On This Day in Space! Nov. 25, 1970: 1st powered flight of the 'Wingless' M2-F3 aircraft

[Sooner Boomer]

From Space.com

https://www.space.com/39251-on-this-day-in-space.html
On Nov. 25, 1970, an experimental aircraft called the Northrop M2-F3 made its first powered flight.
The M2-F3 was a heavyweight lifting body. A lifting body is an airplane that produces most of the lift through its fuselage instead of wings. It's commonly referred to as a "wingless" aircraft.
After Air Force test pilot Bill Dana took the M2-F3 on three unpowered glide test flights, he did the first powered flight, too. Dana soared to an altitude of 45,000 feet during this flight, which lasted just over 6 minutes. He didn't break the sound barrier this time, but he did on later flights.
The M2-F3 flew a total of 27 missions in its three-year flight history. Its top speed was 1.6 times the speed of sound, and its top altitude was 71,500 feet. If you want, you can see the M2-F3 vehicle today. NASA donated it to the Smithsonian Institution. It is now hanging at the National Air and Space Museum in Washington.







and there's Steve Austin's "Six Million Dollar" crash
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QtO5eO9GqtM

 

[PhlAsh]

The Six Million Dollar Man footage was that of the plane's predecessor, the Northrop M2-F2.

"On May 10, 1967, during the sixteenth glide flight of a lifting body Northrop M2-F2, a landing accident severely damaged the vehicle and seriously injured (USMC Pilot Bruce) Peterson. After an extensive hospitalization, he recovered from his injuries but lost sight in one eye due to a secondary infection while in the hospital."

 

[MClark]

Back when 6 million was a lot of money.
Today NASA would spend that on doughnuts