Bruce Peterson, 72, Test Pilot On Space Shuttle ‘Lifting Body’

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Bruce A. Peterson, a NASA test pilot who flew the wingless “lifting body” vehicles that led to development of the space shuttles and survived a filmed crash that became part of the opening scenes of “The Six Million Dollar Man” TV show, died Monday in Laguna Niguel, Calif. He was 72. NASA’s announcement of his death did not specify the cause.


Lifting bodies, conceived in the 1950s, were odd, wingless aircraft that derived aerodynamic lift from their shape, unlike conventional planes that get their lift from wings. Starting in the early 1960s, a series of lifting bodies were tested at Edwards Air Force Base in the Mojave Desert.


The prototype was the M2-F1, known as the “flying bathtub,” which Peterson flew 42 times on glide flights. He then piloted its successors, the M2-F2 and the HL-10, which were heavier and powered by rockets.


On Dec. 22, 1966, he came close to disaster on the first flight of the HL-10 when a problem involving airflow across control surfaces made it almost unflyable, but he still managed to land it safely, NASA said. Data from the flight allowed the HL-10 to be successfully modified.


Disaster struck six months later when Peterson was flying the M2-F2 and it rolled violently. He regained control but the craft hit Edwards’ dry lakebed at an estimated 250 mph before the landing gear deployed. The M2-F2 tumbled across the ground before ending up on its back with the badly injured Peterson inside.


He recovered from the crash injuries, but lost sight in one eye due to a secondary infection.


Footage of the crash later was used in the opening credits of the 1970s TV series “The Six Million Dollar Man.” The show starred Lee Majors as a test pilot horrifically injured in a crash and rebuilt with advanced bionic implants.


Born May 23, 1933, the Washburn, N.D., native enlisted as a Naval Aviation cadet in 1953. He was commissioned a Marine Corps second lieutenant in 1954. He graduated from the Air Force Test Pilot School in 1962 and began testing a paraglider for NASA.


The craft, which resembled a tricycle under a hang glider, crashed from a height of 10 feet during Peterson’s first flight, a ground tow, and he was injured.


He later flew numerous aircraft as a NASA research pilot, including the F5D-1, F-100, F-104, F-111A, B-52 and the NT-33A Variable Stability Trainer. He also flew general aviation aircraft, helicopters and sailplanes.


In all, he logged more than 6,000 flight hours in nearly 70 types of aircraft.


He was responsible for safety and quality assurance when he retired in 1981. He then worked for Northrop Corp.’s B-2 bomber division until 1994.


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