NASA 

National Aeronautics and 

Facts

Space Administration 

Dryden Flight Research Center 

P.O. Box 273

Edwards, California 93523 

Voice 661-276-3449 

FAX 661-276-3566 

pao@dfrc.nasa.gov FS-2002-09-044 DFRC 

F-8 Supercritical Wing 

F-8 Supercritical wing in flight. (NASA photo EC73-3468) 

Background 

In the early 1960s, Richard T. Whitcomb, chief of the Transonic Aerodynamics Branch, Langley Research Center, 

Hampton, Va., conducted exploratory research that led to the invention and patent of the NASA Supercritical Airfoil. 

Compared to a conventional wing, the supercritical wing (SCW) is flatter on the top and rounder on the bottom with a 

downward curve at the trailing edge (see illustration). The concept was first studied in the 8-foot transonic pressure tunnel 

and other wind tunnels at Langley and Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, Calif., before actual research with an aircraft 

began. 

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A TF-8A Crusader, available from the U.S. Navy, was 

selected as the SCW testbed. With its easily removable 

wing, landing gear that retracted into the fuselage, and 

Mach 1.7 capability, it was a satisfactory choice as a 

testbed. The announcement that the SCW concept would be 

flight tested at the Dryden Flight Research Center (then the 

NASA Flight Research Center), Edwards, Calif., was made 

in February 1969. 

Rockwell International’s North American Aircraft Division 

was awarded the $1.8 million contract to fabricate the 

supercritical wing. It was delivered to NASA in December 

1969. 

The supercritical wing was a new tailoring of an airfoil 

design that delayed the formation and reduced the strength 

of the shock wave over the wing just below and above the 

speed of sound. Delaying shock wave formation at these 

high speeds resulted in less drag. Results of NASA 

supercritical wing research showed that aircraft using the 

concept would have increased cruising speed, improved 

fuel efficiency, and greater flight range. Supercritical wings 

are now commonplace on virtually every modern subsonic 

commercial transport. 

Flight Research 

Dryden engineer John McTigue was the first SCW program 

manager, with Tom McMurtry as the lead project pilot. At 

Langley, Whitcomb took a personal interest in test results 

while Thomas Kelly acted as that Center’s project engineer. 

The first SCW flight took place on March 9, 1971, with 

McMurtry at the controls. On this first flight, McMurtry 

reached an altitude of 9,200 feet and a maximum speed of 

260 miles per hour. 

Pilot Tom McMurtry and Supercritical 

Wing 

With the new wing, the F-8 landed at a high speed of 200 

miles per hour. Without antiskid brakes or wing flaps, it 

was necessary to land the craft directly on Rogers Dry 

Lake. The 15,000-foot concrete runway at Edwards was 

used for most takeoffs but was too short to accommodate 

landings. The first flight of the supercritical wing at supersonic speeds was on May 26, 1971. 

Pilot Tom McMurtry and the F-8 SCW. (NASA photo ECN-3442) 

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Studies of actual wing performance began in August 1971. 

Pressure sensors on the wing’s upper surface measured 

shock wave formation. Performance largely substantiated 

data from the original wind tunnel tests performed at 

Langley. In May 1972, NASA added new instrumentation 

and installed new fuselage fairings, which were intended to 

reduce drag at speeds just below the speed of sound (Mach 

numbers between 0.95 and 1.0), thereby increasing speed. 

However, it turned out that the fairings actually produced 

somewhat higher drag at most speeds. 

Research results showed the SCW had increased the 

transonic efficiency of the F-8 by as much as 15 percent 

and proved that passenger transports with supercritical 

wings could increase profits by 2.5 percent over aircraft 

with conventional wings. This equated to $78 million per 

year (in 1974 dollars) for a 280-plane fleet of 200-passenger airliners. 

The last flight of the NASA SCW F-8 was on May 23, 

1973, with Ron Gerdes as pilot. 

Specifications 

This F-8 jet aircraft was originally built by LTV Aerospace, 

Dallas, Texas, for the U. S. Navy. 

NASA 810: Navy Bureau # 141353. 

Powerplant: Pratt & Whitney J57 turbojet. 

Original wingspan: 35 feet 2 inches (350 square feet) 

(Wingspan with the supercritical wing: 43 feet, 1 inch) 

Overall length: 54 feet 6 inches 

Height: 15 feet, 9 inches. 

Flown as the SCW testbed by NASA from 1971 to 1973. 

Fleet F-8s were the first carrier-based planes with speeds in 

excess of 1,000 mph. LTV won the Collier Trophy for its 

design and development. Total production was 1,261. 

McMurtry reached an altitude of 9,200 feet and a maximum 

speed of 300 knots (260 mph). 

Three view of F-8 SCW aircraft (above), supercritical 

airflow (below). 

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