Tag: Flight Test Files

The โ€œFlight Test Filesโ€ series of articles explores the aircraft used by the Dryden Flight Research Center over the years in its pursuit of aeronautical advancements.

Flight Test Files: The T-34C Mentor – The Rugged Bridge to the Jet Age

NASAโ€™s T-34C Mentor helped test detect-and-avoid systems for drones, supporting safe integration of unmanned aircraft…

Flight Test Files: The X-2 Starbuster – A Pioneer of Aerodynamic Heating

The Bell X-2 Starbuster pushed flight beyond Mach 3 and 126,000 feet, advancing research on…

Flight Test Files: F-4 Phantom II – Exploring the Limits of Aerodynamics and Sonic Boom

How NASA used the F-4 Phantom II for unusual research, from biomedical monitoring flights and…

Flight Test Files: MD-11 – Pioneering Safe Landings with Propulsion Controlled Aircraft

How NASA tested Propulsion Controlled Aircraft (PCA) on an F-15 and MD-11, proving an airplane…

Flight Test Files: Lockheed YF-12 – The Mach 3 Interceptor That Almost Was

How the YF-12 set Mach 3 records and powered NASA research that shaped the SR-71…

Flight Test Files F-15B TN 837 – Testing the Future of Thrust Vectoring

How NASAโ€™s F-15 ACTIVE program tested thrust vectoring and adaptive controls to improve performance of…

Flight Test Files Northrop T-38 Talon – The Chase Plane That Saw It All

How the T-38 Talon became Americaโ€™s first supersonic trainer, shaping USAF pilot training and NASA…

Flight Test Files: Douglas X-3 Stiletto – Taming the Inertia of the Needle Jet

The Douglas X-3 Stiletto fell short of Mach 2 but revealed roll coupling risks and…

Flight Test Files: Northrop HL-10 – Solving the Aerodynamics of Reentry

How NASAโ€™s HL-10 lifting body proved wingless reentry and runway landings were possible, shaping future…

Flight Test Files: Schweizer SGS 1-36 Sailplane – Evaluating the Leap to T-Tail Aerodynamics

How NASA used a modified Schweizer SGS 1-36 sailplane in the 1980s to study deep-stall…