R. Dale Reed
R. Dale Reed | |
|---|---|
 A portrait photograph of R. Dale Reed in 1998. | |
| Born | Robert Dale Reed February 20, 1930 |
| Died | March 18, 2005 (aged 75) |
| Known for | Pioneering lifting body and remotely piloted research aircraft |
| Engineering career | |
| Employer | NASA (Dryden Flight Research Center) |
Robert Dale Reed (February 20, 1930 – March 18, 2005) was an aerospace engineer who pioneered lifting body aircraft and remotely piloted research aircraft programs for NASA at Dryden Flight Research Center.
Early life
[edit]Reed was born on February 20, 1930.[1] As a teenager, he attended high school in Hailey, Idaho. He developed an interest in airplanes around age 12, and at age 16 began flight training in an Aeronca Defender L-3 with local pilot Bob Silveria after receiving aeronautics instruction from his physics and chemistry teacher, Mr. Kinney.[2]
Reed went on to study mechanical engineering at the University of Idaho in Moscow, Idaho. Although the university did not offer a degree in aeronautical engineering, he took as many aeronautics courses as possible while completing his studies.[2]
Career
[edit]1950s
[edit]Reed joined NASA's Dryden Flight Research Center in 1953.[3] His first roles involved measuring the aerodynamic loads via gauges, accelerometers and gyros on the control surfaces of various aircraft, including the Bell X-5. He also conducted flight research with the X-lE, F-100A, D-558-11, and X-15.[4]
1960s
[edit]
In 1962, Reed initiated discussions regarding wingless flight concepts with engineers at NASA's Ames and Langley research centers. To counter prevailing industry skepticism, he constructed a free-flight scale model of a half-cone configuration, which laid the technical groundwork for the M2-F1 – the first lifting body developed at the NASA Flight Research Center.[5]
Recognizing that transitioning the project to a full-scale program required pilot evaluation, Reed collaborated with NASA research engineer Dick Eldredge to design a piloted glider configuration based on the successful balsa-wood model.[6] Together, Reed and Eldredge approached NASA research pilot Milt Thompson, pitching the lifting body concept and successfully convincing him to join the project as its primary test pilot.[6] With Thompson's backing, the team secured internal authorization from Flight Research Center director Paul Bikle to construct the full-scale M2-F1 prototype.[5]
Later life
[edit]
Reed retired in 1985, but returned as a contract aerospace engineer to work on the X-33, X-36 and X-38 research vehicles, two of which featured lifting body configurations. In all, Reed managed 19 projects and designed a dozen aircraft during his career.
He died March 18, 2005, in San Diego.
Awards
[edit]Before his retirement from NASA in 1985, Reed won four NASA awards ranging from the Exceptional Service Medal to an Associate Fellow Award.
References
[edit]- ↑ "Robert D Reed". Fold3. Retrieved May 8, 2020.
- 1 2 Reed, R. Dale (1997). Wingless Flight: The Lifting Body Story (PDF). NASA SP-4220. NASA History Office.
- ↑ "Aerospace engineer R. Dale Reed and NASA flight research". Los Angeles Times. Los Angeles, California. December 4, 1989. p. 21. Retrieved June 30, 2026.
- ↑ "NASA GSFC Scientific Colloquium: R. Dale Reed". Goddard Space Flight Center. October 1999. Retrieved June 30, 2026.
- 1 2 "April 5, 1963: First Flight of Joint USAF and NASA Lifting Body Program". Air Force Test Center. April 5, 2021. Retrieved June 30, 2026.
- 1 2 Jenkins, Dennis R. (2001). Space Shuttle: The History of the National Space Transportation System (3rd ed.). Voyageur Press. ISBN 0-9633974-5-1.
Sources
[edit]- Reed, R. Dale; Lister, Darlene (1997). Wingless Flight: The Lifting Body Story. Washington, D.C.: National Aeronautics and Space Administration. ISBN 978-0-16-049390-4.
- Hallion, Richard P.; Gorn, Michael H. (2004). On the Frontier: Experimental Flight at NASA Dryden. Washington, D.C.: Smithsonian Institution. ISBN 978-0-16-068142-4.
- Dunbar, Brian (January 12, 2009). "Driving Forces: R. Dale Reed". NASA. Retrieved June 30, 2026.
- "m2-f3 lifting body: Topics by Science.gov". Science.gov. Retrieved June 30, 2026.
- Kempel, Robert; Painter, Weneth (June 20, 1994). "Development and flight testing of the HL-10 lifting body". AIAA Biennial Flight Test Conference. doi:10.2514/6.1994-2180. Retrieved June 30, 2026.