Air Force Flight Test Museum

Air Force Flight Test Museum

Location within California
Former name	Air Force Flight Test Center Museum[a]
Location	Rosamond, California
Coordinates	34.912°N 117.921°W / 34.912; -117.921
Type	Military aviation museum
Website	flighttestmuseum.org

The Air Force Flight Test Museum is an aviation museum located at Edwards Air Force Base near Rosamond, California focused on the history of the Air Force Flight Test Center.

History

The Flight Test Museum Foundation was founded in 1983 by Carol Odgers, Chuck Yeager, Robert Cardenas, and William J. Knight.^[3] A 335-acre site on Rosamond Boulevard was given to the foundation in 1984 to build a museum, but construction was delayed for many years. In the intervening time, the museum moved forward with the creation of the Blackbird Airpark at Air Force Plant 42 in 1991 and began collaborating with a group of amateur archaeologists to display pieces of wreckage of crashed x-planes recovered from the desert.^[4][5][6][7]

By 1997, the museum had raised enough money to begin construction on a new 8,500 sq ft (790 m²) building, which was fitted out in 1999 and opened in July 2000.^[8][9][10] Further efforts led to the opening of a Century Circle outside the west gate in August 2007 made up of six Century Series airplanes and the top of the former Edwards Air Force Base control tower.^[11][12] The museum's longtime chief historian, Dr. Jim Young, retired in 2011.^[13]

Efforts to move aircraft to better storage conditions began in March 2012, when the museum cleaned up its storage yard.^[14] This was followed by a number of significant moves in 2013, with the restoration shop being relocated to a new hangar with better equipment in February, three aircraft being towed to the museum grounds in August, and a VH-34 being transferred to a museum in Texas in September.^[15][16][17]

After its closure in 2015, an XB-47 was acquired from the Octave Chanute Aerospace Museum.^[18]

The museum broke ground on a new location outside the gate to the base in March 2018.^[19][20] Following site preparation, the first concrete was poured in June 2020.^[21] The first phase of construction was completed in May 2023.^[22]

Collection

Aircraft

• Accurate Automation LoFLYTE^[23]
• Beech UC-45J Expeditor 67161^[24]
• Bell P-59A Airacomet 44-22633^[25]
• Bell X-1 – Replica^[26]
• Bensen X-25B 68-10771^[27]
• Boeing NC-135A Stratolifter 60-0377^[28]
• Boeing C-135C Stratolifter 61-2669 "Speckled Trout"^[26][29]
• Boeing NB-52B Stratofortress 52-0008^[30][31][32]
• Boeing Phantom Eye^[26][33]
• Boeing XB-47 Stratojet 46-0066^[26]
• Boeing X-48C^[26][34]
• Cessna NA-37B Dragonfly 73-1090^[35]
• Convair F-106B Delta Dart 59-0158^[36]
• Convair TF-102A Delta Dagger 54-1353^[37]
• Convair YB-58A Hustler 55-665^[26]
• de Havilland Canada C-7B Caribou 63-9765^[26][38]
• Douglas A3D-1 Skywarrior 135434^[39][40][41]
• Douglas C-53D Skytrooper 41-20093^[26]
• Douglas F-10B Skyknight 125850^[26]
• Douglas TB-26B Invader 44-34165^[26]
• Fairchild T-46A 84-0492^[42]
• Fairchild Republic YA-10B Thunderbolt II 73-1664^[43]
• General Dynamics F-16B Fighting Falcon 75-0751^[26]
• General Dynamics F-16B Fighting Falcon 80-0634^[26]
• General Dynamics F-16XL 75-0747^[26]
• General Dynamics F-16XL 75–0749^[44]
• General Dynamics F-111A Aardvark 63-9766^[45]
• General Dynamics NF-111A Aardvark 63-9778^[26]
• Gloster Meteor TT.20 WD592^[46]
• Grumman X-29 82-0049
• Grumman Gulfstream II Shuttle Training Aircraft^[26]
• Lockheed A-12 60-6924^[47]
• Lockheed C-130E Hercules 61-2358^[26][48]
• Lockheed C-140A JetStar 59-5962^[26]
• Lockheed D-21B^[49]
• Lockheed EF-80A Shooting Star 44-85123
• Lockheed F-104A Starfighter 56-801^[50]
• Lockheed NC-141A Starlifter 61-2779^[51]
• Lockheed NF-104A Starfighter 56-756^[52][26]
• Lockheed NF-104A Starfighter 56-790^[53]
• Lockheed SR-71A Blackbird 61-7955^[54][55]
• Lockheed SR-71A Blackbird 61-7973 – On loan^[26]
• Lockheed T-33A 52-9846^[26]
• Lockheed T-33A 58-0669^[56]
• Lockheed U-2D 56-6721^[57]
• Lockheed YF-22 87-0700^[58][59]
• Lockheed YF-94A Starfire 48-356
• Lockheed YF-117A Nighthawk 79-10783^[60][61]
• LTV YA-7D Corsair II 67-14583^[62]
• LTV YA-7F 71-0344^[63]
• Martin RB-57B Canberra 52-1576^[64]
• Martin Marietta Model 845 01454^[26]
• McDonnell F-4C Phantom II 64-0741^[26]
• McDonnell Douglas F-15B Eagle 73-0114^[65]
• McDonnell Douglas X-36^[66]
• McDonnell Douglas YC-15 72-1875^[67][68]
• McDonnell Douglas YF-4E Phantom II 65-0713^[26]
• McDonnell Douglas YF-15A Eagle 71-0287^[26]
• McDonnell F-101B Voodoo 58-288^[69]
• McDonnell NF-4C Phantom II 63-7407^[70]
• McDonnell RF-4C Phantom II 64-1004^[71]
• NASA M2-F1^[72]
• North American CT-39A Sabreliner 60-3505^[73]
• North American F-86F Sabre 52-5241^[26]
• North American F-100A Super Sabre 52-5760^[26]
• North American T-28B Trojan 137702^[74]
• North American X-15 – Replica^[26]
• North American YF-100A Super Sabre 52-5755^[75]
• Northrop F-89D Scorpion 52-1959^[26]
• Northrop T-38A Talon 61-0810^[76]
• Northrop T-38A Talon 61-0849^[77][78]
• Northrop X-4 Bantam 46-676^[79]
• Northrop X-21 55-408^[26]
• Northrop X-21 55-410^[26]
• Northrop YA-9A 71-1367^[26]
• Piasecki H-21B Work Horse 52-8623^[26]
• Piper PA-48 Enforcer 48-8301002^[26][80]
• Republic F-84F Thunderstreak 51-9350^[81]
• Republic F-105D Thunderchief 61-146^[82]
• Rockwell B-1B Lancer 84-0049^[83]
• Rutan VariEze^[26]
• Ryan AQM-34J Firebee^[26]
• Scaled Composites Model 133^[26]
• Scaled Composites Model 226^[26]
• Sikorsky CH-34G Seabat 53-4477^[84]
• Sikorsky JCH-3C 62-12581^[85]

Missiles

• PGM-17 Thor^[86][87]

See also

• List of aviation museums

References

Footnotes

1. According to a comparison of two snapshots of the museum's website, the name appears to have changed between September 2012 and January 2013.^{[1][2][improper synthesis?]}

Notes

1. "[Homepage]". Air Force Flight Test Center Museum. Archived from the original on 9 September 2012. Retrieved 19 April 2022.
2. "[Homepage]". Air Force Flight Test Museum. Archived from the original on 22 January 2013. Retrieved 19 April 2022.
3. Hanson, Laurie (25 February 2022). "Edwards Air Force Bases' Flight Test Museum is Getting Off the Ground". Community News. pp. 8–9. Retrieved 18 April 2022.
4. Chandler, John (18 June 1991). "Flight Museum Lumbers Toward Liftoff". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 18 April 2022.
5. "Blackbird Airpark". Flight Test Historical Foundation. Archived from the original on 1 July 2014. Retrieved 19 April 2022.
6. "Blackbird Sanctuary". Los Angeles Times. 30 September 1991. p. B6. Retrieved 19 April 2022.
7. Lunsford, J. Lynn (27 November 1998). "'X-Hunters' Filling in Aviation History". Cincinnati Enquirer. p. A14. Retrieved 19 April 2022.
8. Kahlenberg, Richard (19 February 1999). "Plane Dealings". Los Angeles Times. p. B6. Retrieved 19 April 2022.
9. "Keepers of the Right Stuff". Desert Dispatch. 8 September 2000. pp. 8–9. Retrieved 18 April 2022.
10. Hernandez, Jason (29 May 2007). "Air Force Flight Test Center Museum Preserves Past". Edwards Air Force Base. Retrieved 19 April 2022.
11. "Edwards AFB West Gate". Flight Test Museum Foundation. Archived from the original on 21 January 2020. Retrieved 18 April 2022.
12. Reyes, Julius Delos (28 August 2007). "Century Circle Display Opens to Public". Retrieved 18 April 2022.
13. Betzler, Diane (3 August 2011). "AFFTC Chief Historian Retires After 30 Years Documenting History of Edwards". Edwards Air Force Base. Retrieved 19 April 2022.
14. Mowry, Laura (20 March 2012). "AFFTC Museum Preserves History, Boosts Base Recycling Participation". Edwards Air Force Base Museum. Retrieved 19 April 2022.
15. Mowry, Laura (20 February 2013). "Flight Test Museum Relocates Restoration Facility". Edwards Air Force Base. Retrieved 19 April 2022.
16. Amber, Rebecca (12 August 2013). "AFFT Museum Moves Three Aircraft Out of Storage". Edwards Air Force Base. Retrieved 19 April 2022.
17. Amber, Rebecca (17 September 2013). "AFFT Museum Moves Helicopter to Texas". Edwards Air Force Base. Retrieved 19 April 2022.
18. Ball, Christopher (21 September 2016). "Experimental Bomber Returns Home After Six Decades". Edwards Air Force Base. Retrieved 19 April 2022.
19. "Official Ground Breaking for Flight Test Museum". Flight Test Museum Foundation. 23 November 2021. Retrieved 18 April 2022.
20. Thomas, Michelle (29 March 2018). "Flight Test Historical Foundation Breaks Ground on Future Museum". Edwards Air Force Base. Retrieved 19 April 2022.
21. Fontana, Grady (26 June 2020). "Edwards AFB Flight Test Museum Reaches Next Milestone, Closer to Reality". Edwards Air Force Base. Retrieved 19 April 2022.
22. Orr, Patti (11 May 2023). "Phase One completed on new Flight Test Museum at Edwards". Mojave Desert News. Retrieved 7 June 2023.
23. "Accurate Automation Corp. LoFLYTE". Flight Test Museum Foundation. Retrieved 18 April 2022.
24. "Beechcraft UC-45J, BuNo 67161". Flight Test Museum Foundation. Retrieved 18 April 2022.
25. "Bell P-59B, S/N 44-22633". Flight Test Museum Foundation. Retrieved 18 April 2022.
26. "Aircraft Inventory List". Flight Test Museum Foundation. Retrieved 18 April 2022.
27. "Benson X-25B, S/N 68-10771". Flight Test Museum Foundation. Retrieved 18 April 2022.
28. "Boeing NC-135A Stratolifter, S/N 60-0377 B-2 Avionics Test Bed". Flight Test Museum Foundation. Retrieved 18 April 2022.
29. Carrano, Francesca (5 December 2006). "'Trout' Released from Flying Duty After 31 Years of Service". Edwards Air Force Base. Retrieved 19 April 2022.
30. "NB-52B, S/N 52-008". Flight Test Museum Foundation. Retrieved 18 April 2022.
31. Betzler, Diane (17 August 2011). "Team Edwards Volunteers Pull Together to Give Historic Bomber a Lift". Edwards Air Force Base. Retrieved 19 April 2022.
32. "Buff in the Rough". Edwards Air Force Base. 10 October 2007. Retrieved 19 April 2022.
33. Thuloweit, Kenji (25 August 2016). "Air Force Flight Test Museum Taking in More NASA History with Phantom Eye, LLRV". Edwards Air Force Base. Retrieved 19 April 2022.
34. Amber, Rebecca (20 August 2013). "AFFT Museum Moves X-48C". Edwards Air Force Base. Retrieved 19 April 2022.
35. "Cessna NA-37B, S/N 73-1090". Flight Test Museum Foundation. Retrieved 18 April 2022.
36. "Convair F-106B, S/N 59-0158". Flight Test Museum Foundation. Retrieved 18 April 2022.
37. "Convair TF-102A, S/N 54-1353". Flight Test Museum Foundation. Retrieved 18 April 2022.
38. Thuloweit, Kenji (24 October 2018). "AFFT Museum Volunteers Give Makeover to C-7A Caribou". Edwards Air Force Base. Retrieved 19 April 2022.
39. "Douglas A3D-1, BuNo 135434". Flight Test Museum Foundation. Retrieved 18 April 2022.
40. Blais, Kate (16 February 2011). "Restoring a relic - Retired Sailors Re-Fabricate Retired Navy Aircraft". Edwards Air Force Base. Retrieved 19 April 2022.
41. "Déjà Vu in Navy Blue". Edwards Air Force Base. 15 June 2011. Retrieved 19 April 2022.
42. "Fairchild T-46A, S/N 84-0492". Flight Test Museum Foundation. Retrieved 18 April 2022.
43. "Republic YA-10B, S/N 73-1664". Flight Test Museum Foundation. Retrieved 18 April 2022.
44. "General Dynamics F-16XL, S/N 75-0749". Flight Test Museum Foundation. Retrieved 18 April 2022.
45. "General Dynamics YF-111A, S/N 63-9766". Flight Test Museum Foundation. Retrieved 18 April 2022.
46. "Gloster N.F.-11, S/N WD592". Flight Test Museum Foundation. Retrieved 18 April 2022.
47. "Lockheed A-12, S/N 60-6924". Flight Test Museum Foundation. Retrieved 18 April 2022.
48. "Last C-130E Makes Edwards Its Final Home". Edwards Air Force Base. 1 May 2012. Retrieved 19 April 2022.
49. "Lockheed D-21, D-21B – #525". Flight Test Museum Foundation. Retrieved 18 April 2022.
50. "Lockheed F-104A, S/N 50-0801". Flight Test Museum Foundation. Retrieved 18 April 2022.
51. "Lockheed NC-141A Starlifter, S/N 61-2779". Flight Test Museum Foundation. Retrieved 18 April 2022.
52. "Lockheed NF-104A, S/N 56-0760". Flight Test Museum Foundation. Retrieved 18 April 2022.
53. "Lockheed NF-104A, S/N 56-0790". Flight Test Museum Foundation. Retrieved 18 April 2022.
54. "Lockheed SR-71A, S/N 61-7955". Flight Test Museum Foundation. Retrieved 18 April 2022.
55. Moore, Leonard (13 August 2009). "Museum's Blackbird on the Move". Edwards Air Force Base. Retrieved 19 April 2022.
56. "Lockheed T-33A, S/N 58-0669". Flight Test Museum Foundation. Retrieved 18 April 2022.
57. "Lockheed U-2D, S/N 56-6721". Flight Test Museum Foundation. Retrieved 18 April 2022.
58. "Lockheed YF-22, S/N 87-0700". Flight Test Museum Foundation. Retrieved 18 April 2022.
59. Robinson, Stephen K. (16 June 2010). "YF-22 Comes Home to Stay". Edwards Air Force Base. Retrieved 19 April 2022.
60. "Lockheed YF-117A, S/N 79-10783". Flight Test Museum Foundation. Retrieved 18 April 2022.
61. Fabara, Jet (12 June 2012). "One of Only Four Existing F-117s Returns to Edwards". Edwards Air Force Base. Retrieved 19 April 2022.
62. "Ling Temco Vought YA-7D, S/N 67-14583". Flight Test Museum Foundation. Retrieved 18 April 2022.
63. "Ling-Temco-Vought YA-7F Corsair, S/N 71-0344". Flight Test Museum Foundation. Retrieved 18 April 2022.
64. "Martin RB-57B, S/N 52-1576 (NASA N809NA)". Flight Test Museum Foundation. Retrieved 18 April 2022.
65. "McDonnell Douglas F-15B, S/N 73-0114". Flight Test Museum Foundation. Retrieved 18 April 2022.
66. "McDonnell Douglas X-36, Air Vehicle #2". Flight Test Museum Foundation. Retrieved 18 April 2022.
67. "McDonnell Douglas YC-15, S/N 72-1875". Flight Test Museum Foundation. Retrieved 18 April 2022.
68. Sanchez, Stacy (10 July 2008). "Century Circle Welcomes YC-15". Edwards Air Force Base. Retrieved 19 April 2022.
69. "McDonnell F-101B, S/N 58-288". Flight Test Museum Foundation. Retrieved 18 April 2022.
70. "McDonnell NF-4C, S/N 63-7407". Flight Test Museum Foundation. Retrieved 18 April 2022.
71. "McDonnell RF-4C, S/N 64-1004". Flight Test Museum Foundation. Retrieved 18 April 2022.
72. Fabara, Jet (29 January 2015). "AFFT Museum Acquires 'Up-Lifting' Aircraft". Edwards Air Force Base. Retrieved 19 April 2022.
73. "North American CT-39A, S/N 60-3505". Flight Test Museum Foundation. Retrieved 18 April 2022.
74. "North American T-28B, BuNo 137702". Flight Test Museum Foundation. Retrieved 18 April 2022.
75. "North America YF-100A ,S/N 52-5755". Flight Test Museum Foundation. Retrieved 18 April 2022.
76. "Northrop T-38A, S/N 61-0810". Flight Test Museum Foundation. Retrieved 18 April 2022.
77. "Northrop T-38A, S/N 61-0849". Flight Test Museum Foundation. Retrieved 18 April 2022.
78. Amber, Rebecca (8 October 2013). "Life Scout Gives TLC to AFFT Museum T-38". Edwards Air Force Base. Retrieved 19 April 2022.
79. "Northrop X-4, S/N 46-676". Flight Test Museum Foundation. Retrieved 18 April 2022.
80. Fabara, Jet (13 August 2014). "The Art of Aircraft Restoration Requires Collaboration". Edwards Air Force Base. Retrieved 19 April 2022.
81. "Republic F-84F, S/N 51-9350". Flight Test Museum Foundation. Retrieved 18 April 2022.
82. "Republic F-105D, S/N 61-146". Flight Test Museum Foundation. Retrieved 18 April 2022.
83. "Rockwell B-1B Lancer, S/N 84-049A". Flight Test Museum Foundation. Retrieved 18 April 2022.
84. "Sikorsky CH-34G, S/N 53-4477". Flight Test Museum Foundation. Retrieved 18 April 2022.
85. "Sikorsky JCH-3E, 62-12581". Flight Test Museum Foundation. Retrieved 18 April 2022.
86. "Douglas PGM-17, Thor". Flight Test Museum Foundation. Retrieved 18 April 2022.
87. Amber, Rebecca (23 September 2013). "AFRL Gives Paint Job to Thor". Edwards Air Force Base. Retrieved 19 April 2022.

External links

• Official website