Experimental (N803NA)

Northrop M2-F3 N803NA sits on static display at the May 16, 1973 Edwards AFB Open House next to the HL-10. Its sixteen glide flights in its original M2-F2 configuration ran from July 12, 1966 to May 10, 1967. Following Forrest Peterson's accident on the sixteenth flight, it was rebuilt with a third vertical stabilizer. Its first flight as the M2-F3 took place on June 2, 1970 with Bill Dana flying the lifting body. He had been launched from the NB-52B by Squadron Leader Fisher and Captain Fritz. The M2-F3 made twenty-seven flights after modification. The last flight was made on December 20, 1972 by John Manke, five months before this picture was taken.