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Kodachrome collection slide.
Airline : Boeing Company
Aircraft : Boeing 707-3W6C
Registration : N707QT
MSN/LN : 21956 / 941
Location : BFI / KBFI - Boeing Field Int'l Airport
Photographer : UNKNOWN
Date : February 1980
Notes : Flying testbed of the newly fitted CFM-56 hi-bypass engines, an idea that never happened with revenue airlines, unlike the DC-8-60's, only with the military variant the KC-135.
Box 225
With closure apparently not far into the future, a visit to the back side of the old EMD La Grange plant feels timely. UP SD70ACe-T4 3036 and one of the resident testbed units, EMD 90, sit in the evening sun.
🇺🇸 #N601FE #FEDEX #FX #FDX #MDC #MD-11 #CARGO #PARIS #CDG #LFPG #FRANCE #EUROPE #TAKE-OFF #SUNSET #RWY #MCDONNELL-DOUGLAS #FIST-MD11-BUILT #PROTOTYPE #NAMED #JIM-RIEDMEYE #FEDERAL-EXPRESS © #AWP #CHR-2009
@ Federal Express ( FedEx ) 🇺🇸
McDonnell Douglas MD-11F • msn 48401 / 447
• Engines : 3x GE CF6-80C2D1F
• Aircraft Name : "Jim Riedmeye"
• Reg : N601FE
@ History Aircraft :
• 10.JAN.1990 : First flight with test reg N111MD - Long Beach ( LGB ) CA USA - First MD11 off the production line and flying as the "Prototype" MDC test aircraft.
• 27.JUN.1991 : Delivered to "Federal Express" FX & FDX with Reg N601FE and config cargo
98+98 / Bell UH-1D Iroquois / German Army
This one of a kind testbed was one of the last two operational german Hueys to retire in summer of 2022
CYHU 12/02/23 Pictured outside the Technical school at Montreal Hubert Airport.
1943 Constructed as an Expeditor 3T.
Circa 1943 Taken on Strength/Charge with the United States Army Air Force with s/n 43-35478.
5 January 1944
Taken on Strength/Charge with the Royal Canadian Air Force with s/n HB109.
19 July 1960
To Pratt and Whitney Canada, Montreal QUE: with new c/r CF-ZWY.
1961 Nose engine position installed at Downswview ONTfor PT6 turboprop air tests, test flown after mods.
June 1980 Retired as an engine testbed.
From July 1980 to 1998
To Ecole Nationale of Aeronautique, Saint Hubert QUE. As an instructional airframe.
1998 To Fondation Aerovision Quebec (Quebec Air and Space Museum), Saint Hubert, Montreal, QC.
The Gloster Meteor was the first British jet fighter and the Allies' only operational jet aircraft during the Second World War. The Meteor's development was heavily reliant on its ground-breaking turbojet engines, pioneered by Sir Frank Whittle and his company, Power Jets Ltd. Development of the aircraft itself began in 1940, although work on the engines had been under way since 1936. The Meteor first flew in 1943 and commenced operations on 27 July 1944 with No. 616 Squadron RAF. Nicknamed the "Meatbox", the Meteor was not a sophisticated aircraft in its aerodynamics, but proved to be a successful combat fighter.
Several major variants of the Meteor incorporated technological advances during the 1940s and 1950s. Thousands of Meteors were built to fly with the RAF and other air forces and remained in use for several decades. The Meteor saw limited action in the Second World War. Meteors of the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) fought in the Korean War. Several other operators such as Argentina, Egypt and Israel flew Meteors in later regional conflicts. Specialised variants of the Meteor were developed for use in photographic aerial reconnaissance and as night fighters.
The Meteor was also used for research and development purposes and to break several aviation records. On 7 November 1945, the first official air speed record by a jet aircraft was set by a Meteor F.3 of 606 miles per hour (975 km/h). In 1946, this record was broken when a Meteor F.4 reached a speed of 616 mph (991 km/h). Other performance-related records were broken in categories including flight time endurance, rate of climb, and speed. On 20 September 1945, a heavily modified Meteor I, powered by two Rolls-Royce Trent turbine engines driving propellers, became the first turboprop aircraft to fly. On 10 February 1954, a specially adapted Meteor F.8, the "Meteor Prone Pilot", which placed the pilot into a prone position to counteract inertial forces, took its first flight.
In the 1950s, the Meteor became increasingly obsolete as more nations introduced jet fighters, many of these newcomers having adopted a swept wing instead of the Meteor's conventional straight wing; in RAF service, the Meteor was replaced by newer types such as the Hawker Hunter and Gloster Javelin. As of 2013, two Meteors, WL419 and WA638, remain in active service with the Martin-Baker company as ejection seat testbeds. Two further aircraft in the UK remain airworthy, as does another in Australia.
N804X operated by Northrup Grumman Systems Corp Bombardier CRJ700-701 Flying testbed, seen landing at Baltimore MD 16th Dec 2021
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Check out my 4K videos from London Stansted www.youtube.com/channel/UCGMMbmdFi4WZuy90vDn58gw?sub_conf...
See this aircraft in my 4K video youtu.be/OjmrgXARllk
History
1945: PA474 was built by Vickers-Armstrongs in Broughton, Cheshire, and was completed just after the end of World War II in Europe. It was intended for the "Tiger Force" for strategic bombing in the Far East but was not needed after the war with Japan ended.
Post-war service: The bomber was converted for photographic reconnaissance duties and served with 82 Squadron in Africa for three years. It was later used for trials by the College of Aeronautics at Cranfield. During its time at Cranfield, it was used as a testbed for laminar flow wings, with test wings mounted vertically above the fuselage.
1964–1973: After being marked for static display, the bomber was rescued by the Air Historical Branch and later restored to flying condition by 44 Squadron personnel at RAF Waddington. During its restoration, PA474 appeared in the films Operation Crossbow and The Guns of Navarone.
1973–present: PA474 was officially transferred to the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight in 1973 and moved to RAF Coningsby in 1976. It continues to be a main attraction at airshows and commemorative events, serving as a flying tribute to all members of RAF Bomber Command.
Significant events and details
Mid-upper turret: An original mid-upper gun turret was recovered from Argentina and fitted to PA474 in 1975.
Major overhauls: The aircraft has undergone extensive maintenance to remain airworthy. A new main spar was fitted in 1995 to extend its flying life, with expectations for it to fly until at least 2065.
Engine fire: On May 7, 2015, the aircraft suffered an engine fire but landed safely at RAF Coningsby. It was repaired and flying again by October of that same year.
Repainting: PA474 wears different liveries on its port and starboard sides, which are changed during major overhauls.
Port side: For its 80th anniversary in 2025, the port side was painted to represent Lancaster B.I LM220 of No. IX Squadron, which flew with 12,000lb "Tallboy" bombs.
Starboard side: Previously, the starboard side represented Lancaster LL922 of No. 50 Squadron.
Photo taken at the Imperial War Museum Duxford Cambridgeshire 6th Sept 2025 Battle Of Britain Air Show
First test bed prototype of the A330neo 251 Tons version (Takeoff weight increased)
Will go to AirAsia
AIB05CE
Amtrak F69PHAC Nos. 450 and 451 were the first all-new A.C. traction locomotives in North America. They were experimentals that were built at La Grange in 1989, and were outfitted with Siemens A.C. traction equipment along with a 12-710G prime mover. After testing at Pueblo, they put on thousands of miles in passenger service providing EMD with plenty of test data and real road experience using A.C. traction. The slant windows and lack of a front nose gave the locomotives an unique look, and they acquired the nickname “Winnebagos” in some circles. Having served their purpose as testbeds, the pair returned to EMD (and briefly later toured with Amtrak’s ICE train) and finally succumbed to languishing unused at NRE after 1999. In this view, the pair kicks up some dust leading Amtrak’s Empire Builder through Pewaukee, Wisconsin, on the afternoon of May 31, 1992.
RFA PROTEUS (K60) on the River Mersey after departing Cammell Laird ship yard on March 12, 2024.
RFA PROTEUS is a Multi Role Ocean Surveillance Ship (MROSS) which can function as a platform for Remotely Operated Underwater Vehicles (ROUVs) and a testbed for new specialist capabilities, required for monitoring waters important to UK interests.
Acquired in 2023, the ship entered drydock at Cammell Laird for modification andformally entered service in October 2023.
The ship was formerly named MV TOPAZ TANGAROA in 2017–2022, and was used as a platform supply vessel operated by P&O Maritime Logistics.
The vessel was refitted after being sold to the U.K. Ministry of Defence in January 2023.
She was built jointly between Vard Brattvaag, Norway and Tulcea shipyard in Romania and weighs 6,133 GRT. Maximum speed is 14 knots.
For more photographs of RFA PROTEUS please click here: www.jhluxton.com/Shipping/Ships-Naval/Royal-Fleet-Auxilia...
This is the infamous N757A “Catfish”, the first Boeing 757 ever built, later extensively modified for use by Lockheed Martin as an F-22 sensor and avionics testbed.
D-9530 Dornier Do.31E [E-1] Oberpfaffenhofen~D 10/09/1993. Moved to the Dornier Museum Friedrichshafen~D 2009. Experimental VTOL aircraft 1 of only 2 built plus a static testbed.
Bombardier
2nd prototype built in 1983, this testbed aircraft was donated to Pima County Community College Aviation Technology Center located at the Tucson International Airport since 2005
11-10-2025
Shannon, July 1986. This aircraft later became a testbed with Lockheed Martin as N30LX and designated Airborne Multi-Intelligence Laboratory (AML).
The Boeing 747 is a large, long-range wide-body airliner designed and manufactured by Boeing Commercial Airplanes in the United States between 1968 and 2023. After introducing the 707 in October 1958, Pan Am wanted a jet 2+1⁄2 times its size, to reduce its seat cost by 30%. In 1965, Joe Sutter left the 737 development program to design the 747. In April 1966, Pan Am ordered 25 Boeing 747-100 aircraft, and in late 1966, Pratt & Whitney agreed to develop the JT9D engine, a high-bypass turbofan. On September 30, 1968, the first 747 was rolled out of the custom-built Everett Plant, the world's largest building by volume. The first flight took place on February 9, 1969, and the 747 was certified in December of that year. It entered service with Pan Am on January 22, 1970. The 747 was the first airplane called a "Jumbo Jet" as the first wide-body airliner.
The 747 is a four-engined jet aircraft, initially powered by Pratt & Whitney JT9D turbofan engines, then General Electric CF6 and Rolls-Royce RB211 engines for the original variants. With a ten-abreast economy seating, it typically accommodates 366 passengers in three travel classes. It has a pronounced 37.5° wing sweep, allowing a Mach 0.85 (490 kn; 900 km/h) cruise speed, and its heavy weight is supported by four main landing gear legs, each with a four-wheel bogie. The partial double-deck aircraft was designed with a raised cockpit so it could be converted to a freighter airplane by installing a front cargo door, as it was initially thought that it would eventually be superseded by supersonic transports.
The heavier 747-400 with improved RB211 and CF6 engines or the new PW4000 engine (the JT9D successor), and a two-crew glass cockpit, was introduced in 1989 and is the most common variant. After several studies, the stretched 747-8 was launched on November 14, 2005, with new General Electric GEnx engines, and was first delivered in October 2011. The 747 is the basis for several government and military variants, such as the VC-25 (Air Force One), E-4 Emergency Airborne Command Post, Shuttle Carrier Aircraft, and some experimental testbeds such as the YAL-1 and SOFIA airborne observatory.
First test bed prototype of the A330neo 251 Tons version (Takeoff weight increased)
Will go to AirAsia
GMTX SD90 No. 9000, one of SD60's coming off lease, sits on the Service Track at CPKC's Knoche Yard. They all arrived in Kansas City two days ago on NS train 224, and they were interchanged to the CPKC yesterday via YKK12-24, "Run 12". Five are all former Oakway's wearing New York, Susquehanna & Western Railway paint, but this one is a former SD60 demonstrator built as EMD No. 3 with HTC-R trucks, which were being tested in their early days.
This engine started life 39 years ago in June of 1984. In 2009, it along all of the Oakway's were shed from BNSF's roster, and this one became GMTX No. 9041, replacing the other 9041 which EMD kept as a testbed unit. It later became GMTX No. 9000 as part of joint lease between the Providence & Worcester/Vermont Railway, which began in 2014. Today, it still wears a unique version of GATX paint reflecting the P&W/VTR joint lease. More recently, this engine could be found on the NYSW and RJ Corman before winding up out here. 6/25/23.
On final for Runway 18L at Memphis International is FedEx A310 N401FE. This airframe was a testbed aircraft for Airbus Industrie from 1982 to 1984 as F-WZLJ. It was then delivered to Lufthansa as D-AICA and later came to FedEx in 1995. The -200 was retired and removed from service to Victorville, California, in September 2009. It was broken up in April 2013.
Northrop Grumman Bac 1-11 N164W completes a low pass over Runway 33L at BWI before landing for the final time.
Farnborough 06 September 1957. Scanned from my father's print. Copyright Jim Cain.
WF909 was used by de Havilland as a flying testbed for the Gyron Junior engine. It was scrapped at Hatfield in early 1963.
North American Rockwell T-2C Buckeye, Sky Harbor Airport, Phoenix, Arizona, November 1978. Scanned for Kodachrome transparency. Nikon Nikkormat, 50mm f/1.4 non-AI lens.
Off in the distance at the left in the photo you can see the Garrett AiResearch hangar. To the right of the dirt pile you can see their Douglas B-26 engine testbed that was used to develop the TPE331 and T76 turboprops used on the Turbo Commander, MU-2 etc and the related T76 used on the OV-10. In front of the hanger is their Dassault Falcon 20. It was used in the development of the AFT3 turbofan used on the HU-25 Guardian and the TFE1042 used on the AIDC F-CK-1A.
Inbound from Anchorage, Alaska, FedEx MD-11F N578FE taxis onto the company ramp at Memphis in February 2023.
It was the third MD11 built and was testbed aircraft N311MD for McDonnell Douglas.
The tri-jet was first delivered to GATX Leasing in March 1991 as N489GX and later flew for China Airlines, Garuda Indonesia and World Airways before coming to FedEx in April 2001.
It was removed from service and stored at VCV in May 2023.
Little known fact: the Echo base on Hoth wasn't terribly big. When the Millennium Falcon was there, all the fighters wouldn't fit inside, a few had to be parked outside.
The rugged Y-wings were the only ones that could withstand the punishing cold Hoth nights. It would have been fine if they coud have been left running on nominal power to prevent them from going cold, but that would have made them easy to detect from orbit. They had to be shut down completely.
Once cold, even the Y-wings were very difficult to get up and running again. You had to bolt the rear panel open, install a heater and wait until the temperatures on the inertial dampers were on an acceptable level. If not, igniting the engines could throw the inertial dampers out of whack and the ship could read its own sensors wrong thinking it was on a free fall. As an emergency measure, the ship could then spontaneously shoot up several hundred kilometers to fix the fall – which didn't exist. This could happen with or without the pilot.
It was a theory suggested by one of the engineers of the Echo base, the heating procedure was merely a precaution based on this theory.
But, you know, sometimes theories are verified empirically by testing. That particular Y-wing testbed was recovered much later. No pilot was on board the escaped Y-wing and the guy responsible for the heating was fired... only to be rehired. The rebels were a little short on personnel on Hoth.
PR-ZIQ, an Embraer E195-E2 testbed being operated by the manufacturer Embraer, taxiing along Taxiway Alpha at Shannon Airport, preparing to depart on a demonstration flight. This aircraft spent the last 6 days in Ireland operating demonstration flights out of both Dublin and Shannon airports to prospective airline and leasing customers.
A beautiful dusk at Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport (MSP), with McDonnell Douglas MD-90-30 N311EV. This airplane was originally delivered to UNI Air of Taiwan as s/n B-17919. It was acquired by Delta Air Lines in 2016 as s/n N311EV, and has been used as an engine testbed.
Photographed September 21, 2019.
Outboard engine and tail of the Pima Air and Space Museum's 747, which had been used as an engine testbed by General Electric for several years.
G-BYAW was withdrawn from use by TUI Airways a month after this photograph, on 04 November 2019. The aircraft will be used by the Royal Air Force as a testbed aircraft to test systems and sensors destined for the future Tempest fighter, as well as supporting capability enhancements for the current Eurfighter Typhoon and Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning.
www.planespotters.net/airframe/boeing-757-200-g-byaw-tui-...
Boeing 720-025
cn: 18158 / ln: 234
ff: 05-09-1961 at Renton
19-09-1961 N8704E Eastern Air Lines, config F22Y107, fleet no 704, (leased from Prudential until 10-1966)
25-09-1969 N8704E Boeing (returned)
01-06-1970 LN-TUW Trans Polar, "Richard Evelyn Byrd", (leased from Boeing)
18-06-1971 Impounded at Kastrup (EKCH / CPH) due to an NOK 15 million debt to Boeing
23-06-1971 Boeing (returned)
01-09-1971 N3183B Boeing rr, testbed; Boeing Anti-Submarine Warfare (ASW) flight test aircraft
16-08-1975 N40102 Boeing testbed, fleet no 8504, Boeing flight test aircraft
08-1977 WFU and stored at Kimgman (KIGM / IGM)
07-1988 broken up there
I recall seeing this one together with my father at FBU in June 1970, My first view of Trens Polar, and I was very impressed.
Wonderful photo shot by Lars Söderström on final apporach to Arlanda in June 1970.
LN-TUW was the only on of three B720s whith grey underside
(Part of my collection)
Word on the street is that BNSF's GE LNG testbed isn't long for this world and is going to be converted back to a standard, diesel engine again soon. For the time being, it's sitting unobstructed on the west side of the Topeka, KS shops.
So, in the interest of covering the interesting parts of the BNSF roster, get your shots now!
A testbed using the frame of a VIA LRC (VIA 6908) and a GE testbed are at CAD and have been there going back quite a number of years.
BOE57A Departing on a test flight. This is the first 757 Prototype now used as a testbed by Boeing with an F-22 Nosecone and avionics. Nicknamed the "Catfish." This is the first time it has come to PMD in the recently repainted retro scheme.
EAA Airventure, Oshkosh, WI July 22, 2015.
IMAGE UPDATED 8/14/17
Copyright
All my photographic and video images are copyrighted. All rights are reserved. Please do not use, copy or edit any of my photographs without my written permission. If you want to use my photo for commercial or private use, please contact me. Please do not re-upload my photos at any location on the internet without my written consent.
RFA Proteus, berthed at Gibraltar's HM Naval Base, is a ship of the Royal Fleet Auxiliary within His Majesty's Naval Service of the United Kingdom. Its role is surveillance, acting as a platform for Remotely Operated Underwater Vehicles and as a testbed for new specialist capabilities, required for monitoring waters important to UK interests.