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. 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. On this first flight, McMurtry reached an altitude of 9,200 feet and a maximum speed of 260 miles per hour. 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.