Edwards AFB News

  • This month in Edwards history

    For nearly seven decades, the men and women of Edwards AFB have been privileged to witness many of the most important milestones in aerospace history. This is the third in a monthly series that provides brief looks at some of the more significant events in the rich history of the base.August 26,

  • This month in Edwards History - February 2012

    February 7, 1945 - Consolidated Vultee Aircraft Corporation's XP-81 made its first flight here, piloted by Vultee test pilot Frank Davis. The XP-81 was designed to be a long-range fighter and attack plane powered by a J33 jet engine and a TG-100 turboprop in the nose. Because its GE turboprop engine

  • This month in Edwards history: January 2012

    January 12, 1936 - A delegation of officers from Headquarters, Pacific Coast Air Force, inspected the Muroc Field Bombing and Gunnery Range. At that time, the housing facilities consisted of tents for up to 65 men and a permanent kitchen building. The bombing range west of the lake bed included

  • This week in Edwards flight test history

    On Sep. 24, 2010 at Edwards AFB - The 418 Flight Test Squadron concluded flight testing to evaluate modifications of the C-17 “Globemaster III” formation flight system. The system enabled pilots to monitor and fly the large transport with other C-17s at the same altitude and distance in any weather

  • This week in Edwards flight test history

    On Oct. 3, 1967 Maj. William J. “Pete” Knight flew the modified X-15A-2 to a speed of Mach 6.7 (4,520 mph). The aircraft was flown with its full ablative coating and external fuel tanks. A dummy ramjet mounted on the lower ventral stub stabilizer fell away during the flight as a result of severe

  • This week in Edwards flight test history

    This week we remember Air Force test pilot Capt. Milburn “Mel” Apt who lost his life during a flight test mission Sept. 27, 1956 at Edwards. Apt was making his first flight in the Bell X-2 and flew it to an unofficial record speed of Mach 3.196, thus becoming the first person to exceed Mach 3. It is

  • This week in Edwards flight test history

    On Aug. 26, 1975 the McDonnell Douglas YC-15 flew from Long Beach, California, to Edwards on its first flight. The high-wing, four-engine aircraft utilized an innovative externally blown flap, propulsive-lift concept. It was the McDonnell Douglas entry into the Air Force’s Advanced Medium STOL

  • This week in Edwards flight test history

    On Sep. 13, 1985, at Edwards, then Maj. Wilbert D. “Doug” Pearson zoom-climbed a specially-configured F-15A to 38,000 feet and launched a Vought ASM-135A anti-satellite missile against an orbiting Solwind P78-1 satellite. The missile’s miniature kinetic-kill vehicle intercepted and destroyed the

  • This week in Edwards flight test history

    On Aug. 16, 1948 the XF-89 Scorpion made its first flight, flown by Northrop test pilot Fred C. Bretcher. The twin-jet night fighter was selected by the Air Force after a fly-off with the XF-87 and the Navy’s Douglas XF3D-1 Skyknight because of its potential for development.

  • This week in Edwards flight test history

    On Nov. 3, 1966, the North American XB-70 Valkyrie flights resumed as aircraft No. 1 made the first of nine flights in support of the National Sonic Boom Program. This was a joint NASA/U.S. Air Force research program, which concluded Jan. 31, 1967.