On the 2nd day of the Edwards show this beautifully painted Stealth Fighter made a fly-by with the gear down. Wearing the amazing Stars and Stripes scheme for the 2nd and last time of its career, after the Edwards show it was transferred from Palmdale to Holloman AFB for static display.

Supporting the Edwards test flight aircraft was this temporary deployed 319th Bomb Wing/ 905th Air Refueling Squadron KC-135A, originating from Grand Forks (ND). The 905th ARS was supporting some 6512nd TS B-1B activities from Edwards. The 319th converted from B-52 to B-1B in the 1986-1987 timeframe and a lot of new-weapons tests were carried out by the 6512 TS B-1Bs. As the 905th became very experienced with B-1B aerial refueling, it was logical to deploy one of their Lancers to Edwards that lacked KC-135As in their fleet.

Rarely photographed were the F-111 Aardvarks of the 6512 TS. Lucky me :-). Two airframes were, among other things, used for development tests of low-flying earth-following systems that eventually were used in for example cruise missiles as well as with inert navigation systems for tactial fighter jets.

Completely contrasting with the white/red F-4Es at the Edwards flightline was this Vietnam camo F-4E. Nice to know is that this Phantom once flew with the famous Thunderbirds flight demonstration team in the seventies. After that, it was transferred to an operational squadron and was selected for flight tests from Edwards. The F-4 was stored at Davis Monthan as FP0629 from March 1992 and then... became a Thunderbird again!! The Phantom was repainted in the right colours, but never took the skies like that, its is now preserved like that in the Pima Air museum (AZ).

A NRF-4C Phantom II in its test livery at the huge Edwards AFB flight line. You can still enjoy this aircraft, is is currently preserved at Lackland AFB/Kelly (TX).

A test F-4C (designated as NF-4C) at the massive platform of Edwards AFB (CA). In these day's countless F-4s in all variants could be found here. Check the large pitot tube of this old Phantom. The 6512th Test Squadron under command of the 6510th Test Wing operated at that time with A/YA-7D, VA-7F, A-7K, NA/OA-37B, NF-4C/D/E, YF-4E, NRF-4C, F-15A/B/C/D/E, F-111A, F-111D, FB-111A (later, F-111G), UH-1N, O-2A, T-37B, T-38A, AT-38B, T-38C, and UV-18 (haha!) in all kinds of test missions. The F-4s were eventally pashed out in 1992. The squadron is currently known as 4445th Flight Test Squadron.

Only just withdrawn from use when it was pictured at a platform at Edwards (the fin tip of the aircraft was temporarly cannibalized to keep another prototype in the air), this B-1A prototype in a great camouflage jacket. The 74-0158 made its first flight on 23 December 1974 as the first of four prototypes of the Lancer from Air Force Plant 42, Palmdale (CA). By the time that the B-1A programme was cancelled, 0158 had made 79 flights totaling 405,3 hours. It was eventually dismantled and used for weapons training at Lowry Air Force Base, Colorado.

Digital electronic engine control (DEEC) test aircraft. Testing centred on bringing the technology to the Pratt and Whitney F100 engine as fitted to F-15s and F-16s as a way to improve reliability.

Flying with the Air Force Flight Test Centre.

An old Eagle in a test environment operating out of historic Edwards AFB.

A 5th generation prototype... This F-22A model 1, rolled out at Dobbins on 10 February 1998 and made its first flight at 29 June 1998. The Raptor, serial 91-4002, was ferried to Edwards AFB for the flight test programme with the 411th Flight Test Squadron on 26 August 1998. The picture was made at Edwards air show in October 1999. The Raptor - only a couple of months old and in full swing in its test environment - was at that moment parked next to that other magic plane.

NASA's Advanced Fighter Technology Integration (AFTI) Flight Dynamics Laboratory. On the fin it carries the USAF unit abbreviations AFWAL (Air Force Wright Aeronautical Laboratories) and AFFTC (Air Force Flight Test Center) and the NASA unit abbreviations DFRF (Dryden Flight Research Facility) and LaRC (Langley Research Center).

NASA's Advanced Fighter Technology Integration (AFTI) Flight Dynamics Laboratory. On the fin it carries the USAF unit abbreviations AFWAL (Air Force Wright Aeronautical Laboratories) and AFFTC (Air Force Flight Test Center) and the NASA unit abbreviations DFRF (Dryden Flight Research Facility) and LaRC (Langley Research Center).

NASA's Advanced Fighter Technology Integration (AFTI) Flight Dynamics Laboratory. On the fin it carries the USAF unit abbreviations AFWAL (Air Force Wright Aeronautical Laboratories) and AFFTC (Air Force Flight Test Center) and the NASA unit abbreviations DFRF (Dryden Flight Research Facility) and LaRC (Langley Research Center).

Lockheed's experimental VTOL project. Two were built, but the design never managed vertical take-off. The project was cancelled in 1955, leaving the second aircraft (138658) incomplete without an engine. The flying prototype 138657 was donated to Hiller Aircraft for further VTOL testing, but its fate is unclear. Reliable sources say that only parts (engine and props) of this aircraft survived these tests, others say it is the aircraft that went on display in Florida in the mid 1990s, and that for reasons unknown it was painted as 138658...
Note: this design is often quoted as "XFV-1 Salmon", but it was in fact unnamed. Salmon was the name of Lockheed's test pilot for the project. Photo from: Library of Congress

Flying with the Air Force Flight Test Centre.

Civil adversary/aggressor company Draken International operates some former A-4K's of the Royal New Zealand Air Force, like this N146EM that once was serialled NZ6217. These two are entering the Edwards AFB (CA) runway during Dutch F-16AM / F-35A integration tests. The Draken pilots made life of the Dutch pilots a tough as they could while performing red air missions during the F-16 and F-35 flights.

Ex USAAF C-47A 42-92482, USN 17136. NASA later used the same registration on another C-47 (c/n 26787).