Aero Commander 680F
NASA Flight Research Center selected a model of an Aero Commander 680F that was still in production for use as an operational support aircraft. On February 7, 1963 a loaner was provided by the company for NASA use until the final aircraft could be delivered. NASA's version was to have a pressurized cabin. In May 1963 an Aero Commander 680F (N6297, NASA Tail #801) arrived from the Aero Commander Company of Bethany, Oklahoma.
In addition to providing official transportation, the aircraft was used by the NASA Flight Operations Division for checking the outlying lakebeds in preparation for X-15 flights. The Aero Commander's ability to land at these remote sites coupled with its comparatively rapid speed provided faster and more accurate lakebed information.
As part of NASA's agency-wide Aviation Safety and Operating Problems Program the Flight Research Center conducted an evaluation of the handling qualities of the Aero Commander and six other general aviation aircraft from 1964 through 1966. The intent of these evaluations was to define areas where technology enhancements could improve the characteristics of the existing operating fleet and provide design options for future aircraft.
Another use of the Aero Commander was in the Upswept Fuselage Study to see if the flow separated on the aft section of a small aircraft for comparison of data acquired from a large cargo-type aircraft with an upswept aft section. The photo of the tufts demonstrates that the flow is attached with no turbulence present. (Note the straight lines of tufts). The Aero Commander left what had become the Dryden Flight Research Center on March 14, 1979, and was transferred to the Customs Air Branch in San Diego.
The Aero Commander 680F was a pressurized five-place aircraft powered by two 380-horsepower reciprocal engines that were built by the Lycoming Company. Capable of coast-to-coast flight with only one fuel stop, Aero Commander had a service ceiling of 28,000 feet and was capable of flight at 16,000 feet on one engine. The fuselage length is 24.2 feet with a wing span of 35.98 feet.
The Aero Commander was used both for support and as a research aircraft. Among other uses, it was flown to outlying dry lakebeds, used as emergency landing sites, before X-15 flights. It could reach the lakebeds quickly and land on the hard-packed surfaces to ensure they were not soft from rainfall or some other cause. Between 1964 and 1966, the Flight Research Center used the aircraft in the Aviation Safety and Operating Problems Program to evaluate the aerodynamics of various light aircraft and to define possible technological improvements. The Aero Commander left what had become the Dryden Flight Research Center on March 14, 1979, and was transferred to the Customs Air Branch in San Diego.
The Aero Commander 680F (N6297), built by the Aero Commander Company of Bethany, Oklahoma, is a pressurized five-place aircraft that is powered by two 380-horsepower reciprocating engines built by Lycoming Company. The fuselage length is 24.2 feet with a wing span of 35.98 feet.
Reply With Quote
Originally Posted by CHEESE-TACULAR
