US Lifting Bodies Studies - START (ASSET/PRIME), FDL, X-24, etc.

[flateric]

seems to be appropriate topic still

https://www.icas.org/icas_archive/ICAS1982/ICAS-82-1.7.2.pdf

 

[hesham]

From Interavia 1967/10

 

[Dynoman]

NASA M2F1 wind tunnel model with deployable wing concept.

 

[Dynoman]

In 1974 McDonnell Douglas conducted thermal tests on the FDL-5 vertical stabilizer. The tests used dispersion-strengthened metal (DSM) FDL-5 fin of 8 feet in length.

 

[Dew]

In 1974 McDonnell Douglas conducted thermal tests on the FDL-5 vertical stabilizer. The tests used dispersion-strengthened metal (DSM) FDL-5 fin of 8 feet in length.

Indeed !

Dispersion-Strengthened Metal Fin Structural Test​

Abstract:​

A full scale fin constructed of Dispersion-Strengthened Metal DSM material Ni-20Cr-2ThO2 representative of the fin on the FDL-5A re-entry vehicle was subjected to fifty simulated missions of earth orbital ascents and re-entry. The fin structure had a projected area of 15.7 square feet and was loaded and heated to a maximum temperature of 2200F during the re-entry simulation. This report describes the test setup, procedures and equipment used during the simulation. The fin successfully completed the fifty missions, suffering only local failures which were repaired.

AD0785374

Bonus pic: