On This Day in Test History

May 25, 2021
May 25, 1953: George Welch Took North American’s YF-100A Super Sabre on its First Test Flight

George “Wheaties” Welch took North American’s YF-100A Super Sabre on its first test flight, reaching Mach 1.1 in the process. This was the first time an aircraft had reached supersonic speeds on its initial flight, and dramatically highlighted the aircraft as the nation’s first jet fighter with a
May 24, 2021
May 24, 2009: Space Shuttle Atlantis Lands on Edwards AFB

After completing a successful 13-day mission to repair the Hubble Space Telescope, Space Shuttle “Atlantis” touched down on Runway 22 at 0830L. Atlantis’ mission (STS 125) covered nearly 5.3 million miles and “rejuvenated” the Hubble space telescope with state-of-the-art science instruments designed
May 23, 2021
May 23, 1959: The Center Acquired a Mobile Radar Van with a Capability of Slant Range, Effectively Doubling the Radar Range Facility

The Center acquired a mobile radar van with a capability of 200 nm slant range, effectively doubling the radar range facilityIn radio electronics, especially radar terminology, slant range is the line-of-sight distance along a slant direction between two points which are not at the same level
May 22, 2021
May 22, 2002: The X-45A Unmanned Combat Air Vehicle Made its First Flight

The X-45A Unmanned Combat Air Vehicle (UCAV) made its first flight. The X-45A, designated Blue, was a joint Air Force, DARPA, and Boeing project to produce an initial demonstrator for a UCAV system to attack dangerous ground targets such as enemy air defenses. The autonomous aircraft flew an oval
May 21, 2021
May 21, 1959: Major Robert C. Ferry Piloted the Bell XV-3 Convertiplane on its First Air Force Flight

Major Robert C. Ferry piloted the Bell XV-3 Convertiplane on its first Air Force flight. The XV-3 was an experimental tilt rotor aircraft with fixed wings and tail surfaces, and wingtip-mounted rotors for vertical takeoff and landing. The XV-3 demonstrated the feasibility of the movable rotor
May 20, 2021
May 20, 2006: Boeing’s 777-300ER Extended-Range Jetliner Set a World Weight Record of 774,600 Pounds at Takeoff

Boeing’s 777-300ER extended-range jetliner set a world weight record of 774,600 pounds at takeoff. This was the heaviest weight ever for a twin-engine airplane, and was verified by the F.A.I. Boeing chief test pilot Frank Santoni and FAA pilot Eugene Arnold accomplished the feat during the
May 19, 2021
May 19, 2008: The First Flight From the New 12,000-Foot Temporary Runway at Edwards Air Force Base

The first flight from the new 12,000-foot temporary runway at Edwards Air Force Base took place when an F‑16 Fighting Falcon took off piloted by Air Force Flight Test Center commander Maj Gen David J. Eichhorn. The milestone marked the beginning of the refurbishment of the base’s main runway 22.As a
May 18, 2021
May 18, 1910: Ralph and Clifford Corum, with Clifford’s Wife and Daughter, Arrived to Settle Near Today's Edwards AFB

Two brothers, Ralph and Clifford Corum, with Clifford’s wife and daughter, arrived to settle on a half-section (160 acres) of land 3/4 mile south of the Santa Fe watering station. The Corums were the earliest known settlers to homestead in the southeastern corner of Kern County. Clifford Corum set
May 17, 2021
May 17, 2012: The F-22 Combined Test Force Completed the First AIM-9X Separation Test

The F-22 Combined Test Force completed the first AIM-9X separation attempted with the new skate, a movable mechanism that improved the AIM-9X launch angle from the F-22, attached to the existing Configurable Rail Launcher (CRL). The AIM-9X program consisted of five launches in the heart of the
May 16, 2021
May 16, 1992: Edwards AFB Space Shuttle Support

The new Space Shuttle Endeavour landed on the main runway, completing its first orbital mission (STS-49). It was the first orbiter to use a drag parachute. During the course of its mission, crewmembers retrieved the INTELSAT-VI (603) satellite that had been left stranded in an unusable orbit since

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