An investigation was conducted in the Langley 8-foot transonic pressure tunnel and in the Langley Unitary Plan wind tunnel to determine the longitudinal and lateral aerodynamic characteristics of a single-stage-to-orbit vehicle. The vehicle utilized an all metallic, hot structure, thermal protection system which resulted in low planform loading. The model was tested over a Mach number range from 0.3 to 4.63 for an angle-of-attack range from -4° to 32° at both 0° and 5° sideslip. Tests were made to determine the static longitudinal stability and trim, the static lateral-directional stability, and the base pressures of the model.nThe results of the investigation show that the model was longitudinally unstable at the lowest Mach number (M = 0.3), but as the Mach number approached transonic conditions, the model became longitudinally stable.
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