Aircraft

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F-18 HARV smoke and tuft vor …

The configuration of the X-43A Hypersonic Experimental Research Vehicle, or Hyper-X, attached to a Pegasus launch vehicle is displayed in this three-foot-long model at NASA's Dryden Flight Research Center, Edwards, California.

Hyper-X and Pegasus Launch V …

F-18 HARV in flight with act …

Attached to the same B-52B mothership that once launched X-15 research aircraft in the 1960s, NASA's third X-43A performed a captive carry evaluation flight from Edwards Air Force Base, California on September 27, 2004. The X-43 remained mated to the B-52 throughout this mission, intended to check its readiness for launch scheduled later in the fall.

Attached to the same B-52B mothership that once launched X-15 research aircraft in the 1960s, NASA's third X-43A performed a captive carry evaluation flight from Edwards Air Force Base, California on September 27, 2004. The X-43 remained mated to the B-52 throughout this mission, intended to check its readiness for launch scheduled later in the fall.

The F-15B ACTIVE (NASA 836 on the viewer's right) and the F-15A chase plane (NASA 837) are shown preparing for in-flight during a July 1996 research flight.

F-15 ACTIVE (NASA 837) and F …

F-18 HARV final flight over …

F-18 Chase Aircraft

F-18 Chase Aircraft

The Space Shuttle Enterprise, the nation's prototype space shuttle orbiter, departed NASA's Dryden Flight Research Center, Edwards, California, at 11:00 a.m., 16 May 1983, on the first leg of its trek to the Paris Air Show at Le Bourget Airport, Paris, France. Carried by the huge 747 Shuttle Carrier Aircraft (SCA), the first stop for the Enterprise was Peterson AFB, Colorado Springs, Colorado. Piloting the 747 on the Europe trip were Joe Algranti, Johnson Space Center Chief Pilot, Astronaut Dick Scobee, and NASA Dryden Chief Pilot Tom McMurtry. Flight engineers for that portion of the flight were Dryden's Ray Young and Johnson Space Center's Skip Guidry. The Enterprise, named after the spacecraft of Star Trek fame, was originally carried and launched by the 747 during the Approach and Landing Tests (ALT) at Dryden Flight Research Center.

Shuttle Enterprise Mated to …

NASA space shuttle Columbia …

NASA space shuttle Columbia …

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- After a three-day trip from California, the shuttle carrier aircraft, or SCA, and its piggyback passenger Atlantis fly over the Kennedy Space Center before landing on the KSC Shuttle Landing Facility runway. Touchdown was at 8:27 a.m. EDT. The SCA is a modified Boeing 747 jetliner. Atlantis landed at Edwards Air Force Base in California to end mission STS-117. The return to KSC began July 1 and took three days after stops across the country for fuel. The last stop was at Ft. Campbell in Kentucky. Weather conditions over the last leg postponed the return trip until July 3. Atlantis will be removed from the back of the SCA via the mate/demate device at the SLF. It will then be towed to the Orbiter Processing Facility to begin processing for its next launch, mission STS-122 in December. Photo credit: NASA/Ken Thornsley

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - …

Shuttle Ferry

Shuttle Ferry

CONCORDE - BRITISH FRENCH SUPERSONIC TRANSPORT AIRPLANE

CONCORDE - BRITISH FRENCH SU …

A Navy E-2C Hawkeye early-warning aircraft arrives at NASA's Dryden Flight Research Center for extensive structural loads tests in Dryden's flight loads lab.

This photo shows a head-on shot of NASA's SR-71A aircraft on the ramp at NASA's Dryden Flight Research Center, Edwards, California. NASA operated two SR-71s, an SR-71A and an SR- 71B pilot trainer aircraft, both based at Dryden, at that particular point in time. The SR-71 was designed and built by the Lockheed Skunk Works, now the Lockheed Martin Skunk Works. Studies have shown that less than 20 percent of the total thrust used to fly at Mach 3 is produced by the basic engine itself. The balance of the total thrust is produced by the unique design of the engine inlet and "moveable spike" system at the front of the engine nacelles, and by the ejector nozzles at the exhaust which burn air compressed in the engine bypass system. Data from the SR-71 high speed research program will be used to aid designers of future supersonic/hypersonic aircraft and propulsion systems, including a high speed civil transport.

SR-71 Ship #1 on Ramp

A NASA SR-71 made its successful first flight Oct. 31 as part of the NASA/Rocketdyne/Lockheed Martin Linear Aerospike SR-71 Experiment (LASRE) at NASA's Dryden Flight Research Center, Edwards, California. The SR-71 took off at 8:31 a.m. PST. The aircraft flew for one hour and fifty minutes, reaching a maximum speed of Mach 1.2 before landing at Edwards at 10:21 a.m. PST, successfully validating the SR-71/linear aerospike experiment configuration. The goal of the first flight was to evaluate the aerodynamic characteristics and the handling of the SR-71/linear aerospike experiment configuration. The engine was not fired during the flight.

Linear Aerospike SR-71 Exper …

A NASA SR-71 refuels with an Edwards Air Force Base KC-135 during the first flight of the NASA/Rocketdyne/ Lockheed Martin Linear Aerospike SR-71 Experiment (LASRE). The flight took place Oct. 31 at NASA's Dryden Flight Research Center, Edwards, California. The SR-71 took off at 8:31 a.m. PST. The aircraft flew for one hour and fifty minutes, reaching a maximum speed of Mach 1.2 before landing at Edwards at 10:21 a.m. PST, successfully validating the SR-71/linear aerospike experiment configuration. The goal of the first flight was to evaluate the aerodynamic characteristics and the handling of the SR-71/linear aerospike experiment configuration. The engine was not fired during the flight.

Linear Aerospike SR-71 Exper …

A NASA SR-71 successfully completed its first flight 31 October 1997 as part of the NASA/Rocketdyne/Lockheed Martin Linear Aerospike SR-71 Experiment (LASRE) at NASA's Dryden Flight Research Center, Edwards, California. The SR-71 took off at 8:31 a.m. PST. The aircraft flew for one hour and fifty minutes, reaching a maximum speed of Mach 1.2 before landing at Edwards at 10:21 a.m. PST, successfully validating the SR-71/linear aerospike experiment configuration. The goal of the first flight was to evaluate the aerodynamic characteristics and the handling of the SR-71/linear aerospike experiment configuration. The engine was not fired during the flight.

Linear Aerospike SR-71 Exper …

NASA Dryden Flight Research Center?s SR-71A, tail number 844, banks away over the Sierra Nevada mountains after air refueling from a USAF tanker during a 1997 flight.

SR-71A - in Flight over Sout …

This look-down view shows NASA 831, an SR-71B flown by Dryden Flight Research Center, Edwards, California, as it cruises over the Mojave Desert. The photo was from an Air Force refueling tanker taken on a 1997 mission.

SR-71B - in Flight - View fr …

This close-up, head-on view of NASA?s SR-71A Blackbird in flight shows the aircraft with an experimental test fixture mounted on the back of the airplane.

SR-71A in Flight with Test F …

This photograph shows the SR-71 with the Linear Aerospike SR-71 Experiment on the rear fuselage as seen from above. The photo was taken on the first flight of the aircraft with the experiment aboard, which took place on 31 October 1997.

Linear Aerospike SR-71 Exper …

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