The Six Million Dollar Man, starring the Northrop HL-10
No, she wasn't the lifting body that crashed in the intro. That was her sister, the Northrop M2-F2. Side note, the pilot survived, and the M2-F2 was eventually rebuilt and flown again. But that's a story for another time. We're talking about the HL-10 today.
This footage is part of one video that NASA's Dryden Flight Research Center (now named Armstrong Flight Research Center) filmed during one of the HL-10's test flights. You can find more videos of it and other lifting bodies on their Youtube channel!
In addition to the intro, the HL-10 plays a major role in the episode "The Deadly Replay". I feel a little bad for her, because this episode added to the confusion between her and the M2-F2. But there are so many awesome shots of her!
On another note, Steve be looking like a snack in that tan outfit.😜
I'm pretty sure this is the real deal and not a mockup. It must have have been so crazy to actually film a TV show with a real NASA aircraft! And is that an actual NASA badge that Steve is wearing??? It would make sense if it was, because all NASA facilities require visitors to get a visitor badge. And that doesn't include any other badges that everyone would have had to get just to film at Edwards AFB lol.
You know what, imma just drop some more gifs here. It's so cool how much of the same footage you see in the playlist I linked is incorporated into the episode. Really gives you the feel of a day in the life of flight test, albeit a bit dramatized.
Meh, why not a whole video too.
The music for this ending scene just hits me right in the feels. It makes the whole thing feel like like an echo from the past, or like you stumbled across a little ghost. Like, this is a real aircraft. She actually flew. And you're going back in time to "visit" her. My heart! I wish I could reach through the screen and pet her sweet little bubble nose too.🥹
What's even cooler about this episode is that it features a simulator similar to what the HL-10's test pilots practiced on. This is the only pic I can find of the real sim:
But not to worry, because we can watch one very much like it in action thanks to this episode!
Definitely nowhere as realistic as today's sims lol, but it's pretty sophisticated for the time.
After watching this episode, I wondered what became of the HL-10. Turns out that she's on display at the entrance of the Armstrong Flight Research Center.
Look at her! She's just a li'l gal.
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