Edwards AFB News

  • This week in Edwards flight test history

    On Dec. 5, 1963, U.S. Air Force pilot Maj. Bob Rushworth flew an X-15 to Mach 6.06 which, at the time, was the highest speed achieved by a winged aircraft. During his time with the program, Rushworth completed 34 X-15 flights, more than any other pilot.

  • This week in Edwards flight test history

    On March 23, 1948, the Douglas XF3D Skyknight made its first flight, with Douglas test pilot Russell Thaw at the controls. The F3D, a large twin-engine night fighter developed for the Navy, had been trucked in to Muroc Army Airfield from El Segundo, California, for its flight test program.

  • This week in Edwards flight test history

    On March 15, 2007, the YAL-1 Airborne Laser conducted the first in-flight test firings of its Target Illuminator Laser. Multiple beams of photons were directed against an NKC-135E Big Crow target aircraft off the California coastline. The kilowatt-class TIL tracks a potential target and measures

  • This week in Edwards flight test history

    On April 20, 1987, the new control tower was officially opened with the takeoff of an F-15. The new facility, which is stressed to withstand an 8.0 magnitude earthquake as well as 120-plus mph winds, replaced the 10-story red and white structure that had been a landmark since 1956. Today, the cab of

  • This week in Edwards flight test history

    On May 18, 1953, Jacqueline Cochran made two supersonic dives in a Canadian-built (Canadair) F-86E Sabre and became the first woman to exceed the speed of sound. Later that day she flew the same plane over Edwards AFB’s low-level course, a 12-pylon, 100-kilometer track, to a new women’s absolute

  • This week in Edwards flight test history

    On Nov. 28, 1956, the Ryan X-13 Vertijet made the world’s first jet vertical transition flight. Following a horizontal takeoff, test pilot Pete Girard put the test airplane into a vertical hover and then recovered flying speed for a conventional landing. This Edwards History Office file photo was

  • This week in Edwards flight test history

    On Feb. 15, 1958, the first Convair B-58 Hustler (55-665) arrived at the Flight Test Center for Phase IV testing, concluding a combined delivery and test flight. The four engine delta winged aircraft was the world’s first bomber designed to sustain supersonic speeds during its mission profile. This