#alt-15

[lonestarflight]

Space Shuttle Enterprise in the Mate-Demate Device (MDD) at the Dryden Flight Research Center, with the tailcone removed.

Date: October 11, 1977

NASA ID: EC77-8705

[lonestarflight]

Space Shuttle Enterprise parked on the runway at Edwards Air Force Base, following Free flight #4. This was a tail-cone-off flight.

Date: October 12, 1977

Photo posted by Ed Hengeveld on "The Space Shuttle Era 1981 to 2011 - I Lived Through It" Facebook page: link

NASA ID: EC77-8739

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[lonestarflight]

"Space Shuttle Enterprise flying during the Approach and Landing Tests (ALT-15) at Edwards Air Force Base. This was the first 'tailcone off' flight. This test was to more accurately simulate a return to Earth flight of an operational orbiter and gather more aeronautical data."

Date: October 12, 1977

NASA ID: S77-28965, EC95-43116-26

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[lonestarflight]

"The Space Shuttle prototype Enterprise rises from NASA's 747 Shuttle Carrier Aircraft (SCA) to begin a powerless glide flight back to NASA's Dryden Flight Research Center, Edwards, California, on its fourth of the five free flights in the shuttle program's Approach and Landing Tests (ALT-15). The tests were carried out at Dryden to verify the aerodynamic and control characteristics of the orbiters in preparation for the first space mission with the orbiter Columbia in April 1981."

Date: October 12, 1977

NASA ID: S77-28961, enterprise-1

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[lonestarflight]

"Astronauts Fred W. Haise Jr., commander, left, and C. Gordon Fullerton in the cockpit of the Space Shuttle Enterprise prior to the fifth and final free flight in the Approach and Landing Test (ALT-15) series, from Dryden Flight Research Center (DFRC)."

Date: October 26, 1977

NASA ID: S77-30025

[lonestarflight]

Space Shuttle Enterprise is towed back to the Mate-Demate Device at Dryden Flight Research Center.

"The fifth and final ALT flight was flown on October 26, 1977. Fred Haise and Gordon Fullerton piloted Enterprise to a landing on concrete Runway 04, encountering a pilot induced oscillation as they flared for landing. The flight control issues revealed during this landing were later investigated with NASA's Fly-by-Wire F-8 Crusader."

Date: October 12, 1977

source

[lonestarflight]

Space Shuttle Enterprise being mated with the Shuttle Carrier Aircraft N905NA during the Approach and Landing Tests (ALT-15).

The fourth Approach and Landing Test and was the first of two glide flights that the Enterprise made without the streamlined tailcone.

Date: October 12, 1977

NASA ID: ECN 6585

source

[lonestarflight]

Space Shuttle Enterprise and 747-SCA, N905NA takes off from Runway 04 for the fourth free flight (ALT-15). Runway 04 was used for this flight because it leads onto Rogers Dry Lake. This is Enterprise's first flight without the aerodynamic fairing. If the new configuration of Enterprise caused any unexpected problems after take-off, the piggyback stack could be landed straight ahead on the lakebed.

Date: October 12, 1977

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