Lockheed L-301 (sometimes called the X-24C, though this designation was never officially assigned) was an experimental air-breathing hypersonic aircraft project. It was developed by the NASA and United States Air Force (USAF) organization National Hypersonic Flight Research Facility[1] (NHFRF or NHRF[2]), with Skunk Works as the prime contractor. In January 1977, the program was "tentatively scheduled to operate two vehicles for eight years and to conduct 100 flights per vehicle."[3] NASA discontinued work on L-301 and NHRF in September 1977 due to budget constraints and lack of need.[1]
The L-301 HGV was intended to be a follow-on to the X-15 and X-24 (specifically the X-24B) programs, to take lessons learned from both and integrate them into an airframe capable of at least reaching Mach 8 and engaging in hypersonic skip-glide maneuvers for long range missions. While the NASA program, one of several to use the tentative X-24C designator, was ostensibly canceled in 1977, it was only canceled at the time because of USAF disclosures of duplicate black programs with the same contractors for similar vehicles[citation needed]. The vehicle used both air breathing ram or scramjet propulsion as well as a rocket engine, carrying both RP-1 and LH2 propellant as well as on-board stores of LOX.[citation needed]
Drawings and mission profiles are available from the NASA website.[4]
Design
Propulsion
Originally intended to carry the same XLR-99 engine used by the X-15, the primary engine was changed to the LR-105, which was the sustainer engine used on the Atlas launcher. This rocket engine, burning RP-1 and LOX, was intended to accelerate the X-24C to hypersonic speeds in order to ignite the hydrogen fueled, air breathing ram/scramjet mounted in the belly of the airframe with which it would attain cruise speeds of at least Mach 6 and peak velocities of Mach 8+ at altitudes of 90,000 feet (27,000 m) or more. As such, this vehicle was plainly not intended to reach orbit.[citation needed]
Airframe
Design of the aircraft in various wind tunnel models and contractor drawings seems to follow variations of the FDL-5 and FDL-8 lifting body shapes originally developed by the USAF Flight Dynamics Laboratory in the 1950s, which were used in the earlier X-23 and X-24A/B programs. With a radically swept delta wing, and 2, 3, or 4 vertical stabilizers, as well as several body flaps (depending on the model), the vehicle did not lack for control surfaces. The vehicle measured 74 feet 10 inches (22.81 m) long, 24 ft 2 in (7.37 m) wingspan, and 20 ft 7 in (6.27 m) height.[citation needed]
Various drawings show a payload bay 12 feet (3.7 m) long and perhaps 5 feet (1.5 m) diameter.[5]
^(PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2009-07-25. Retrieved 2009-07-26.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link) ["X-24C NHRF"]
^(PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2010-05-17. Retrieved 2021-06-09.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link) [CONFIGURATION DEVELOPMENT STUDY OF THE X-24C HYPERSONIC RESEARCH AIRPLANE - PHASE II]
lockheed, sometimes, called, though, this, designation, never, officially, assigned, experimental, breathing, hypersonic, aircraft, project, developed, nasa, united, states, force, usaf, organization, national, hypersonic, flight, research, facility, nhfrf, nh. Lockheed L 301 sometimes called the X 24C though this designation was never officially assigned was an experimental air breathing hypersonic aircraft project It was developed by the NASA and United States Air Force USAF organization National Hypersonic Flight Research Facility 1 NHFRF or NHRF 2 with Skunk Works as the prime contractor In January 1977 the program was tentatively scheduled to operate two vehicles for eight years and to conduct 100 flights per vehicle 3 NASA discontinued work on L 301 and NHRF in September 1977 due to budget constraints and lack of need 1 L 301X 24C configuration images circa January 1977Role Hypersonic research projectNational origin United StatesManufacturer LockheedStatus Cancelled projectNumber built None Contents 1 Development 2 Design 2 1 Propulsion 2 2 Airframe 3 References 4 Further reading 5 External linksDevelopment EditThe L 301 HGV was intended to be a follow on to the X 15 and X 24 specifically the X 24B programs to take lessons learned from both and integrate them into an airframe capable of at least reaching Mach 8 and engaging in hypersonic skip glide maneuvers for long range missions While the NASA program one of several to use the tentative X 24C designator was ostensibly canceled in 1977 it was only canceled at the time because of USAF disclosures of duplicate black programs with the same contractors for similar vehicles citation needed The vehicle used both air breathing ram or scramjet propulsion as well as a rocket engine carrying both RP 1 and LH2 propellant as well as on board stores of LOX citation needed Drawings and mission profiles are available from the NASA website 4 Design EditPropulsion Edit Originally intended to carry the same XLR 99 engine used by the X 15 the primary engine was changed to the LR 105 which was the sustainer engine used on the Atlas launcher This rocket engine burning RP 1 and LOX was intended to accelerate the X 24C to hypersonic speeds in order to ignite the hydrogen fueled air breathing ram scramjet mounted in the belly of the airframe with which it would attain cruise speeds of at least Mach 6 and peak velocities of Mach 8 at altitudes of 90 000 feet 27 000 m or more As such this vehicle was plainly not intended to reach orbit citation needed Airframe Edit Design of the aircraft in various wind tunnel models and contractor drawings seems to follow variations of the FDL 5 and FDL 8 lifting body shapes originally developed by the USAF Flight Dynamics Laboratory in the 1950s which were used in the earlier X 23 and X 24A B programs With a radically swept delta wing and 2 3 or 4 vertical stabilizers as well as several body flaps depending on the model the vehicle did not lack for control surfaces The vehicle measured 74 feet 10 inches 22 81 m long 24 ft 2 in 7 37 m wingspan and 20 ft 7 in 6 27 m height citation needed Various drawings show a payload bay 12 feet 3 7 m long and perhaps 5 feet 1 5 m diameter 5 References Edit a b https books google com books id DUkl5bH6k6EC amp pg PA98 amp lpg PA98 amp dq National Hypersonic Research Facility x 15 x 24c amp source bl amp ots Ubvm4kazo1 amp sig 16Y5rv1y8HLZX8fy8mHZGmDBev4 amp hl en amp ei 7exrSujtNpLWM4a5tPkG amp sa X amp oi book result amp ct result amp resnum 3 Lockheed Secret Projects by Dennis R Jenkins Archived copy PDF Archived from the original PDF on 2009 07 25 Retrieved 2009 07 26 a href Template Cite web html title Template Cite web cite web a CS1 maint archived copy as title link X 24C NHRF Archived copy PDF Archived from the original PDF on 2010 05 17 Retrieved 2021 06 09 a href Template Cite web html title Template Cite web cite web a CS1 maint archived copy as title link CONFIGURATION DEVELOPMENT STUDY OF THE X 24C HYPERSONIC RESEARCH AIRPLANE PHASE II NASA gov dead link NASA gov dead link Further reading EditMiller Jay The X Planes X 1 to X 45 Hinckley UK Midland 2001 Rose Bill 2008 Secret Projects Military Space Technology Hinckley England Midland Publishing External links EditOperators reference drawing 1 2 3 Encyclopedia Astronautica Publicly archived Air Force picture Nasa Archives X 24C Phase 3 Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Lockheed L 301 amp oldid 1084020841, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
