Nasa-lina

[G6T8O]

Got Torque?
From Aug. issue of Muscle Machines .. Has some great Pontiac articles..
http://www1.dfrc.nasa.gov/gallery/movie/M2-F1/HTML/EM-0020-02.html

[G6T8O]

In 1963, technicians at NASA's Dryden Flight Research Center at Roger's Dry Lake in Edwards, California needed a means of conducting low-altitude tests of their M2-F1 lifting body aircraft. According to NASA, "This vehical needed to be able to tow the M2-F1 on the Rogers Dry Lakebed adjacent to NASA's Flight Research Center at a minimum speed of 100 miles per hour. To do that, it had to handle the 400-pound pull of the M2-F1. Walter "Whitey" Whiteside, who was a retired Air Force maintenance officer working in the FCR's Flight Operations Division, was a dirt-bike rider and hot-rodder. Together with Boyden "Bud" Bearce in the FRC, Whitey acquired a Pontiac Catalina convertable with the largest engine available.
He took the car to Bill Straup's renowned hot-rod shop near Long Beach for modification. With a special gearbox and racing slicks, the Pontiac could tow the 1,000-pound M2-F1 110 miles per hour in 30 seconds. It proved adequate for the roughly 400 car tows but got the M2-F1 airborn".
It's hard to picture this scene, but fortunately, you don't have to. Amazing footage of the car can be found at the Dryden Aircraft Movie Collection at www.1.dfrc.nasa.gov/Gallery/Movie/. The aircraft was restored in 1997, but according to NASA the Catalina was seen last in 1968 at NASA's Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia.