The Sikorsky S-72 Rotor Systems Research Aircraft (RSRA) was funded by NASA and the US Army to test advanced helicopter rotors in flight and featured detachable wings. Two S-72s were built and first flown in Stratford, CT on Oct 12, 1976. The first aircraft was delivered in July 1977 to NASA Wallops Island Flight Test Facility, VA and made its first full compound flighton April 10, 1978. The second S-72 was delivered to the NASA Ames Research Center in Fall 1978 and late joined by aircraft No. 1 in Sep 1979. Later used for RSRA/X-wing program 1986-1987. Msn 72-002 was NASA 546, 741 and N741NA.

Ex USAF 70-1556. Any help on the location is appreciated. Photographer unknown

Supporting a Gulfstream mission from Aguadilla, T-34C N608NA was a very welcome visitor here. Its former BuNo is 160528.

A familiar Gulfstream III for Europe, 30502 moved to NASA after its USAF service life, although it kept its military registration. It is seen here with a large pod under the centre fuselage, carried to measure seismic activity in the area, after the January 2010 Haiti earthquake.

The Vertol 107 prototype, N74060, first flew in 1958. Before the US Marines adopted the design as the HRB Sea Knight in 1961, the US Army tested three YHC-1A airframes, but the Army opted for a heavier transport helicopter, the Chinook, which was confusingly designated YHC-1B before becoming the CH-47. This was the first YHC-1A. The HRB and HC-1A designations were unified to CH-46 in 1962. 58-5514 assigned to NASA in 1964. Later NASA 533. Airframe withdrawn in 1975 with 685 flying hours, fate unknown. Photo from: NASA Langley

NASA F/A-18D taxis out past the tower to fly at "Falcon Rejoin 50"

'Take-off monitor test.' Ex TC-47B 44-76778, to US Navy in 1945 as an R4D-7, BuNo 99827. This aircraft was not based here but at Moffett Field between 1948 and 1965. Later NASA 701, N48066. Photo by: Dave West / NASA

C-47A 42-92482 to US Marines as an R4D-5, BuNo 17136, in January 1944. The original caption suggest the Edwards test centre used three R4Ds, one at a time, between 1952 and 1984, and that this was the second one between 1956 and 1979. One of their jobs was to check if the lakebeds were dry enough for X-plane emergency landings. Last registration of this airframe, XA-ROM. Photo from: NASA

Carrying Space Shuttle 'Enterprise' on its back. Visited STN on tour of Europe including the Paris Air Show. An estimated 200,000 people turned up at Stansted to see the Space Shuttle. I can vouch for that, it took me ages to get off the airfield after the event. NASA Orbiter Vehicle Designation: OV-101, this space shuttle never went into orbit as it was a test vehicle. From 1985 to 2003 it was stored in the Smithsonian hangar at Dulles Airport then put on display at the Udvar-Hazy Center. Now displayed on the Intrepid in New York. N905NA is still operational in 2024.

Photo by Jim Tunney

Photo by Jim Tunney