Space shuttle model at ames nasa

[Flying dutchman]

 

This is a model space shuttle at the ames nasa research centre, i was wondering if this is just a display piece or if this was actually used for glide tests etc?

[Geonovast]

The only one used for glide tests was the Enterprise, and it's rather securely locked away in a museum.

That thing is way, way too small anyway.  The shuttles were much larger than that.

Wind tunnel maybe?

If it was used for anything important, I think it's weird they'd leave it outside.  I have a feeling it was just for display.

Edited May 28, 2019 by Geonovast

[ZooNamedGames]

Most models are known. Especially all that actually flew. Which, if they wanted to, would've used the test article Enterprise for flight tests. There were smaller models and test units such as Pathfinder which was used for integration testing and there's another (Resolution?) that is really just a cockpit as it was used for crew simulations. There are other models, some have been trashed but as @Geonovast pointed out, that is vastly too small to be even a test article. 

So to answer your question- no. That's more than likely a decorative piece. 

[Geonovast]

If you want a decent perspective on size, here's Endeavour strolling through the streets of LA.

[ZooNamedGames]

12 minutes ago, Geonovast said:

If it was used for anything important, I think it's weird they'd leave it outside.  I have a feeling it was just for display.

NASA's left original hardware outside unmaintained in the past. Such as a whole Saturn V, Titan II. Who knows what else that are less bulky and noticeable.

[Nightside]

3 hours ago, Geonovast said:

If you want a decent perspective on size, here's Endeavour strolling through the streets of LA.

Parallel parking orbit.

[MaverickSawyer]

On 5/28/2019 at 1:08 PM, Flying dutchman said:

 

This is a model space shuttle at the ames nasa research centre, i was wondering if this is just a display piece or if this was actually used for glide tests etc?

I visited Ames many years ago, and seem to recall it being a scale model for the subsonic wind tunnel they operate there.

Edited June 13, 2019 by MaverickSawyer

[Reactordrone]

I don't know whether it is this one but there was a 1/3 scale wind tunnel model used at Ames, https://www.nasa.gov/content/13-scale-model-of-the-space-shuttle-test.

ETA- Turns out it is that one, "  Finally, an awesome 36 percent scale model of the orbiter, 44 feet long, was fabricated and tested in Ames’ 40- by 80- foot wind tunnel. Figure 10 shows the model, then painted yellow, in the test section with a person in view to give the scale. This model and the 40- by 80- wind tunnel could create Reynolds numbers slightly higher than the 12-foot pressurized wind tunnel. An important purpose of the 40- by 80-foot testing was to identify the influence of the TPS on the orbiters’ lowspeed aerodynamics. This model still exists, painted with the striking black underbelly and white top. It is proudly displayed in front of the Ames Visitor Center, near the 40- by 80- where it was so intensely tested. "

https://www.nasa.gov/centers/ames/research/humaninspace/25th_shuttle.html

Edited June 13, 2019 by Reactordrone

[Starstruck69]

Its tiny.. Aero tests i presume but not sure tbh

[NSEP]

Im not sure about the Shuttle, but the Soviets did have a smaller version of the Buran for re-entry testing.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/BOR-5

 

India had somethings simulair:

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/RLV_Technology_Demonstration_Programme

 

Oh, and ESA:

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Intermediate_eXperimental_Vehicle

 

Again, i have never heard of any mini US-shuttles launched on suborbital rockets ever, neither do i know of the Americans doing drop test of a mini-shuttle replica, i know they did tests with lifting bodies but not scaled down copies of the shuttles.

 

[Servo]

On 6/25/2019 at 4:42 PM, NSEP said:

Im not sure about the Shuttle, but the Soviets did have a smaller version of the Buran for re-entry testing.

Again, i have never heard of any mini US-shuttles launched on suborbital rockets ever, neither do i know of the Americans doing drop test of a mini-shuttle replica, i know they did tests with lifting bodies but not scaled down copies of the shuttles.

 

Depending on your definition of "mini-shuttle", there were a few U.S. tests done on the early lifting body designs: The SC-5D PRIME tests

These were a series of four lifting bodies launched on an Atlas Booster and reentered over the Atlantic. They were modeled based on the shape of the X-24 lifting body, and they provided a practical test of the hypersonic performance, as well as for control laws and control systems.

https://www.nationalmuseum.af.mil/Visit/Museum-Exhibits/Fact-Sheets/Display/Article/195893/sv-5d-prime-lifting-body/

[ZooNamedGames]

2 hours ago, Servo said:

Depending on your definition of "mini-shuttle", there were a few U.S. tests done on the early lifting body designs: The SC-5D PRIME tests

These were a series of four lifting bodies launched on an Atlas Booster and reentered over the Atlantic. They were modeled based on the shape of the X-24 lifting body, and they provided a practical test of the hypersonic performance, as well as for control laws and control systems.

https://www.nationalmuseum.af.mil/Visit/Museum-Exhibits/Fact-Sheets/Display/Article/195893/sv-5d-prime-lifting-body/

At that point you start to near Dynasoar territory. That said, going too far back into the Space Shuttle's development history, and you'll find both vehicles at a certain point both become synonymous since they aimed to complete similar objectives for the same entity (the USAF, DOD, etc).