Edwards Air Force Base

[bilwor]

Edwards AFB 04/03/14
Ling-Temco-Vought (LTV) YA-7F "Strikefighter" (D-255)(USAF 71-0344)(ED 412th Test Wing) (Converted to supersonic with afterburning Pratt & Whitney F100-PW-220 engine of 26,000 pounds thrust. The fuselage was lengthened 4 ft with new fuselage sections, a 30 in section in front of the wing and an 18 in section behind the wing. The vertical stabilizer height was increased about 10 in, the unit horizontal tail was flipped from dihedral to anhedral.)

Ling-Temco-Vought (LTV) YA-7F 'Strikefighter' cnD-255 USAF 71-0344 a by Bill Word, on Flickr

Ling-Temco-Vought (LTV) YA-7F 'Strikefighter' cnD-255 USAF 71-0344 b by Bill Word, on Flickr

Ling-Temco-Vought (LTV) YA-7F 'Strikefighter' cnD-255 USAF 71-0344 c by Bill Word, on Flickr

[bilwor]

Edwards AFB 04/03/14
Boeing C-135C "Stratolifter" ("Specked Trout") (18345) (USAF 61-2269)(412th Flight Test Squadron Edwards AFB, Speckled Trout is the official name of a combined
SAF/CSAF support mission and concurrent test mission. It was also the official nickname given to the squadron and the C-135C, 61-2669 that was used by the Secretary and the Chief of Staff of the Air Force for executive transport requirements. Fully equipped with an array of communications equipment, data links and cryptographic sets, the aircraft served a secondary role as a testbed for proposed command and control systems and was also used to evaluate future transport aircraft The name Speckled Trout was chosen in honor of an early program monitor, Faye Trout, who assisted in numerous phases of the project. The word "speckled" was added because Trout apparently had "a lot of freckles."

Boeing C-135C 'Stratolifter' ('Specked Trout') cn18345 USAF 61-2269 a by Bill Word, on Flickr

Boeing C-135C 'Stratolifter' ('Specked Trout') cn18345 USAF 61-2269 b by Bill Word, on Flickr

Boeing C-135C 'Stratolifter' ('Specked Trout') cn18345 USAF 61-2269 c by Bill Word, on Flickr

[bilwor]

Edwards AFB - NASA 04/03/14
Grumman X-29 "Advanced Technology Demonstrator Aircraft" (USAF 82-0049)(N049NA)(NASA 049) (Built from Northrop F-5A Freedom Fighter airframe USAF 65-10573)(The X-29 was an experimental aircraft that tested a forward-swept wing, canard control surfaces. The aerodynamic instability of the airframe required the use of computerized fly-by-wire control. Composite materials were used to control the aeroelastic divergent twisting experienced by forward-swept wings, also reducing the weight. The X-29 first flew in 1984.)

Grumman X-29 'Advanced Technology Demonstrator Aircraft' USAF 82-0049 N049NA NASA b by Bill Word, on Flickr

Grumman X-29 'Advanced Technology Demonstrator Aircraft' USAF 82-0049 N049NA NASA c by Bill Word, on Flickr

Grumman X-29 'Advanced Technology Demonstrator Aircraft' USAF 82-0049 N049NA NASA e by Bill Word, on Flickr

[bilwor]

Edwards AFB 04/02/14
LTV F-8C "Crusader/Digital-Fly-By-Wire" (USN 145546)(N802NA) (NASA 802)(The Digital Fly-By-Wire (DFBW) concept uses an electronic flight-control system coupled with a digital computer to replace conventional mechanical flight controls. The first test of a DFBW system was in an aircraft was in l972 on the F-8C DFBW modified at the Flight Research Center, Edwards AFB. It was the forerunner of the fly-by-wire flight control systems now used on the Space Shuttles and on today's military and civil aircraft.

LTV F-8C 'Crusader-Digital-Fly-By-Wire' USN 145546 N802NA NASA 802 a by Bill Word, on Flickr

LTV F-8C 'Crusader-Digital-Fly-By-Wire' USN 145546 N802NA NASA 802 b by Bill Word, on Flickr

LTV F-8C 'Crusader-Digital-Fly-By-Wire' USN 145546 N802NA NASA 802 c by Bill Word, on Flickr

[bilwor]

Edwards AFB 04/03/14
LTV TF-8A "Crusader/Supercritical Wing" (USN 141353)(N810NA)(NASA 810)(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. 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. 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.

LTV TF-8A 'Crusader-Supercritical Wing' USN 141353 N810NA NASA 810 b by Bill Word, on Flickr

LTV TF-8A 'Crusader-Supercritical Wing' USN 141353 N810NA NASA 810 a by Bill Word, on Flickr

LTV TF-8A 'Crusader-Supercritical Wing' USN 141353 N810NA NASA 810 c by Bill Word, on Flickr

[bilwor]

Edwards AFB EDW 04/03/14
The HL-10 was one of five aircraft built in the Lifting Body Research Program. It was a NASA design and was built to evaluate "inverted airfoil" lifting body and delta planform. It was flown 37 times, from December 1966 to July 1970, during the lifting body research program and logged the highest altitude and fastest speed in the Lifting Body to study and validate the concept of safely maneuvering and landing a low lift-over-drag vehicle for reentry from space. Wingless lifting bodies attained aerodynamic stability and lift from the shape of the vehicle. Lift resulted from more air pressure on the
bottom of the body than on the top. They used energy and aerodynamic lift for in-flight maneuvering and a powerless, glider-like landing.

Northrop HL-10 'Lifting Body' cnNB-102 N804NA NASA 804 a by Bill Word, on Flickr

Northrop HL-10 'Lifting Body' cnNB-102 N804NA NASA 804 b by Bill Word, on Flickr

[bilwor]

Edwards AFB 04/03/14
Lockheed NF-104A "Starfighter" (183-1048) (USAF 56-0760) A supersonic aerospace trainer that served as a low-cost astronaut training vehicle for the X-15 and projected X-20 Dyna-Soar programs.Three aircraft were modified from existing Lockheed F-104A airframes and served with the Aerospace Research Pilots School
between 1963 and 1971, the modifications included a small supplementary rocket engine and a reaction control system for flight in the upper atmosphere. During the test program, the maximum altitude reached was more than 120,000 feet (36,600 m). One of the aircraft was destroyed in an accident while being flown by Chuck Yeager. The supplementary engine was a Rocketdyne AR2-3 rocket engine was fitted at the base of the vertical fin. This engine burned a mixture of JP-4 jet fuel and 90% hydrogen peroxide oxidizer solution. The NF-104 carried enough oxidizer for approximately 100 seconds of rocket engine operation. (AFFTC/HO (Air Force Flight Test Center/History Office) data shows that this plane is a composite of 0760, 0756 and another (unspecified) F-104.

Lockheed NF-104A Starfighter cn183-1048 USAF 56-0760 b by Bill Word, on Flickr

Lockheed NF-104A Starfighter cn183-1048 USAF 56-0760 c by Bill Word, on Flickr

Lockheed NF-104A Starfighter cn183-1048 USAF 56-0760 d by Bill Word, on Flickr

[bilwor]

Edwards AFB CA
Two seat variant, the YA-10B, was developed by Fairchild for Night/Adverse Weather (N/AW) and use as a trainer. Proposed changes for the N/AW variant, in addition to the two-place cockpit, included ground mapping radar, a Forward Looking Infrared (FLIR) pod, and larger vertical stabilizers. Only one YA-10B actually built, it was a modified pre-production A-10A the Air Force flight tested the YA-10B in 1979 and decided not to proceed with production.

Fairchild YA-10B Thunderbolt II cnA10-0001 USAF 73-1664 a by Bill Word, on Flickr

Fairchild YA-10B Thunderbolt II cnA10-0001 USAF 73-1664 b by Bill Word, on Flickr

[bilwor]

Lockheed Martin F-35A Lightning II USAF AF-01 461 FLTS Deadly Jesters

Lockheed Martin F-35A Lightning II USAF AF-01 461 FLTS Deadly Jesters a by Bill Word, on Flickr

Lockheed Martin F-35A Lightning II USAF AF-01 461 FLTS Deadly Jesters b by Bill Word, on Flickr

[bilwor]

Lockheed Martin F-35B Lightning II USMC 168314 461 Deadly Jesters FLTS

Lockheed Martin F-35B Lightning II USMC 168314 461 Deadly Jesters FLTS b by Bill Word, on Flickr

Lockheed Martin F-35B Lightning II USMC 168314 461 Deadly Jesters FLTS a by Bill Word, on Flickr

[bilwor]

I will be posting more from Edwards as I process them.
bill word

[JohnB]

The A-7F seems like a roundabout way of making an ugly F-8.

When I worked out AFMC, our Commander was Gen. Ronald yates...as a young test pilot he flew the NF-104. He said piloting it was quite an experience.
Later, he took the left seat of the C-21 we were in flying from Andrews to Wright-Patt...since he survived the NF-104 I figured I was in good hands. He did fly the Lear like a fighter though.

[Snake45]

Edwards AFB CA
Two seat variant, the YA-10B, was developed by Fairchild for Night/Adverse Weather (N/AW) and use as a trainer. Proposed changes for the N/AW variant, in addition to the two-place cockpit, included ground mapping radar, a Forward Looking Infrared (FLIR) pod, and larger vertical stabilizers. Only one YA-10B actually built, it was a modified pre-production A-10A the Air Force flight tested the YA-10B in 1979 and decided not to proceed with production.

I own one of only two known factory-converted desk models of the A-10B. No idea where the other one is, but I have this one.

[maxum96]

The A-7F seems like a roundabout way of making an ugly F-8.

I thought the same thing when I saw the picture.

[sandiego89]

Good stuff, looking forward to more. Is the P-59 still on a stick out there?