1963 Catalina towed the flying wing!
 

In 1963 NASA used a built up Catalina to tow the flying wing at Edwards AF base.

I've attached the link and a copy of one of the pics.

http://ntrs.nasa.gov/search.jsp?R=24...hiveName%257C0

sweet , i love my 65 cat.

The interesting thing is the car was modified by Bill Stroppe, who was big in the Ford camp back then.

You can read more about the car at NASA Dryden webpage at http://www.dfrc.nasa.gov/gallery/Pho...C92-04152.html Kind of makes you wonder what ever happened to that car.

http://www.dfrc.nasa.gov/gallery/Pho...EC92-04152.jpg

I bet it is in one of those aircraft boneyards w/ 1500 miles on the clock & some inventory tag on it.

Maybe Gonser knows. He is in LB in the Bus. & is heavily into '63s. Maybe HE has it!

Very cool.

Gonser would probably know something about it if anyone did...;)

Many moons ago I was a NASA subcontractor, and I knew some of the old timers who'd been there since the 1950s (one of them was one of the chief investigators for the Apollo 1 disaster...) but I never thought to ask them about that old Pontiac.

They did have some great stories about the old days, though - back then they did a lot of research by the seat of their pants.

I dig that crazy tail fin on the back... Researchin' the aerodynamics, no doubt...

Cable attachment?
 

I think that is the tow rope.

Take care

Isn't that the plane that Steve Austin got all torn apart in? We can rebuild him...we have the technology...

Yes, That's definately it... Lost some legs, an eye, an arm.. Cost 6 million bux to rebuilt the 421 when he tried to outrun that Catalina while flying that wing plane like a kite... Isn't that how it went?

The NASA picture looks like Pontiac Advertising Division took liberties with it to make the '63 look very loooooong and looow!
(My apologies to Jim Wangers for that comment)

Has a rollbar and the driver is wearing a helmet. Have to love that. Wonder if this is where Ronnie and the Daytonas came up with the insperation. "get a helmet and a roll bar"
Patrick