This is a wind tunnel model of unknown scale of the X-20 Dyna-Soar (Dynamic Soaring), a prototype for a piloted, reusable spaceplane. Originally conceived by German aerospace designer Eugen Saenger as a skip-glide rocket bomber with intercontinental range, the concept was transformed by the U.S. Air Force into a manned reconnaissance platform in space. Designed to be launched by rocket into orbit, the X-20 was a "lifting body" design and would have landed like an airplane. The Dyna-Soar program was cancelled in December 1963, before the first manned test flight that was scheduled for the following year.
NASA's Langley Research Center made and donated the model.
Display Status
This object is not on display at the National Air and Space Museum. It is either on loan or in storage.
Object Details
Country of Origin
United States of America
Type
MODELS-Crewed Spacecraft & Parts
Manufacturer
NASA - Langley Research Center
Dimensions
Overall: 9 3/4 in. × 32 1/4 in. × 59 in. (24.8 × 81.9 × 149.9cm)
Materials
Wood, paint, steel
Inventory Number
A19791301000
Credit Line
Transferred from NASA, Langley Research Center
Data Source
National Air and Space Museum
Restrictions & Rights
Usage conditions apply
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