Photo by Jim Tunney

Photo by Jim Tunney

This was the third F/A-18B built. This F/A-18B was also registered with the FAA as N852NA.

Modified as HARV (High Alpha Research Vehicle) testbed.

Photo by Steve Kraus.

Ex-USAF 65-10329, originally built as a T-38A-60-NO. When with NASA was actually flown as N511NA/NASA 511.

1965: TOS USAF and assigned to the 9th Strategic Reconnaissance Wing, Beale AFB, CA. Ca.1990: TOS NASA with s/n 83. 1991: Dryden Research Center, Edwards AFB, CA, where it remained in operation until making its last flight in October 1997; it was used for training and not research. 1999: Placed in flyable storage. 28 Mar 2003: Kalamazoo Aviation History Museum, Kalamazoo, MI.

First flight as C-130B in '58 as USAF 58-0712. Converted to C-130C. Moved to Military Aircraft Storage and Disposal Center with inventory code CF0001 on 1 Jans'68, but went in that same year to NASA Johnson as 929, modified to NC-130B. Registered as N929NA in Sep'69 and was used for the NASA Earth Survey 2 mission up to '79. Became NASA 707 and was transferred to Dryden Flight Research Center, but based at NASA Ames at NAS Moffett Field (CA). Became N707NA in Feb'82. By 2000, it was moved to Boulder and withdrawn from use at Jeffco City (CO). To AMARG on 4 Nov'00, N707NA canx on 20 Feb'13.

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.

During the summer of 2010 NASA 806 was a frequent flyer at March Field. Seen here on short final for runway 32 during the early evening hours.

NASA 926 WB-57F rolling out on runway 21L during a 'media' day event at Red Flag

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.