Notes: #843 is one of the numerous F/A-18s that are used in various support roles at Dryden. This aircraft was originally a Blue Angeles Hornet.

Notes: #845 was loaned to NASA Dryden from the Navy, and became the main aircraft used in the Systems Research Aircraft (SRA) program. This flying test bed has helped study many new cutting edge technologies.

Notes: #845 in flight over Dryden.

Notes: #840 arrived at Dryden in 1985 to become the aircraft used in the High Angle of Attack Research Vehicle (HARV) program. This was a joint project between NASA's Dryden, Ames, Langley, and Lewis centers.

Notes: #840 was brought from the Patuxent River Test Center, and heavily modified over an 18 month period. It was eventually fitted with thrust vectoring paddles in 1991. The aircraft's upper surfaces were painted black, so that smoke and red liquid excreted from small holes could be seen more easily. These streams would show airflow over the surface of the aircraft.

Notes: Three unique NASA/USAF aircraft in a rare flight together.

Notes: Was registered as N852NA in 2001.

Notes: #846 was originally a Blue Angels Hornet.

Notes: This aircraft was flown by Scott Crossfield in late 1954, during some inertial roll coupling boundary testing.

Notes: #709 arrived from Ames to Dryden on 11/2/1960. It was used in various simulation studies, including some in support of the X-15 and SST programs.

Notes: Eleven F-104s were flown out of Dryden over a 38 year period between 1956 and 1994, which totaled a whopping 18,000 flights.

Notes: Arrived to Dryden in 1956.

Notes: #826 is shown here with its Flight Test Fixture (FTF) mounted on the center line. The FTF could store various test equipment during flights. This aircraft was originally German AF 24+54, and arrived at Dryden on 7/2/1975.

Notes: Pictured on Rogers Dry Lake.

Notes: #771 arrived to Dryden in 1967 and was the 6th prototype F-111A.

Notes: #778 was used in the Advanced Fighter Technology Integration (AFTI) program, and was specifically used to test the Mission Adaptive Wing (MAW). The black bands seen on the wing were areas where surface pressures were measured.

Notes: #120 was the second of two F-107 aircraft flown at Dryden between 1957 and 1959. The first F-107A was USAF #55-5118 - NACA #207. Due to problems, #207 only made 4 flights, and was then grounded.

Notes: #120 was the third F-107 built, and only made 40 flights before being destroyed in an accident on 9/1/1959.

Notes: #778 was part of the Transonic Aircraft Technology (TACT) program, and the 13th F-111A built. The practice bombs shown here were for weapons load evaluation on the supercritical wing (SCW).

Notes: Note the joint USAF/NASA logo on the tail. The TACT program lasted almost 20 years total.

Notes: #502 arrived at Dryden during 9/2002, and is used for general support. The aircraft is shown still wearing its USAF VIP scheme in this photo.

Notes: The HL-10 was one of five 'lifting-body' aircraft that were built to test the concept of low lift-over-drag vehicles, designed for reentry from space.

Notes: These three 'lifting-body' aircraft helped to study the concept of making un-powered landings while returning from space, in the space shuttle program. The X-24A flew from 4/17/69 to 6/4/71. The M2-F3 flew from 6/2/70 to 12/20/72. The HL-10 flew from 12/22/66 to 7/17/70.

Notes: In 1958, the Civil Aeronautics Administration requested NASA's help in studying new approach procedure guidelines in minimum visibility, for Boeing's new B-707. This aircraft was utilized in those tests.

Notes: During 1979 and 1980, #129 was primarily used to study the benefits of using winglets. Tests showed drag could be reduced up to 7 percent. This aircraft was eventually modified into a NKC-135E, and then an EC-135P. It was also used in zero G training by Mercury astronauts.

Notes: Shown here with a modified nose for experiments, #801 primarily works as a shuttle aircraft, moving people between Ames, Dryden, and other locations.

Notes: Nicknamed "Stargazer", this L-1011 is operated by the Orbital Sciences Corporation, and has worked with NASA on various programs, including the Adaptive Performance Optimization project.

Notes: Dryden's Lear 24 was removed from the roster in 2001.

Notes: Two LLRV vehicles were built by Bell and shipped to Dryden in April, 1964. These two vehicles would help test the concept of landing on the moon for the Apollo space program. This would eventually lead NASA to give Bell a contract to deliver three Lunar Landing Training Vehicles (LLTVs) in 1966.

Notes: Seen in this photo while being towed by a C-47, the M2-F1 was the first piloted 'lifting body' aircraft to be test flown. The lifting body aircraft were built for the purpose of testing the concept of landing an un-powered space vehicle horizontally after reentry. Some photos show this aircraft with 'N86652' on the tail. Thanks to Rick Baldridge for the info.

Notes: The success of the M2-F1 led to the construction of two heavyweight lifting bodies... The Northrop built M2-F2 and HL-10. The "M" refers to 'manned' and "F" refers to 'flight'.

Notes: Lifting body #803 is seen returning from a flight, with F-104 chase #812.

Notes: After M2-F2 sustained damage in a crash in May of 1967, the aircraft was given back to Northrop, where it was rebuilt into M2-F3. A center fin was added at this time, and the whole rebuild process took approximately three years.

Notes: This aircraft was used in a joint NASA/US Army Aviation Engineering Flight Activity program, to study a stall speed warning system in the early 1980s.

Notes: This WP-3D was borrowed from NOAA and made a series of flights in Florida and at Dryden in 1987, to test in-flight rain damage to the Space Shuttle thermal protection system. Space Shuttle tiles were mounted on a pylon on the right wing. Three flights were made at Dryden for these tests.

Notes: An NACA P-51 sits on the NACA flight line, which at that time was located on what is now referred to as North Base.

Notes: This Mustang is privately owned by Bill Allmon. It was originally NACA #127, and eventually put on static display. The aircraft was then restored to its NACA scheme by Bill in 1995 and made airworthy again. It is seen here being flown at a reunion for former NACA employees, at the NASA Dryden Center. Earlier in its life, it was also modified to study the possibility of a Naval version.

Notes: This Piper Twin Comanche was used in the early 70's to test the concept of Remotely Piloted Research Vehicles. The aircraft is seen here making a remote controlled landing.

Notes: This sailplane was used at Dryden from 1981 to 1991, as a research vehicle on projects calling for high lift-over-drag and slow-speed performance.

Notes: NASA Dryden assisted Scaled Composites in developing a station-keeping autopilot system, and satellite communications uplink-downlink system, for aircraft and payload data, under NASA’s Environmental Research Aircraft and Sensor Technology (ERAST) project.

Notes: The Navy version of the Douglas DC-3, was the R4D Skytrain. Over 32 years, three R4Ds were used at Dryden to shuttle personnel and equipment between NACA/NASA Centers and test locations, throughout the country.

Notes: This F4D is seen in flight wearing the later NASA scheme.

Notes: This prototype photo reconnaissance aircraft was delivered to Dryden on 4/27/1954. The aircraft performed pitch-up research for the next two years, gathering data on a common problem with early swept-wing aircraft.

Notes: The Rotor Systems Research Aircraft was a joint NASA/Army project that began in December of 1970, with the first of two aircraft arriving from Sikorsky on 2/11/1979. The aircraft was designed to study the concept of stopping a main rotor in flight, and allowing conventional wings to provide lift . The rotor is not attached in this photo.

Notes: #844 made the last known SR-71 flight from Dryden on Saturday October 9, 1999, at the Edwards AFB air show.

Notes: #844 takes off from Edwards with a NASA F/A-18B as chase.

Notes: #832 flew at Dryden from 1990 through 1994. This aircraft was returned to the USAF and was the first aircraft reactivated for USAF reconnaissance in 1995. It was eventually returned to Dryden along with SR-71A #61-7967.

Notes: #844 is seen making its first 'cold flow' flight, as part of the combined NASA/Rocketdyne/Lockheed, Linear Aerospike SR-71 Experiment (LASRE).

Notes: In this photo, the LASRE pod can be seen mounted on the rear of the aircraft.

Notes: #844 takes off from Edwards with an ultraviolet video camera mounted in the nose. The camera was aimed skyward to capture images of stars, asteroids and comets. The science portion of this ultraviolet experiment flight, was a project for the Jet Propulsion Laboratory.

Notes: This modified F-5E was used in the Shaped Sonic Boom Demonstration (SSBD) project, which was part of the DARPA's QSP program, and a combined effort between DARPA, NASA, Northrop Grumman and NavAir.

Notes: Extensive modifications were done to the aircraft's skin at Northrop Grumman's Palmdale plant, to try and decrease the sonic boom at supersonic speeds.

Notes: During test flights, the SSBD and a standard F-5E were flown along the same route. Each sonic boom was then measured both on the ground and in the air, and the data was then compared. NASA aircraft like F-15B #836 also flew support during the tests.

Notes: NASA #836, the SSBD, and the baseline F-5E are seen in formation on one of the test flights. VFC-13 at Fallon provided the baseline F-5Es.

Notes: This aircraft was one of four T-33A jet trainers which NASA Dryden used from 1958 to 1973. This particular ship arrived 1/9/1963 and departed 9/10/1973. Note the "Flight Research Center" on the tail.

Notes: This T-34C is used at Dryden for basic mission support and pilot proficiency. Note the "Dryden Flight Research Center" on the lower vertical. This aircraft was originally with VX-20 in 2004, and then listed as an NT-34C.

Notes: This T-37 was used as a support aircraft, and also acted as a probe aircraft in wake vortices studies. Unfortunately, NASA test pilot Richard E. Gray was fatally injured in this aircraft when it crashed, on 11/8/1982.

Notes: NASA test pilot Gordon Fullerton taxies the new addition to the Dryden fleet onto the ramp. T-38s had been absent from Dryden for a number of years. The N number indicates this aircraft may have come from NASA Langley.

Notes: The DarkStar UAV was a demonstrator designed to fly above 45,000 feet at subsonic speeds. This aircraft arrived at Dryden 9/14/1995, and made its first flight on 3/29/1996. On its second flight, it crashed on 4/22/1996.

Notes: When Francis Gary Powers was shot down over the Soviet Union during a CIA spy flight, NASA issued a press release inferring it had been their U-2 conducting weather research that had strayed off course. The U-2A in this photo was quickly painted with fake serial number and NASA markings, and then parked on the NASA ramp, in hopes of bolstering the story. This ship was never flown by NASA.