View allAll Photos Tagged Testbed
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
Although civie, a nice looking aircraft participating in this year's Black Flag out of Nellis AFB, NV.
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...
Registration: F-WLXV
Type: A350-1041
Engines: 2 × RR Trent XWB-97
Serial Number: 065
First flight: Feb 7, 2017
One standout in the A350 family is the A350-1000 test aircraft, registered as F-WLXV (MSN065), which played a pivotal role in the type’s certification campaign. As the second A350-1000 built, it rolled out of Airbus’s Toulouse paint shop in September 2016 sporting the striking Carbon Fiber livery—a visual nod to the aircraft’s composite-heavy construction. Unlike its siblings, F-WLXV was uniquely equipped with a fully fitted passenger cabin during testing, allowing Airbus to evaluate real-world systems performance on long-haul flights, including a notable 2017 test campaign that pushed its endurance and reliability limits.
Beyond its technical contributions, F-WLXV doubled as a promotional star for Airbus. The Carbon Fiber livery, with its sleek black-and-gray weave pattern, became an icon of the A350 XWB program, showcasing the advanced materials that define the jet. This aircraft toured global airshows and demonstration flights—like its 2018 appearance in Sydney—captivating aviation enthusiasts and industry insiders alike. Even after its test duties wound down, F-WLXV’s legacy lived on; it was later repainted and delivered to Air Caraibes in 2019, transitioning from a testbed to a commercial workhorse while retaining its historical significance.
Poster for Aviators
FR – 28 mars 2007 09h08 – Tilloy-et-Bellay (Marne) – Km 166 LGV Est-Européenne
La motrice intermédiaire TGV P 150 R4
Au départ, cette caisse était conçue comme une voiture-bar pour TGV Duplex Dasye – Euroduplex. Sur la photo, elle est devenue une motrice de technologie AGV (Automotrice à Grande Vitesse), à motorisation répartie. En 2007, c’était une nouvelle technologie Alstom, encore en cours de mise au point. Son installation sur la rame V150 a été de nature expérimentale, c’était une banc d’essai roulant, un prototype à usage unique.
Les équipements électriques standard sous le compartiment bar ont été remplacés par une chaîne de traction type AGV (et un convertisseur statique pour la climatisation de la rame). Les bogies comportent chacun deux moteurs synchrones à aimants permanents de 800 KW de puissance nominale pour 25 KV à la caténaire, soit 3200 KW / 4350 chevaux. Le bar a été remplacé par une régie vidéo-télévision et un studio d’enregistrement.
A l’arrivée, c’est-à-dire au moment où la vitesse atteignait 574 km/h le 3 avril 2007, c’était une puissante motrice qui apportait environ 3800 KW / 5200 chevaux de puissance mécanique, c’est-à-dire 18,2% de la puissance nécessaire pour atteindre le record.
Et après le record, lorsque la V150 a été démantelée pour remettre ses différentes parties au type standard et les réintégrer à des rames TGV commerciales, cette remorque motorisée n’a pas trouvé de réemploi. Elle est retournée chez Alstom à Aytré.
- - - - - - - - - - - -
EN – 28 March 2007 09:08 – Tilloy-et-Bellay (Marne) – Km 166 East-European HSL
The intermediate power car – TGV P150 R4
Originally, this bodyshell had been designed as a bar car for the TGV Duplex Dasye / Euroduplex fleet. In this photograph, it has been transformed into a powered vehicle incorporating AGV (Automotrice à Grande Vitesse) technology, with distributed traction. In 2007, this was a new Alstom development still undergoing refinement. Its installation within the V150 trainset was therefore experimental in nature, a rolling testbed, effectively a one-off prototype.
The standard electrical equipment beneath the former bar compartment was replaced by an AGV-type traction chain, along with a static converter supplying the train’s air-conditioning. Each bogie was fitted with two permanent-magnet synchronous motors rated at 800 kW under 25 kV overhead supply, giving a total of 3,200 kW (4,350 hp). The bar area itself was converted into a television control room and recording studio.
By the time of the record run on 3 April 2007, when the train reached 574 km/h (356.7 mph), this vehicle had become a fully fledged power car, contributing around 3,800 kW (5,200 hp) of mechanical output, equivalent to 18.2% of the total power required to achieve the record.
Following the record, when the V150 trainset was dismantled and its various components returned to standard configuration for reintegration into commercial TGV sets, this powered intermediate vehicle found no further operational use. It was returned to Alstom Aytré.
© Jean-Marc Frybourg – 070328-0276
Merci de ne pas partager ni publier ailleurs sans l’autorisation de l’auteur. Tous droits réservés.
Please do not share or post elsewhere without permission from the photographer. All rights reserved.
Photo from the Andreas Rink collection, slide kindly provided for scanning by Florian Weiß.
München-Riem
ca. March 1976
G-AYXR
Boeing 707-321(F)
17608/122
Syrian Arab Airlines (leased from British Midland)
Syrian Arab Airlines Boeing 707 is coming in to land on Riem’s runway 25. The registration is not visible, but I compared a lot of photos and am pretty certain that this is in fact G-AYXR (see also the starboard side view in the comments below, probably taken on the same day).
G-AYXR was leased to Syrian Air only for a short time in early 1976 and was noted at Riem on 3 February 1976 and 2 March 1976 (possibly the precise date for this shot). The aircraft had visited Riem before with Donaldson International on 1 October 1972 and would return with Dan-Air London on 1 May 1977.
Information from flickr - thanks to Paul:
New to Pan Am as N730PA in 1960. Converted to a freighter in 1970 and to Donaldson International Airways as G-AYXR in 1971. To British Midland Airways in 1975 and leased to a number of airlines. To International Air Leases as N37681 in 1980. To General Electric in 1983 and used as an engine testbed. Reregistered as N707GE in 1990. Scrapped at Mojave in 2003.
Registration details for this airframe:
rzjets.net/aircraft/?reg=119233
This airframe as N730PA with Pan American at LHR in August 1961:
abpic.co.uk/pictures/view/1037666
G-AYXR with Donaldson International at YYZ in July 1971:
www.flickr.com/photos/158362432@N07/50391050258
G-AYXR with Tunis Air at FRA in June 1976:
www.flickr.com/photos/skypicsintl/16225807938
G-AYXR with Kenya Airways at LHR in February 1977 (Tunis Air cheatline):
www.flickr.com/photos/pslg05896/22818814488
G-AYXR with Kuwait Airways at EMA in ca. 1976:
www.flickr.com/photos/154191970@N03/35532356325
G-AYXR with BMA at LGW in September 1976 (no titles):
www.flickr.com/photos/pslg05896/30695255760
G-AYXR with Kenya Airways at FRA in July 1977 (Tunis Air cheatline, red tail):
abpic.co.uk/pictures/view/1268587
G-AYXR with Pakistan International at EMA in April 1980:
abpic.co.uk/pictures/view/1282566
This airframe as N37681 with International Air Leases/Batch Air, used as an engine testbed by General Electric, at MHV in October 1984:
www.flickr.com/photos/pslg05896/30490227284
This airframe as N707GE with General Electric at MHV in October 1992:
www.flickr.com/photos/markp51/35448079624
N707GE with a CFM engine in the #2 position:
www.flickr.com/photos/n747ge/6361483173
N707GE stored derelict at MHV in September 2003:
imgproc.airliners.net/photos/airliners/6/2/2/0458226.jpg
Scan from slide (unknown brand).
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).
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
And yes, when I’m not staring at the clouds, I’m surviving Orville’s rants over on YouTube 😂 [www.youtube.com/@AngryOrville]
First test bed prototype of the A330neo 251 Tons version (Takeoff weight increased)
Will go to AirAsia
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)
Photo taken by Klaus Mohr, slide kindly provided by Klaus Held for scanning and inclusion on this page.
München-Riem
1984-04-14 (14 April 1984)
HP-IPE Basel-Land
Airbus A310-221
162
Swissair
HP-IPE is lined up for take-off on Riem’s runway 07. Brand new at the time, the A310 had only been delivered to Swissair less than a month previously on 21 March 1984.
Information from airhistory.net - thanks to Richard Vandervord (slightly adapted):
The first A310 prototype (first flight 3 April 1982). Used as a testbed by Airbus as F-WZLH from 1982 (Lufthansa colours on port side, Swissair colours on starboard side), delivered to Swissair in March 1984, to Air Liberté as F-GPDJ in June 1995, converted to freighter at Bremen-XLW in 1997 for FedEx as N450FE, stored at Victorville from May 2015, broken up in 2023.
Registration details for this airframe:
rzjets.net/aircraft/?reg=26720
This airframe as F-WZLH with Airbus on demo tour at DUS in April 1982 (Lufthansa c/s on port side, Swissair c/s on starboard side):
www.airhistory.net/photo/562140/F-WZLH
F-WZLH with Airbus at TLS in April 1982 (port side in Lufthansa colours):
image.stern.de/31746002/t/x2/v4/w1440/r1.7778/-/lh-a310.jpg
This airframe as F-GPDJ with Air Liberté at ORY in March 1996:
www.flickr.com/photos/jordi757/5390265239
This airframe as N450FE with FedEx at MEM in February 2007:
www.flickr.com/photos/mjscanlonphotography/39404779385
N450FE stored at VCV in January 2018:
www.flickr.com/photos/aero_icarus/43029426091
Scan from Kodachrome slide.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
✈🇯🇵 #JA23MJ #MitsubishiAircraftCoorporation #MAJ #MRJ90STD #Prototype #Paris #LeBourget #LBG #LFPB #France #PAS17 #ParisAirShow #SpaceJet #Testbed © #AWP #CHR-2017
MITSUBISHI AIRCRAFT COORPORATION [ MAJ • ME TACK ]
• Country : JA | Japan 🇯🇵
• Founded : 1 Apr 2008
• Ceased operations : 15 Apr 2023
• Base / Main Hub : Nagoya Komaki (NKM / RJNA)
Official Site : www.mhi.com
MITSUBISHI | MRJ90STD “SPACEJET“ - SN 10003 # JA23MJ
• Production Site : Nagoya (NKM) 🇯🇵
• First flight date : 22/11/2016
• Test registration : JA23MJ
• Seat configuration : Prototype Test
• Engines : 2 x PW PW1217G
Status : Scrapped | 5.3 Years at the end of its life
AIRCRAFT HISTORY
• 22.NOV.2016 : Del > MAJ > JA23MJ
• JUN.2017 : Painted in "All Nippon Airways" cs until Jun 2019
• 20.JUN.2017 : Display apron to Paris AirShow 2017
• 16.MAR.2020 : wfu and std at MWH
Broken up Mar 2022 at MWH
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-...
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!
One of a kind, B747/YAL-1A Airborne Laser Testbed at AMARG before being scrapped a couple years later.
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.
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.
The unique 47901 (class 58 testbed) reflected in an oily puddle stabled at Westbury on a murky day in 1990.
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.
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.
Following on from Miro Dudas' benchmark work on his 90° crossover, I was inspired to attempt a brick-built 45° crossover, by way of an experiment. It worked out a little better than I feared it might, though I offer absolutely NO guarantee as to its smooth operation! (Subtext - it probably won't work too well.) As such, the LXF file is linked below for others to edit or improve if wished. Not for re-sale or profit please. Kindly post any improvements, I'd be most grateful.
LXF: www.dropbox.com/s/yvgm8ibk9b0e14j/Crossover_45-deg_v01-03...
PLEASE NOTE: This file may well be deleted after 1 Feb 2017. If you wish to use it, please download before that date. Many thanks.
UTJ 595M is seen on display at a South Yorkshire PTE garage open day. It is a Leyland National 1151/1R/2801 which was retained by Leyland and fitted out as the 'Super National Business Commuter', with 22 seats including 8 work stations.
Industrial automation is always interesting, because nothing ever stays the same. On the right is an Opto 22 R1 Programmable Automation Controller, (PAC); the original version was released over 20 years ago, but due to an increasing shortage of its aging processor, a complete redesign using a modern processor was required. The important thing for us is to try to make the new version a drop-in replacement for the original so the customers can continue to use all of their existing programming without any modifications. I've been privileged to work with a talented team of co-workers who have worked for at least a year to make this happen. We're finally starting to see the light at the end of the tunnel.
Photo taken by Klaus Held, scan kindly provided by him for inclusion on this page.
München-Riem
Summer 1969
F-BRIM
Sud SE-210 Caravelle III
193
Panair
Trans-Union Caravelle flying for German charter airline Panair which later had to change its name to Paninternational. F-BRIM was noted at Riem on 18 May 1969 and 5 June 1969, as well as at Neubiberg Air Base on 15 August 1969.
This Caravelle was delivered to SAS as SE-DAH in March 1965. It went back to Sud Aviation and was leased to Trans Union SA as F-BRIM from April 1969 and then sub-leased to Panair during 1969. In 1971, SOGERMA (Sud Aviation) took over the airframe and leased it to engine manufacturer SNECMA who used it as a testbed for the M53 and CFM56 engines. In October 1978 it went to the Armée de l'Air. Reportedly scrapped at TLS in 1997. (Sources: rzjets.net, bsl-mlh-planes.net)
Information on Panair/Paninternational:
www.airlines-airliners.de/airlines/paninternational.htm
Registration details for this airframe:
www.planelogger.com/Aircraft/Registration/F-ZACF/751843
This airframe as SE-DAH with SAS at PIK late 1960s:
www.flickr.com/photos/intairphoto/16597579366
F-BRIM with Trans-Union/Panair at DUS in 1969 (no titles):
F-BRIM with Trans-Union at LGW in September 1969:
www.airhistory.net/photo/9265/F-BRIM
This airframe as F-ZACF with SNECMA equipped with M53 engine ca. 1973:
i.pinimg.com/originals/c7/68/66/c76866c965e41e9c8cbf03559...
This airframe as F-ZACF with SNECMA equipped with CFM56 engine ca. 1977:
www.letletlet-warplanes.com/wp-content/gallery/caravelle/...
Scan from black-and-white print.
This Boeing 707-321B N404PA was an experimental aircraft communications and sensor testbed owned by the Air Force Systems Command and operated by a joint venture between the Air Force’s 350th Electronic Systems Wing and M.I.T.’s Lincoln Labs.
N757HW - Boeing B-757-225 - Honeywell International Inc.
"Connected Aircraft"-titles and various other stickers
at Hamilton International Airport (YHM)
c/n 22.194 - built in 1982 for Eastern Airlines -
operated by Honeywell since 2005 as a flying testbed
'VooDoo One', highly modified 727 operated as an avionics testbed by Raytheon, on the go and turning crosswind, runway 25 at Palmdale.
In 1957, the U.S. Army identified a new requirement for a lighter but more rugged frontline observation aircraft that could operate from rough airstrips and also have short takeoff and landing (STOL) capabilities. Grumman's proposal was granted, and the development of the YAO-1A soon began. The aircraft's maiden flight was on April 14th, 1959. It was a mid-wing monoplane powered by a pair of turboprop engines, with a tail featuring three vertical stabilizers, much like the previous Lockheed Constellation. The pilot and the observer sat side-by-side in a cockpit with bulged side windows, providing excellent downward visibility.
Three production variants were ordered: the AO-1A, built exclusively for either daytime or nighttime reconnaissance missions; the AO-1B, built with a Sideways Looking Radar (SLAR) pod slung under the right side of the fuselage; and finally, the AO-1C, explicitly designed for infra-red reconnaissance. These designations were later changed to OV-1A, B, and C respectively. An OV-10 “Bronco” version was later developed, and the capabilities of both the OV-1B and C versions were combined. More than 375 OV-1 Mohawks were built over nearly a decade and used extensively throughout the Vietnam War. The aircraft was not designed to carry any armaments, but many were later modified in the field to carry rockets, mortars, rotating-barrel machine guns, and even small missiles. Depending on the mission, they would also use iron bombs or napalm canisters on some occasions.
This OV-1A, BuNo 59-2604, was only the 2nd OV-1 ever built and delivered to the U.S. Army in 1960. Details on its Army career are scarce, though it may have served as a JOV-1 testbed at Fort Rucker, Alabama, for a short time; it may also have served in Vietnam. It was retired in 1973 and used by NASA to research wing icing, then stored or sold to a private owner. By 1998, it was in the possession of the Lone Star Flight Museum in Galveston, Texas; in 2006, 59-2604 was sold to Planes of Fame (This saved the aircraft, as the Lone Star Flight Museum was heavily damaged by Hurricane Ike in 2008).
59-2604 carries the high-visibility markings used by the U.S. Army until about halfway through the Vietnam War, though many OV-1s carried these markings until the war's end. Though 59-2604 is only a static display at the moment, it is currently in the process of being restored to flying condition.