re: NASA and its contractors have "invented" the small spaceplane about a dozen times.
One on the right look familiar?
On May 10 1967, the M2-F2 crashed when its pilot, Bruce Peterson, lowered the landing gear half a second too late. It rolled down the dry lakebed and tumbled, severely injuring its pilot. (Footage of this crash was later used in the opening credits of the 1970s TV show The Six-Million Dollar Man.) The M2-F2 was damaged but later rebuilt as the M2-F3, with an additional vertical fin.
Some more shots:
Lifting Bodies
M2-F2 Timeline
("Major Steve Austin" was my childhood hero. He was a test pilot, could kick anyone's ass and shagged Farrah Fawcett both on and off screen...HOOYAH!)