbered over 200
- July 1, 1954 - NACA HSFRS redesignated the NACA
High-Speed Flight Station
- Aug. 23, 1954 - Joe Walker made first of 20 NACA
research flights in the X-3 "Flying Stiletto" supersonic
program
- Aug. 27, 1956 - NACA research pilot Joe Walker
made first NACA flight in an F-104A aircraft (the number seven F-104
aircraft off the assembly line)
- Sep. 27, 1956 - Air Force Capt. Milburn G. Apt
flew the X-2 to Mach 3.2 in the first flight of an aircraft beyond
3 times the speed of sound. Unfortunately, he subsequently lost control
of the airplane due to inertial coupling, and it crashed, killing
him and destroying the vehicle. The NACA never flew the X-2 but did
assist the program with advice and data analysis
- Mar. 26, 1957 - High-Speed Flight Station research
pilot Neal Armstrong ferried JF-100C Serial No. 53-1712 to Davis-Monthan
Air Force Base, AZ, for storage following the completion of inertial
roll coupling flight research earlier that month
- Oct. 1, 1958 - NACA (National Advisory Committee
for Aeronautics) became NASA (National Aeronautics and Space Administration)
- Oct. 15, 1958 - First of three X-15 rocket research
aircraft arrived at NASA High-Speed Flight Station as preparations
moved ahead for the highly successful NASA-Air Force-Navy program
that lasted 10 years and investigated hypersonic flight
- Nov. 7, 1958 - Jack McKay made last flight in the
X-1E, final model flown of the X-1 series. Now on display in front
of Dryden headquarters building
- June 8, 1959 - First unpowered glide flight of
the X-15, with Scott Crossfield at the controls, was made from under
a B-52 launch aircraft
- Sept. 15, 1959 - Paul F. Bikle succeeded Walt Williams
as director of NASA High-Speed Flight Station
- Sept. 27, 1959 - NASA High-Speed Flight Station
at Edwards was redesignated NASA Flight Research Center. NASA personnel
numbered about 340
- Mar. 25, 1960 - First NASA flight in an X-15 aircraft.
Pilot was Joe Walker
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