The F-16XL is a derivative of the F-16 Fighting Falcon with beautiful cranked-arrow delta wing. The type entered the USAF Enhanced Tactical Fighter (ETF) competition in 1981 but it sadly lost to the F-15E Strike Eagle. Both prototypes were shelved until being turned over to NASA for additional aeronautical research in 1988. The duo was eventually fully retired in 2009 and stored at Edwards AFB (CA).

An early F/A-18A (fiscal year 1981, Block 8), once a proud US MArine Corps aircraft (VW-000 and soon after VW-03 of VMFA-314 in early 1983, then moved to the US Navy with VFA-113 and then assigned to the Naval Warfare Center in 1989. It also served the Pacific Missile Test Center and later the Naval Air Warfare Center - Weapons Division at Point Mugu with code 61 The Hornet was moved to Edwards in March 1993 where it was assigned to NASA Dryden as NASA 851. The registration N851NA is pure administrative and is not carried as the aircraft remained on loan from the US Navy.

First two-seater F-15 produced; on loan to NASA from the USAF. At the time known as the F-15 ACTIVE - Advanced Control Technology for Integrated Vehicles (a program that runned from 1993-1999).

This Fiscal Year 1979 F/A-18B (Block 4) was delivered to the US Navy on 9 March 1981. It first served VFA-125 (NJ-521 and later NJ-501) and was then transferred as XF-27 with VX-4 in mid-1983. It was temporary assigned to NAWC-AD at Warminster before the jet was moved to NASA Dryden. It arrived there in mid-1995 and received 852 as a code on 7 September 1996. It assigned theoretical registration N852NA was not seen on the aircraft when it participated in the Edwards airshow.

First flight 1966, this Learjet was a true oldy! It is former an ASSESS airborne telescope aircraft. and served this laboratory from 1973 onwards. The 24A was then delivered NASA Ames (N702NA) where it was registered on 10 Jun'74. It was moved to Dryden on 9 Feb'98 as N805NA. The jet was sadly lost in an accident on 7 Jun'01 during a hard landing at Victorville (CA). The 24A was under control of the co-pilot who disengaged the yaw damper and entered a pilot induced lateral oscillation. The airplane rapidly decelerated and developed a high sink rate. It bounced several times and came to rest.

This 1976 YF-18A is the 6th McDonnell Douglas built single seat prototype and was delivered to the US Navy on 31 Jan'80 with code 6 to the Naval Air Test Center, NAS Patuxent River (MD). It served the NATC up to 22 Oct'84 when it was transferred to NASA. Initially it carried its BuNo and "NASA 840", in 1985 it received registration N840NA. The Hornet was used from 1987-1996 as a High Alpha Research Vehicle with thrust-vectoring vanes, research flight control system and forward fuselage strakes. Since 2003 it is preserved at the Virginia Air & Space, Hampton (VA). Here pictured at Dryden FRC.

This fiscal year 1979 Hornet was delivered to the US Navy on 11 June 1980. The aircraft was transferred to NASA in 1987 and received NASA 844 on its tail (as pictured). It did not receive a NASA N-registration. It is not clear if the aircraft ever received or carried the N844NA registration. The twelfth Hornet and the tenth single seater built did not serve NASA for a long time as it crashed three miles north of Boron (CA) on 7 October 1988. It is here pictured at a Edwards AFB ramp, outside the NASA Dryden facility.

NASA HL-10 on display inside the main hangar at the 82' Edwards show

This Dragon Lady made its first flight on 1 May'81 and was delivered as TR-1A to NASA on 11 May'81. The TR-1A was handed over to NASA Ames at Moffet Field (CA) as N706NA on 10 Jun'81 and redesignated ER-2. It flew from Ames up to May'96. After a re-engine and modification period, with specific ("S") research systems, the ER-2 was redesignated into ER-2S. The original serial 80-1063 remained on the aircraft. The ER-2S was delivered to Dryden FRC on 3 Nov'97 and reregistered N806NA. It continued flying from DFRC up to Mar'04 when it went into flyable storage. Currently operating out of Palmdale

The first dual seat F-18 seen here at the flightline of Dryden FRC. The Hornet, originally built by McDonnell Douglas as YF-18B-2 (ordered by the US Navy in FY76) was first seen, fresh from the production line, in late 1979 and del;ivered on 5 Jan'80. The US Navy designated it TF-18A. The Hornet was assigned to the Naval Air Test Center at Pax River as T1 and modex 150. It was recoded 7T-150 and transferred to the NASA on 24 Jul'86. It was used as a system research aircraft (SRA) and became a dedicated SRA with multiple modifications from Oct'91. It is reported stored from Jun'86 at Armstrong.

This Talon (USAF serial 65-10353) served NASA Johnsen from 10 February 1966 up to 28 September 1972. It became N967NA with NASA Johnson Space Center on 12 October 1994. It was later modified to T-38N.

First taking to the air in June of 1955, this B-52 began its illustrious, nearly 50-year USAF and NASA career as a bomb navigation system test airplane for the USAF's B-52 fleet. Ironically, test bomber spent most of its career dropping flight research vehicles rather than bombs. In 1959, it became one of two mothership launch aircraft for the X-15 program, which paved the way for America's early manned spaceflight efforts. Nicknamed "Double-0-Eight" and "Balls Eight" cut its teeth launching 106 of the 199 X-15 flights. At its retirement on 17 December 2004, Balls 8 was the oldest active B-52.

Ex Luftwaffe RF-104G 24+64. This Starfighter arrived at the NASA Dryden Flight Research Center on 2 July 1975 and remained in service up to October 1993. It is now preserved at Edwards.

This early manufactured F/A-18A (Block 4) was delivered to the US Navy with BuNo 161214 on 8 August 1980. The aircraft served Air Test and Evaluation Squadron (VX) 4 and then VFA-125 from October 1982. It was converted to F/A-18A(R) and was assigned to the NATC from October 1985. The Hornet was transferred to the NASA on 28 August 1987 and became 161214 with code NASA 842 (as pictured). Later it was (unconfirmed) reported as N817NA with code NASA 842. It was stored at Edwards in May 1995 and was cannibalized. Since 13 February 1997 preserved with the Jethawks Stadium at Lancaster (CA).

The PIK-20E was a sailplane flown at NASA's Ames-Dryden Flight Research Facility (now Dryden Flight Research Center, Edwards, California) between 1981 and 1991. The vehicle, was used as a research vehicle on projects calling for high lift-over-drag and low-speed performance. Later NASA used the PIK-20E to study the flow of fluids over the aircraft's surface at various speeds and angles of attack as part of a study of airflow efficiency over lifting surfaces.

The commemorative plate next to the preserved aircraft quotes: "This F-16A originally coded as NASA 516 was transferred from Dryden to Langley AFB. It was used primarily for parts and engine tests, and it is the only civil registered F-16 in existence. This aircraft is on loan from the NASA Dryden Flight Research Center". The original military serial number was 82-0976 . It was built in 1983, registered as N516NA, then N816NA and retired in 2004.

This ER-2 is still active as of 2021 with NASA at their research center located at Edwards AFB, CA.

This DC-8 was originally delivered to Alitalia as I-DIWK in May 1969. It also flew for a while with Braniff before joining NASA in July 1986. At the time of upload the frame is still current with the agency.