If you grew up in the 1970s, you probably know Colonel Steve Austin. He was an astronaut and test pilot who became the world's first bionic man after a horrific plane crash. Steve Austin was fictional, but that plane crash was real...and so was the pilot; his name was Bruce Peterson.

Bruce Peterson was a renowned test pilot who made significant contributions to the aviation and aerospace industry. One of his notable achievements was his involvement in developing and testing the M2-F2 lifting body aircraft.

The M2-F2 aircraft was a prototype design for a space shuttle developed in the 1960s. It was a hybrid aircraft that combined features of both airplanes and rockets. The M2-F2 aircraft was designed to fly back to Earth after a space mission, re-enter the atmosphere, and land like a conventional airplane.

Peterson was one of the test pilots who flew the M2-F2 aircraft during its development and testing phase. In May 1967, Peterson experienced a serious crash in the M2-F2 aircraft that nearly cost him his life. During a test flight, the aircraft encountered turbulence, which caused it to roll over and dive into the ground. 

Peterson's crash inspired author Martin Caiden to write the book, "Cyborg," about a test pilot, Colonel Steve Austin, who lost both his legs, an arm, and an eye in a plane crash. The book was made into a TV movie and subsequent series, "The Six Million Dollar Man."  

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NOTES:

The Beginning of The Real “Six Million Dollar Man”: The M2-F2 Crash.

Cyborg by Martin Caiden

The Six Million Dollar Man on IMDB