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Japan Airlines JA8910 (Boeing 747-446) is seen arriving at Sydney Airport in 2006. This aircraft is now a testbed for new engines with General Electric
Reshade 0.15 Extreme Eyecancer Mod Testbed 0.1A
Blackfire's mod + TOD + Reli2
Ini tweaks + POM enabled
Lite TOD, light shadows, nohud, dof %25-50, adjusted brightess, contrast and gamma + exposure
80º FoV
SMAA (sweetfx+master effect) FXAA (custom settings)
Tonemap
Lensdirt
Vibrance
GPC Dof
Chromatic Aberration
Grain + noise
Letterbox
Boeing 747-267B originally delivered to Cathay Pacific during 1980.
Used by Rolls-Royce North America as a flying testbed and seen here at Tucson International in November 2022.
The aircraft was retired from service in mid 2025 and the 'test' engine was being dismantled on site at Tucson in August 2025.
Airbus A380-861
MSN 004 [Engine Alliance testbed]
F-WWDD 'VNO'
Airbus S.A.S.
Copyright © 2010 A380spotter. All rights reserved.
Airbus A380-861
MSN 004 [Engine Alliance testbed]
F-WWDD 'VNO'
Airbus S.A.S.
Copyright © 2010 A380spotter. All rights reserved.
11-3013 on approach to Norwich Int. Airport (NWI) from Vienna International Airport (VIE), Austria.
Flight number DACHA33, flight time 2:56.
Aircraft flew:
31st. July, Nowra (NOA ), Australia to Cairns (CNS), Australia, flight time 4:07
31st. July, Cairns to Darwin (DRW), Australia, flight time 4:01
1st. August, Darwin to Denpasar (DPS), Indonesia, flight time 3:43
1st. August, Denpasar to Medan (KNO), Indonesia, Flight time 4:32
2nd. August, Medan to Bengaluru (BLR), India, flight time 4:52
2nd. August, Bengaluru to unknown
2nd. August, unknown to Dubai (DXB), UAE
3rd. August, Dubai to Cairo (CAI), Egypt, flight time 4:49
3rd. August, Cairo to Vienna (VIE), Austria, flight time 5:09
5th. August, Vienna to Norwich (NWI), UK, flight time 2:56
5th August Norwich to Reykjavik (KEF), Iceland, flight time 3:21
6th. August, Reykjavik to Goose Bay (YYR), Canada, flight time 4:49
6th. August, Goose Bay to Columbus (CMH), US, flight time 5:23
6th. August, Columbus to Denver (APA), US, flight time 4:07
Model: C-146A Wolfhound
Manufacturer: Dornier GmbH, Oberpfaffenhofen, Germany
Year built: 1994, as Dornier 328-100
Construction number: 3013
USAF registration number: 11-3013
Operator : USAF
Aircraft role: Surveillance testbed
Flight crew: 2
Length: 69 ft. 10 in. (21.28 m)
Height: 23 ft. 9 in. (7.24 m)
Wingspan: 68 ft. 10 in. (20.98 m)
Wing area: 430.6 sq. ft. (40 m2)
Empty weight: 19,665 lb. (8,920 kg)
MTOW: 30,843 lb. (13,990 kg)
MLW: 29,167 lb. (13,230 kg)
Fuel capacity: 939 gal. (4,268 litres)
Engines: 2 × Pratt & Whitney Canada PW119B turboprop
Engine output: 2 x 2,179 hp (1,625 kW)
Propellers: 2 x Hartzell 11 ft. 10 in. (3.6 m) diameter, 6 bladed
Speed: 270 knots (310 mph - 500 km/h)
Approach speed: 110 knots (126 mph - 203 km/h)
Rate of climb: 3,690 ft/min. (18.75 m/sec)
Service ceiling: 31,100 ft. (9,490 m)
Range: 1,500 nm (1,726 miles - 2,778 km)
Take off distance: 3,569 ft. (1,088 m
Landing distance: 3,825 ft. (1,166 m)
Registration history:
11-3013, USAF, reregistered, December 2021
N645HM, USAF, delivered June 2014
N645HM, Sierra Nevada Corporation, reregistered November 2013
N335PH, Sierra Nevada Corporation, delivered May 2012
N335PH, Berry Aviation, delivered February 2005
N335PH, Great Plains Airlines, delivered July 2003
N335PH, United Express, delivered June 1999 operated by Air Wisconsin
N335PH, Air Wisconsin, delivered June 1999
N313AD, Aspen Mountain Air, not taken up
N313AD, Lone Star Airlines, not taken up
N335PH, Aspen Mountain Air, delivered October 1997, operated by Lone Star Airlines
N335PH, Lone Star Airlines, delivered October 1997
N335PH, Horizon Air, delivered May 1994
D-CALT, test registration
Towards the end of the Korean War, the USAF came to the realization that their transport fleet was becoming obsolete. The C-46 Commandos and C-47 Skytrains in service were no longer adequate, while the C-119 Flying Boxcar was having difficulties. In 1951, the USAF issued a requirement for a new tactical transport, an aircraft that would need to carry at least 72 passengers, be capable of dropping paratroopers, and have a ramp for loading vehicles directly into the cargo compartment. Moreover, it must be a “clean sheet” design, not a conversion from an existing airliner, and the USAF preferred it be a turboprop design. Five companies submitted designs, and six months later the USAF chose Lockheed’s L-402 design—over the misgivings of Lockheed’s chief designer, Clarence “Kelly” Johnson, who warned that the L-402 would destroy the company. Little was Johnson to know that, fifty years later, the L-402—designated C-130 Hercules by the USAF—would still be in production, and one out of only five aircraft to have over 50 years of service with the original purchaser.
The C-130 was designed to give mostly unfettered access to a large cargo compartment—the ramp forms an integral part of the rear fuselage, the wing is mounted above the fuselage, and the landing gear is carried in sponsons attached to the fuselage itself, while the fuselage has a circular design to maximize loading potential. The high wing also gives the C-130 good lift, especially in “high and hot” situations. The Allison T56 turboprop was designed specifically for the Hercules, and has gone on to become one of the most successful turboprop designs in history.
After two YC-130 prototypes, the Hercules went into production as the C-130A in 1956, to be superseded by the improved C-130B in 1959. The latter became the baseline Hercules variant: C-130As had three-blade propellers and a rounded “Roman” nose, while the B introduced the more familiar, longer radar nose and four-blade propellers. (Virtually all A models were later retrofitted to the long nose, though they kept the three-blade propellers.) In the 50 years hence, the basic C-130 design has not changed much: the C-130E introduced underwing external fuel tanks, while the C-130H has a slightly different wing. Even the new C-130J variant only introduced new engines with more fuel efficient six-bladed propellers: the basic design remains the same. Lockheed also offers stretched versions of the Hercules, initially as a civilian-only option (the L-100-30); the British Royal Air Force bought this version as the C-130K and it was later adopted by other nations, including the United States.
The basic C-130 is strictly a transport aircraft, but the versatility of the aircraft has meant it has been modified into a dizzying number of variants. These include the AC-130 Spectre gunship, the HC-130 rescue aircraft and WC-130 weather reconnaissance version. Other versions include several dozen EC-130 electronic warfare/Elint variants, KC-130 tankers, and DC-130 drone aircraft controllers. The USAF, the US Navy, and the US Marine Corps are all C-130 operators as well. Besides the United States, there are 67 other operators of C-130s, making it one of the world’s most prolific aircraft, with its only rivals the Bell UH-1 Iroquois family and the Antonov An-2 Colt biplane transport. C-130s are also used extensively by civilian operators as well as the L-100 series.
The “Herky Bird,” as it is often nicknamed, has participated in every military campaign fought by the United States since 1960 in one variation or the other. During Vietnam, it was used in almost every role imaginable, from standard transport to emergency bomber: as the latter, it dropped M121 10,000 pound mass-focus bombs to clear jungle away for helicopter landing zones, and it was even attempted to use C-130s with these bombs against the infamous Thanh Hoa Bridge in North Vietnam. (Later this capability was added as standard to MC-130 Combat Talon special forces support aircraft; the MC-130 is the only aircraft cleared to carry the GBU-43 MOAB.) It was also instrumental in resupplying the Khe Sanh garrison during its three-month siege. Hercules crews paid the price as well: nearly 70 C-130s were lost during the Vietnam War. In foreign service, C-130s have also been used heavily, the most famous instance of which was likely the Israeli Entebbe Raid of 1976, one of the longest-ranged C-130 missions in history. C-130s are often in the forefront of humanitarian missions to trouble spots around the world.
As of this writing, over 2300 C-130s have been built, and most are still in service. It remains the backbone of the USAF’s tactical transport service; attempts to replace it with the Advanced Tactical Transport Program (ATTP) in the 1980s and to supplement it with the C-27J Spartan in the 2000s both failed, as the USAF realized that the only real replacement for a C-130 is another C-130.
Whoever did take this picture was probably aware that 61-2358 was the first C-130E to come off the production line. They would be unaware that it would also be the last C-130E to leave USAF service. 61-2358 entered service as a JC-130E testbed, flying from both Lockheed Georgia at Dobbins AFB and the Air Force Test Center at El Centro, California, where it would remain between 1961 and 1972.
It was then transferred to its intended role, flying with the 172nd Tactical Airlift Group (Mississippi ANG) at Jackson until 1980. 61-2358 then went to the 146th TAW (California ANG) at Van Nuys until 1994, then to the 191st Airlift Group (Michigan ANG) at Selfridge ANGB until 2003, before going to the 189th AW (Arkansas ANG) at Little Rock AFB. Surprisingly, it was transferred back to an active duty unit, the 314th AW--also at Little Rock--in 2007. 61-2358 was finally retired after an incredible 51 years of service in 2012. Because of its unique and long-lasting service, it was decided to preserve 61-2358, and its last flight was to Edwards AFB, California for eventual public display at the Air Force Test Center Museum.
Fittingly enough, this picture looks to have been taken at 61-2358's eventual home, Edwards AFB. It carries the white over bare metal markings usually used by test transports during the 1960s; at the time, the aircraft was still a JC-130. The engines are being run up to taxi; probably the ramp is still down to ward off the heat of the desert.
(Disclaimer: I found this picture among other photos in my dad’s slides. I’m not sure who took them; some of them may be his. If any of these pictures are yours or you know who took them, let me know and I will remove them from Flickr, unless I have permission to let them remain. These photos are historical artifacts, in many cases of aircraft long since gone to the scrapyard, so I feel they deserve to be shared to the public at large—to honor the men and women who flew and maintained them.)
This isn't really EMD's Tier 4 proto. They bill it as a Tier 3.5 testbed. It's a heavily modified SD60 that's designated as an SD59MX. I think there are 3 of them.
It's been a while since I built a yellow and gray and this build was a fun change from the army of ACes and ESs I've been building lately, so it has a shot at being built. Someday.
Once a development/testbed vehicle for Leyland, it’s now preserved in Workington but made the trip down to Gaydon for another celebration of the type’s 50th anniversary.
Airbus A380-861
MSN 004 [Engine Alliance testbed]
F-WWDD 'VNO'
Airbus S.A.S.
Reference shot.
Taken with my Nokia N86 8MP mobile.
Copyright © 2010 A380spotter. All rights reserved.
Airbus A380-841
MSN 001
F-WWOW '001 GD' [Prototype/Rolls-Royce Trent testbed]
Airbus S.A.S.
Copyright © 2014 A380spotter. All rights reserved.
Argonne researchers use the Modular Automotive Technology Testbed (MATT) to perform vehicle emulation testing. View more about Argonne's transportation research at www.transportation.anl.gov. Photo courtesy of Argonne National Laboratory.
Palomar Observatory is a privately owned astronomical observatory located in San Diego County, California (USA), 145 kilometers (90 mi) southeast of Los Angeles, California, in the Palomar Mountain Range. It is owned and operated by the California Institute of Technology (Caltech) located in Pasadena, California. Research time is granted to Caltech and its research partners, which includes the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) and Cornell University.
The observatory operates several telescopes, including the famous 200-inch Hale Telescope (5.1 m) and the 48-inch Samuel Oschin Telescope (1.2 m). In addition, other instruments and projects have been hosted at the observatory, such as the Palomar Testbed Interferometer and the historic 18-inch Schmidt telescope (0.46 m), Palomar Observatory's first telescope, dating from 1936.
History
Hale's vision for large telescopes and Palomar Observatory
Astronomer George Ellery Hale, whose vision created the Palomar Observatory, built the world's largest telescope four times. He published an article in the April 1928 issue of Harper's Magazine called "The Possibilities of Large Telescopes". This article contained Hale's vision for building what was to become the 200-inch Palomar reflector; it was an invitation to the American public to learn about how large telescopes could help answer questions relating to the fundamental nature of the universe. Hale hoped that the American people would understand and support his project. In fact the 200-inch telescope was the most important telescope in the world from 1949 until 1992 when the Keck I telescope (at approximately 10 metres (390 in)) on Mauna Kea in Hawaii became the world's largest.
Hale followed this article with a letter to the International Education Board (later absorbed into the General Education Board) of the Rockefeller Foundation dated April 28, 1928, in which he requested funding for this project. In his letter, Hale stated:
"No method of advancing science is so productive as the development of new and more powerful instruments and methods of research. A larger telescope would not only furnish the necessary gain in light space-penetration and photographic resolving power, but permit the application of ideas and devices derived chiefly from the recent fundamental advances in physics and chemistry."
Etymology
The word palomar is a Spanish term dating from the time of Spanish California that means pigeon house (in the same sense as henhouse). The name may be in reference to the large shoals of pigeons that can be seen during the spring and autumn months atop Palomar Mountain, or reminiscent of an old pigeon-raising facility built there by the Spaniards.
The Hale Telescope
The 200-inch telescope is named after astronomer George Hale. It was built by Caltech with a $6 million grant from the Rockefeller Foundation, using a Pyrex blank manufactured by Corning Glass Works. The telescope (the largest in the world at that time) saw first light January 26, 1949 targeting NGC 2261. The American astronomer Edwin Powell Hubble, perhaps the most important observer of the 20th century, was given the honor of being the first astronomer to use the telescope.
Astronomers using the Hale Telescope have discovered distant objects at the edges of the known universe called quasars and have given us the first direct evidence of stars in distant galaxies. They have studied the structure and chemistry of intergalactic clouds leading to an understanding of the synthesis of elements in the universe and have discovered thousands of asteroids. A one-tenth-scale engineering model of the telescope at Corning Community College in Corning, New York, home of the Corning Glass Works (now Corning Incorporated) was used to discover at least one minor planet, (34419) Corning †.
Architecture and design
Hale Telescope Dome
According to the Observatory's Public Affairs Office, Russell W. Porter was primarily responsible for the Art Deco architecture of the Observatory's buildings, most notably the dome of the 200–inch Hale Telescope. Porter was also responsible for much of the technical design of the Hale Telescope and Schmidt Cameras, producing a series of cross-section engineering drawings that are considered among the finest examples of such work.] Porter worked on the designs in collaboration with many engineers and Caltech committee members. The gleaming white building on Palomar Mountain that houses the 200–inch Hale Telescope is considered by many to be "The Cathedral of Astronomy".
The Palomar Observatory is an active research facility. However, parts of it are open to the public during the day. Visitors can take self-guided tours of the 200-inch telescope daily from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Guided tours of the 200-inch Hale Telescope dome and observing area are available Saturdays and Sundays from April through October. Details are available at the Observatory's web site. There is a visitor's center and a gift shop on the grounds. Behind-the-scenes tours for the public are offered through the community support group, Friends of Palomar support group. Periodic tours are also organized by the Reuben H. Fleet Science Center in San Diego. The observatory is located off State Route 76 in northern San Diego County, California, is two hours' drive from downtown San Diego, and three hours' drive from central Los Angeles ( UCLA, LAX airport ).
Updated pictures. Not much has changed on it that I can remember, but I wanted nicer shots.
This was essentially a testbed for joints for my slightly larger frame, and while it works on the whole, I don't care for the joint solutions in some places, and likely won't make use of them in the future. Specifically, the lateral axis joint on the upper arm is not a great solution, as well as some foot connections.
First flight date04/02/1983
Honeywell operates Boeing 757-225 N757HW as an engine testbed at Phoenix Sky Harbor Airport. It is powered by a pair of Rolls royce RB211-535E4B37 turbofans. It carries a third jet engine on the right side of the forward fuselage. The construction number of N757HW is 22194. It first flew on February 4, 1983. It was delivered to Eastern Airlines as N504EA on February 28, 1983. It was withdrawn from use at McCarren Airport, Nevada in January 1991. Airtours International Airways registered it as G-JALC on February 1, 1995. Airtours International Airways changed its name to MyTravel Airways on May 1, 2002. Honeywell International Incorporated gave it its current registration on October 4, 2005. It was flown to Pinal Airpark for painting on October 24, 2005. It made its first flight with three engines on December 20, 2008
The GP40X was EMD's testbed for the future GP50 and introduced the unpopular HT-B truck. The 'elephant ears' version shown here was an experiment in normalizing the tunnel motor concept. The ears eventually were removed and the HT-B trucks were never reproduced. I needed a powered SP unit to haul around some heavy trains so all those unique qualities fit the bill just right. Originally I wanted to build the UP version, but the SP is more iconic with those elephant ears. The UP version will follow someday.
MRMS HMT Hydro Experiment
The Multi-Radar Multi-Sensor (MRMS) Hydrometeorology Testbed - Hydro (hereafter denoted as HMT-Hydro) experiment is a part of the United States Weather Research Program (USWRP) through the Hydrometeorology Testbed (HMT) that runs from 25 June to 20 July 2018. During the HMT-Hydro experiment, forecasters and hydrologists from the National Weather Service (NWS) will work with National Severe Storms Laboratory (NSSL) research scientists to assess new technology and techniques to improve the prediction and warning of flash flooding. In particular, NWS participants will evaluate new probabilistic hydrologic modeling concepts and output within the Flooded Locations and Simulated Hydrographs (FLASH) system that could help convey the uncertainty of the flash flood threat. NWS participants will also evaluate high resolution precipitation forecasts from the NSSL Warn-on-Forecast (WoF) project and the addition of these forecasts into the FLASH system. Feedback from participants will allow NSSL research scientists to identify how these precipitation forecasts could influence the warning decision making process, including the potential for increased warning lead time. The HMT-Hydro experiment runs in conjunction with the Flash Flood and Intense Rainfall (FFaIR) experiment at the Weather Prediction Center (WPC) to collaborate on the short-term forecasting of flash flooding for both a national and regional scale.
pictionid72689951 - catalog07.01.b-00740 - title--boeing b-47e stratojet-- - filename07.01.b-00740.jpg- filename07.01.a-00261.jpg -Image scanned from a 35mm Slide--Please tag this photo so that the data can be stored with our Digital Asset Management System. -Repository: San Diego Air and Space Museum Archive
The bottom sign originally read "Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency National OTH Radar Testbed" but the DARPA legacy was crudely excised.
One of the two active Boeing 747SP's on static display on Boeing Plaza. Both are operated by Pratt & Whitney as engine testbeds.
Here is the prototype for the Bede series of miniature homebuilt airplanes. What is less known is that this example was first conceived in 1967 as an ultralight glider. This aircraft, which differs from its descendents by its fiberglass shell bolted onto an angle frame, served as a test bed for multiple engines to drive the pusher propeller; it originally had a vee tail, like a Beech Bonanza.
Honeywell Aviation Services - Convair CV-580 (CV-340 Turboprop Conversion) - N580HW (c/n 2)
This aircraft was the second Convair 340 (CV-340) ever built. It was delivered to United Air Lines (UAL) as N73102, one of many wearing the name "Mainliner Convair" on September 2, 1952. Frontier Airlines would then be the next operator of the aircraft (same registration) in August 1966. After Frontier, the airplane would be purchased by Gem State Airlines and re-registered as N116GS in May 1979. Gem State as then renamed Golden Gate Airlines in 1980. In February 1984, Aspen Airways would buy the aircraft and re-register it as N113AP. Then in March 1991, Aspen Airways sold the aircraft to Renown Aviation, Renown then soon selling it to Allied Signal in January 1992. Allied Signal registered the aircraft as N580AS and equipped it as a flying testbed. Allied Signal and Honeywell merged in 1999, the aircraft now wears Honeywell titles and is registered as N580HW.
N710CF - G-1159A Gulfstream III - Calspan Aerospace Corp.
at Hamilton International Airport (YHM)
with add. sticker "Calspan Airborne Testbed"
c/n 448 - built in 1984 - operated by Calspan since 2011
Not many Gulfstream's with the original RR Spey-engines still active.
Calspan is an independent provider of testing and technology development services, solutions, and systems in the aerospace, defense, and automotive industries.
While deHavilland Canada had produced a series of very successful short takeoff and landing (STOL) "bush" aircraft in the 1960s, such as the DHC-2 Otter and DHC-5 Cairbou, it wanted to break into the commuter aircraft market. The DHC-6 Twin Otter had done very well, but was a smaller aircraft suited to tiny airports or airstrips; it was never meant to compete with the Fokker F.27 Friendship or Hawker-Siddeley HS.748, or replace the aging Douglas DC-3 or Convair 580. deHavilland then hit upon the idea of expanding the DHC-6 into a four-engine aircraft.
In designing the DHC-7--simply referred to as "Dash 7"--deHavilland kept the high wing, high-lift configuration of the Twin Otter, but made the fuselage larger and longer, as well as circular, allowing it to be pressurized. The tail was reconfigured as a T-tail for additional lift, while the wings were expanded to take four engines; by using large propellers, the Dash 7 was also remarkably quiet for a turboprop. It could operate from unimproved airstrips and runways only 2000 feet long--its selling point was that the Dash 7 could operate from airports a F.27 could not think of using.
The DHC-7 entered service in 1978 with Rocky Mountain Airways, which flew their Dash 7s from Denver to Vail, landing on mountain runways and delivering skiiers to resorts served only by smaller aircraft to this point. However, the aircraft proved to be a poor seller. While there was nothing wrong with the design, there was little it could do that a Twin Otter couldn't do as well; often, airports that the Dash 7 could serve didn't bring in many passengers to begin with, and pressurization wasn't a requirement. Most importantly, the Dash 7 was more expensive to operate than the DHC-6 due to having four engines. Somewhat disappointed by lagging sales, deHavilland would rework the DHC-7 into a twin-engined aircraft, becoming the hugely successful DHC-8 Dash 8/Bombardier Q400 series. Only 113 Dash 7s were built.
In the early 1990s, the US Army acquired two (later eight) Dash 7s to be modified into battlefield survelliance aircraft. The First Gulf War had pointed up several flaws in the Army's ability to have real-time battlefield surveillance, allowing Army commanders to track enemy movement of troops and equipment, especially at night; the Iraqi success in keeping their Scud missiles undetected was a continual source of frustration. Two Dash 7s, N566CC and N176RA, were modified as part of the Joint Precision Strike Demonstration (JPSD) program, and referred to as O-5As and RC-7Bs. The modifications on these aircraft remain classified, but likely included synthetic aperature radar, signals intelligence (SIGINT) equipment, real-time datalinks, and high-resolution infrared cameras kept behind shutters on the bottom of the aircraft.
Both N566CC and N176RA were supposedly replaced by later Dash 7s, designated EO-5Bs, and the initial two were redesignated EO-5Cs. However, they were sighted in Afghanistan and in Libya during the Afghanistan War and the Benghazi attack of 2016, as well as Iraq. Whether or not they were still in use as SIGINT aircraft or as operational testbeds is also unknown; they were supposedly based at the Aberdeen Proving Ground in Maryland, but that might have been for administrative purposes.
In any case, both aircraft were retired in 2017, stripped of their equipment, and put in storage at AMARC in Arizona. In 2023, both were moved to the restoration yard at the Pima Air and Space Museum, where they remain as of this writing.
I got this picture of N566CC when I visited Pima in June 2023; neither it nor N176RA (seen across the path from N566CC) were there when I visited in June 2022. I had a feeling these were "black ops" aircraft, but wasn't sure until I did some research. Both have Spraylat preservative on them, and it is unknown if they will be put on display at Pima or used for other purposes.
NASA opened its doors to media and social media its annual "State of NASA" event, Monday, Feb. 10, 2020, at the agency’s locations across the country, including the Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California. JPL hosted 29 digital creators to learn how the center’s robotic missions help future human exploration of the Moon and Mars. Participants met scientists and engineers, and went behind the scenes in mission control, an indoor "Mars Yard" for testing landers and rovers, and the Spacecraft Assembly Facility, where Mars 2020, NASA's next rover, is preparing for launch later this year. www.nasa.gov/social/state-of-nasa
Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech
Shimakaze ( 島風 ) was a one-off super-destroyer built for the Imperial Japanese Navy during World War II. She was armed with six 127 mm dual purpose guns and conventional anti-aircraft and anti-submarine weaponry. More importantly, she was also armed with 15 torpedo tubes each capable of firing the deadly 24-inch (610 mm) Long Lance torpedo. The ship was a testbed for an enormously powerful high-temperature, high-pressure steam engine that was able to develop nearly 80,000 shaft horsepower. This made her one of the fastest destroyers in the world: her designed speed was 39 knots (72 km/h), but on trials she made 40.9 knots (75.7 km/h).
Ordered in 1939 under the 4th Naval Armaments Supplement Programme, Shimakaze was laid down in Maizuru Naval Arsenal in August 1941 and completed on 10 May 1943. She saw action in the evacuation of Kiska in July 1943 and was present in 1944 at the Battle of the Philippine Sea. While flagship of Destroyer Squadron 2, she was sunk by American aircraft on 8 November 1944 during the Battle of Ormoc Bay. Japan had intended to lay down sixteen similar destroyers, with long term plans (the 5th Naval Armaments Supplement Programme) for a total of 32 to equip 4 destroyer squadrons, but a lack of industrial capacity prevented them from being realized.
Thursday, October 18th. Dual-Polarized
Phased Array Radar
National Weather Radar Testbed Advanced Technology
Demonstrator tour, ribbon cutting and reception.
© M J Anahory. These images are protected by copyright. You cannot copy or republish this photo without written consent of the copyright holder. Any copyright infringements will be followed up with action legal or otherwise.
As the 1960s dawned, the US Marine Corps needed a replacement for the Sikorsky HR2S (CH-37) Mojave that served as the USMC's primary heavy-lift helicopter. In 1962, the USMC issued a requirement for a new helicopter with a range of 120 miles and a capacity of 8000 pounds. Sikorsky responded with an expanded version of their S-61/CH-3, and fought off stiff competition from Boeing Vertol's CH-47 Chinook to win the contract. Named the S-65 by Sikorsky, the USMC named it the CH-53A Sea Stallion. The first entered service in 1966.
Though perhaps better known for its service with the USAF as the HH/MH-53 "Super Jolly Green Giant," the CH-53 has actually enjoyed much longer service with the USMC. Marine CH-53As were first deployed to Vietnam in 1967, where they took over heavy lift duties from Marine CH-46s and supplemented the Army's CH-54 Tarhes. Problems with operating in tropical "hot and high" climate led to the creation of the CH-53D with uprated engines. The D model was also adopted for the executive transport role as the VH-53D and as an aerial minesweeper for the Navy, the slightly different RH-53D Seadragon. (Navy RH-53Ds were also used on the disastrous Operation Eagle Claw, the attempted rescue of the Iranian Embassy hostages in Tehran in 1980, as Iran already operated RH-53Ds acquired during the Shah's regime.)
Despite the CH-53D's impressive lift power, the Marines needed still more, and so Sikorsky responded with the CH-53E, with a third engine. The D models were gradually retired, with the last leaving service in 2012; E models remain the Marines' principal heavy transport helicopter, though they themselves are being replaced by new-build CH-53K King Stallions and MV-22 Ospreys. D variants are in service with Germany as the CH-53G (significantly upgraded over time) and Israel as the CH-53 Yas'ur (Petrel, also significantly upgraded).
This Sea Stallion is unique. BuNo 153299 was built as a CH-53A in 1966, but not delivered to HMH-461 ("Sea Stallions") at MCAS New River, North Carolina, until 1969; in the meantime, it flew with the Naval Air Test Center at NAS Patuxent River, Maryland. It would divide its time between HMH-461 and HMH-361 ("Flying Tigers") at New River until 1971, when it was sent to a Marine Reserve detachment at NAS Willow Grove, Pennsylvania.
In 1975, 153299 was bailed to NASA as a testbed, and was redesignated NCH-53A. It would remain with NASA until 1981, operating out of Atlantic City, New Jersey; after 1981, it was operated by the Naval Air Development Center (NADC), back at Willow Grove. It was retired in 1988, though records are unclear as to why or if it was actually retired. 153299 sat forgotten in the old blimp hangar at NAS Lakehurst, New Jersey until 1999, when it was donated to the Combat Air Museum in Topeka, Kansas.
Today, 153299 is on permanent display, and has been well taken care of by the CAM. The overall glossy engine gray scheme was used for Navy test helicopters into the 1990s. It carries no unit markings.
Airbus A380-861
MSN 004 [Engine Alliance testbed]
F-WWDD 'VNO'
Airbus S.A.S.
Reference shot.
Compare with the finished article: www.flickr.com/photos/a380spotter/4717352773/
Taken with my Nokia N86 8MP mobile.
Thursday, October 18th. Dual-Polarized
Phased Array Radar
National Weather Radar Testbed Advanced Technology
Demonstrator tour, ribbon cutting and reception.
X-34 Technology Testbed Demonstrator. Technicians from Dryden Flight Research Center, Edwards, CA, assisted in upgrading the A-1 vehicle with structural modifications and integrating avionics, hydraulics, landing gear, and other hardware needed to turn it into a flight vehicle--now known as A-1A--for unpowered glide tests in New Mexico.
October 1999
NASA (National Air & Space Administration)
NF-106B-31-CO Delta Dart (N607NA) Ex 57-2507
Chase Plane for NF-106B SST testbed.
NASA Lewis Research Center Cleveland Ohio 1981.
NF-106B-31-CO Delta Dart (N607NA) Ex 57-2507
Seen at Selfridge ANGB Michigan 1978.
NF-106B-31-CO Delta Dart (N816NA) Ex 57-2516
Storm Hazards Research and Vortex Flap Research.
NASA Langley Research Center, Langley Field, Virginia 1982.
More info :
www.f-106deltadart.com/photo_gallery/index.php/NASA-Research
This isn't really EMD's Tier 4 proto. They bill it as a Tier 3.5 testbed. It's a heavily modified SD60 that's designated as an SD59MX. I think there are 3 of them.
It's been a while since I built a yellow and gray and this build was a fun change from the army of ACes and ESs I've been building lately, so it has a shot at being built. Someday.
Grumman F-14A Tomcat
157982 YF-14A
Prototype #3 Nonstructural Demonstration Testbed
Constructed in Calverton, NY in 1971
Cradle of Aviation Museum, Garden City, NY.
In February 1969, the U.S. Navy selected Grumman Aerospace Corporation to produce a new fighter for air superiority, fleet air defense and precision strike capability against ground targets. That fighter became the F-14 Tomcat, last in a long line of Grumman cats for the Navy.
The F-14’s first flight was on December 21, 1970 at Calverton, New York. The first Tomcats deployed with Navy training squadron VF-124 on October 8, 1972 at NAS Miramar, California.
The Tomcat has a crew of two; the Pilot and the Radar Intercept Officer who operates the AWG-9 weapons control system. The F-14 has visual and all weather attack capability to deliver ordnance in the air-to-air role. It can detect hostile aircraft at ranges over 100 miles and has the ability to launch missiles at six different targets at once. The Tomcat also has the capability to "look down and shoot down" extremely small targets and operate in a hostile electronic environment. On the weapon stations the F-14 carries up to six AIM-54 Phoenix long-range missiles, or six AIM-7 Sparrow medium-range missiles, and up to four AIM-9 Sidewinder short-range missiles. A mixed load is usually carried. Internally the F-14 is equipped with a M61A1 Vulcan rotating cannon with 675 rounds of 20mm ammunition.
With the LANTIRN targeting system pod the F-14 can deliver various laser-guided bombs precisely on target. Augmented with the Tactical Air Reconnaissance Pod System (TARPS), the F-14 is the Navy’s only manned tactical reconnaissance platform.
Two other versions, the F-14B (F-14A+) and F-14D with General Electric F110 engines, were produced. By July 1992 a total of 632 F-14s were produced for the U.S. Navy and 80 for Iran for a total of 712 aircraft. Many F-14As were converted to F-14B and F-14D configuration until 1994.
The Tomcat in our collection is the third pre-production aircraft built having first flown on December 28, 1971 at the Grumman Flight Test Facility at Calverton, New York. Primarily used for determining structural loads and flight characteristics under many extreme conditions No. 3 last flew in 1990. The museum obtained this aircraft in 1995 and moved it over-the-road from Calverton in one piece.
(The following is a mostly fictional history.)
With the success of the RF-4C reconnaissance version of the Phantom II, McDonnell Douglas offered later customers of the Phantom a revised version of the F-4E (itself derived from the RF-4C testbed). This combined the more robust airframe and powerful engines of the F-4E with the camera systems of the RF-4C. This was intended solely for the export market, as the USAF was satisfied with the RF-4C, and was mainly built according to Luftwaffe specifications. Unlike USAF photo Phantoms, the RF-4E could be configured to carry limited amounts of ordnance, mainly AIM-9 Sidewinders for self-defense, though Luftwaffe RF-4Es were also configured to carry bombs as secondary strike aircraft. Customers for the standard RF-4E included Germany, Israel, Iran, Greece, and Turkey.
The FIRAF had no interest in the F-4E, though MDD did approach the service with offers, mainly for several dozen not supplied to Iran after the 1979 revolution (these were later supplied to Egypt and Israel); the FIRAF wanted the F-15 and F-16 as its eventual mainstays. However, in 1981, Minister of Defense Akela Canis (himself a former Phantom pilot) met with MDD with an interest towards acquiring RF-4s, as the SA-81B Jaguar was having teething problems and might fail. MDD responded by offering the FIRAF 16 half-completed RF-4Es that had been part of an Iranian order. Canis agreed, but required that changes be made to the aircraft: they would retain the APQ-120 radar of the F-4E—thus retaining the ability to carry and fire the AIM-7 Sparrow—and use the slatted wing of the standard F-4E. This was to give the FIRAF’s photo Phantoms a better ability to defend itself and also act as fighters if necessary. It retained the three camera bays of the RF-4E, with the ability to carry KS-72, KS-87, or KA-91 cameras, and a small photoflash cartridge bay in the rear fuselage. It would not have the ability to carry ground ordnance.
MDD agreed to the changes, but since the aircraft were variants on the RF-4E design, could not come up with a designation that hadn’t already been taken. Canis suggested RF-4CS (later remarking that it was “off the top of my head”) and the designation stuck, despite the fact that the aircraft bore little resemblance to the RF-4C.
Since the RF-4CS was deemed a low-priority necessity for the FIRAF, conversion on the 16 aircraft was slow, with the first not reaching the FIRAF until April 1984. By this time, it was felt that war with the Warsaw Pact was likely, and so an emergency order for another 18 RF-4CS was placed with MDD. These were modified directly from F-4Es retired by the USAF, and considerable delay was run into because of the need to refurbish these high-time aircraft. However, the first 16 had already entered service, 12 with the first RF-4CS squadron, the 6th RS and six with the 4th RS. Both squadrons were deployed to Europe in fall 1984 as a composite unit, with rebuilt RF-4CS arriving and being integrated as they did so; the 4th RS was able to “stand up” as a full squadron in April 1985. The last batch of RF-4CS arrived in time to outfit the 7th RS by spring 1986, bringing the total number in service to 36 aircraft.
The RF-4CS did well in FIRAF service, often proving a surprise for Pact MiGs that engaged what they thought were unarmed RF-4s and instead finding themselves fighting fully-armed RF-4CS. Moreover, the RF-4CS could fire Sparrows, which gave it a reach unavailable to other reconnaissance aircraft, and could turn with all but the latest Soviet designs. Since there was no production line for the RF-4CS, squadrons could not make good any losses. Additionally, several others were grounded during the war due to fatigue cracks and had to be used as “hangar queens,” parts supplies. This played a large part in the decision at war’s end to retire the RF-4CS rather than keep it in service; moreover, the SA-81B Jaguar had done much better than anticipated.
Without fanfare, all three RF-4CS squadrons were deactivated in 1988, and the aircraft sent to AMARC for disposal.
This "RF-4CS" was converted from Academy's 1/144 F-4E kit; as there is no 1/144 scale RF-4 kit, I had to write a fictional history as to why my fictional air force would have it! (Ah, alternative history is fun.) Other than camera windows painted on the gun housing and nose, it's otherwise a standard F-4E. Decals are right out of the kit, though the tail logo of a snow owl and tailcode were hand-painted and hand lettered. The camouflage scheme of medium green, military brown and flat black is based loosely on the scheme carried by JASDF F-4Es and RF-4Es. (The white streaks in the black paint are due to fogging from canned air; should've taken the picture later.) It carries a warload of two drop tanks and four AIM-7M Sparrows, though the latter can't be seen under the fuselage.
In one of the great ironies of aviation history, the KC-135 Stratotanker, the most successful aerial tanker ever built, was never meant to serve more than ten years, let alone the over fifty it has. With jet bombers such as the B-47 and B-52 coming into service, Strategic Air Command’s fleet of KB-29s and KC-97s clearly would not be adequate—an all-jet tanker was needed as well. Lockheed won the USAF competition in 1954 with its L-193 proposal, but it would be some time before the L-193 would be operational.
Needing jet tankers immediately, the USAF turned to Boeing, which already had a four-engined jet transport flying—the Model 367 “Dash 80” private-venture demonstrator. Boeing, since it was already producing both the B-47 and the B-52, as well as the KC-97, had no trouble convincing the USAF that the Dash 80 could be converted to the tanker role, and the USAF duly ordered 250 “interim” KC-135As until the L-193 could come online.
In the end, the L-193 never made it off the drawing board: the KC-135 was easy to fly, easy to operate, and had all the speed and range necessary for its mission. The 250 “interim” aircraft would grow to a final order of over 800 airframes. In the process, the KC-135’s success also ensured that airlines took a closer look at the Dash 80, which resulted in an upscaled version: the very successful 707. The KC-135A was and remains often confused with the 707, which is larger and wider than the tanker; further complicating the issue is many air forces converting retired 707-320 airliners to essentially KC-135 standard.
The KC-135A Stratotanker entered service in June 1957, having first flown the year before. Immediately it showed itself to be a vast improvement over piston-engined tankers in speed and ability to transfer fuel. Because it used the same jet propulsion as the B-47 and B-52, it did not need double fuel systems as the KC-97 did; in a pinch, the KC-135 could even transfer some of its own fuel if necessary. It revolutionized air refuelling technology and nuclear attack strategy, as KC-135s could reach station behind the “fail-safe” line quickly if the B-52s needed to remain longer.
Though SAC had always intended the KC-135 to be exclusively for the refuelling of its bomber force, the Vietnam War was to bring the KC-135 into the tactical role as well. Jet fighters used over Vietnam, namely the F-105 Thunderchief and F-4 Phantom II, had the range to reach North Vietnam from bases in Thailand, but once there would have almost no fuel and could not carry any ordnance worth the trip. By deploying KC-135s to “anchor tracks” over Laos and the Gulf of Tonkin under Operation Young Tiger, SAC tanker crews could refuel the F-105 strike aircraft and their F-4 escorts before they crossed into hostile territory, allowing the fighters to have the fuel necessary for extended operations, and carry heavy ordnance loads. Vietnam proved that the Stratotanker was more than useful in the tactical strike role, and though the tankers remained under the control of SAC until 1991, they were to prove vital again and again worldwide in trouble spots. Without tanker support, missions over both North Vietnam and Iraq would have been near impossible—leading to the famous tanker crew motto: “No one kicks ass without tanker gas.”
By the 1980s, the KC-135A fleet was aging and there was no replacement in sight. The JT3D turbojets used by the A model was very loud, left clouds of brown smoke when its water injection was used, and was not as fuel efficient as later turbofans. This was partially mitigated by converting 161 aircraft to KC-135Es, using TF33 turbofans removed from retired 707s, but this was only a partial solution. The USAF decided to convert most of the fleet to KC-135R standard, though a few high-time “stovepipe” KC-135As remained in service into the early 1990s and saw action during the First Gulf War before being retired.
55-3131 was originally constructed as a KC-135A, but in 1960, it was converted to a JKC-135A (later NKC-135A) testbed aircraft. It was used to test radio wave function at high altitude, as well as the ionosphere, using sensors and cameras; the latter gained her the nickname (and later nose art) of "Aurora Explorer." 55-3131 was later fitted with a dummy fuselage radome to test the feasilbility of the E-3 Sentry proposal, and was also used in testing materials used in the KC-135R program. It was withdrawn from service in 1992, having spent its entire career with the 4950th Test Wing at Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio, and was scrapped in 2010.
Though later 55-3131 was painted white over gray, the same scheme as Military Airlift Command in the 1970s, in the 1960s it was still bare metal. Where this picture was taken is unknown, but 55-3131 shows the various aerials and domes used in its role as a NKC-135.
(Disclaimer: I found this picture among other photos in my dad’s slides. I’m not sure who took them; some of them may be his. If any of these pictures are yours or you know who took them, let me know and I will remove them from Flickr, unless I have permission to let them remain. These photos are historical artifacts, in many cases of aircraft long since gone to the scrapyard, so I feel they deserve to be shared to the public at large—to honor the men and women who flew and maintained them.)
Thursday, October 18th. Dual-Polarized
Phased Array Radar
National Weather Radar Testbed Advanced Technology
Demonstrator tour, ribbon cutting and reception.
The XK120 was launched in roadster form at the 1948 London Motor Show as a testbed and show car for the new Jaguar XK engine. It caused a sensation, which persuaded Jaguar founder and design boss William Lyons to put it into production.
The "120" in its name referred to its 120 mph (193 km/h) top speed (faster with the windscreen removed), which made the XK120 the world's fastest standard production car at the time of its launch.
It was available in two open versions, first as the roadster (designated OTS, for open two-seater, in America), then also as a drophead coupé (DHC) from 1953 – and also as a closed, or "fixed-head" coupé (FHC) from 1951. The DHC was a more deluxe open model, with wind-up windows, and wood-veneer dashboard and interior door caps, as on the FHC.
The roadster was successful in racing.
(Wikipedia)
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Der Jaguar XK 120 war ein zweisitziger Roadster, den Jaguar 1948 als Nachfolger des S.S.100 auf den Markt brachte.
Der Jaguar XK 120 OTS (Open Two Seater, so die etwas umständliche Bezeichnung für den Roadster) besaß einen Sechszylinder-Reihenmotor mit 3442 cm³ Hubraum und 160 bhp.
Ab 1951 gab es den Jaguar XK 120 FHC (Fixed Head Coupé), ein Coupé mit gleicher Motorisierung und 194 km/h Höchstgeschwindigkeit. Bis zur Einstellung 1954 wurden 2678 Stück gebaut.
1953 kam der Jaguar XK 120 DHC (Drop Head Coupé), ein Cabriolet mit gefüttertem Stoffdach und der gleichen Motorisierung, auch als SE, dazu. Es wurde allerdings nur ein Jahr lang angeboten und erreichte in diesem Zeitraum die Stückzahl von 1767 Exemplaren.
(Wikipedia)
Please bear with me; it's a long story. This aircraft is currently undergoing reconstruction. The nose section is from 44-85813, an aircraft used as an engine testbed by Curtiss-Wright. This aircraft, civil registration N6694C, crashed in 1980 - registration cancelled. Major parts of another B-17, one used for atomic tests in Nevada, 44-83722 are being used; its civil registration, N3154S, is being adopted but will now be associated with 44-85813.