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NASA operates two Lockheed ER-2 Earth resources aircraft as flying laboratories in the Airborne Science Program under the Agency's Science Mission Directorate. The aircraft, based at NASA Armstrong's Building 703 in Palmdale, CA, collect information about Earth resources, celestial observations, atmospheric chemistry and dynamics, and oceanic processes. The aircraft also are used for electronic sensor research and development, satellite calibration, and satellite data validation.Info from NASA Pics thanks to DL Munne.

This F-5E was modified by NASA for use in the Shaped Sonic Boom Experiment see:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shaped_Sonic_Boom_Demonstration Pics thanks to bootneck

HI, Thought you might like to see this,its NASA,S planned new ride,this is the Orion crew capsule and upper stage,build,with the larger 5 segment boosters. The vehicle is basically a stretched version of the shuttle tank,with 4 main engines.There is also a Block 0 one on paper,but its not certain that it will be built,as the Block 1 being the heavier version,is preferred.First flights are planned for Dec 2017?.. well heres the pics.. original plan to display the upper section as a seperate item,i have not decided which way to display them yet,? in launch configuration, 5 segment boosters upper stage removed upper stage engine with Orion cev with BPC cover and launch escape rocket With the Block 1 cargo vehicle alongside same pics with the ref material and with the cargo version and the future planned heavy payload shroud,not completed yet? and the other two Block 0. 4 segment booster versions started. and the Block 1 again AND FINALLY...my 4 year old came home from school,with this rocket he built for my collection,ive never been so proud.,we have discussed the design qualities,and have planned some intresting versions for this gorgous vehicle? Hope you liked the pics,its a bit pic heavy,sorry...any comments always welcome, cheers Don

NASA Crawler-transporter. Originally developed for carrying the Saturn series of rockets, was later modified to take the Space Shuttle, and further modifications for the next generation of The Space Launch System. These vehicles have an incredible all up weight of 2,721,000 kilograms (5,999,000 lb) and can carry 8,200,000 kg (18,000,000 lb). They have a speed of 1mph when loaded with an mpg of 125 US Gallons to the Mile! Pics thanks to Mike Costello.

NASA Saturn IB Rocket thanks to Mike Costello.

NASA Saturn V Rocket. All pics thanks to Mike Costello. Launch Escape System, primary contractor Lockheed Propulsion Company.

this was quite intresting i thought,for quite a lot of reasons?one being,why does a race send a flying saucer to another planet?coals to newcastle,sort of thing? http://www.techtimes.com/articles/5468/20140412/nasa-readies-low-density-supersonic-decelerator-flying-saucer-for-future-mars-asteroid-missions.htm just joshing.. cheers Don

This is a bit short notice, sorry, but I've just had an email from the Kennedy Space Center advising that the special "Close Up" tours; which goes inside the Vehicle Assembly Building (VAB), will end on 23 February. The VAB is being handed back to NASA so that they can start preparations for their next space project which I believe is the Orion/Delta IV Heavy? The other "close up" tour is the visit to the Launch Complex 39A (LC-39A) which gets you right up to the launch pad for excellent photo opportunities, will also end sometime soon. Here are some images which I took last year. I would certainly recommend going if the chance is available because we may never get the opportunity again. Mike Inside the VAB LC-39A - especially useful with the Revell Shuttle Launch Tower kit being re-issued in August.

HI, nice to see things are progressing, http://www.nasa.gov/centers/kennedy/pdf/638823main_crawler-transporter.pdf cheers Don.............thats another new model to build?

Hey All This is my Revell 747SCA, in the last livery worn by the jumbo. Fun build, very odd one. The kit does show its age abit, but it was stillfun. It is the new release 747sca by revell, 1/144. Heres thew photos :-) Thanks for looking Bradley

The photo below is of a F-4 Phantom but I don't know which version it is. The aircraft was photographed at the Dryden Research Facility alongside the Shuttle Carrier Aircraft (SCA) in 1977. I see that it has the under-nose protrusion but have seen similar in various versions. Can anyone provide more specific details of this particular aircraft 37424 please? Also, what externally visible (not interested in internal avionics differences etc) differences are there between the F-4B, F-4C, F-4D, F-4E, F-4EJ and F-4F please? I am planning to build a variety of Phantoms in 1:144 scale and (hopefully at that scale) there are not many visible differences between each. Thanks in advance for any helpful information and/or images to support my requests cheers Mike

Hi,tv tonight,on QUEST CHANNEL [38] at 9.00 until 10.00 ,behind the scenes at NASA,about the change from the space shuttle to the constellation programme,should be intresting? cheers Don

Hello everyone, This was my "quick" (read long term) project for the F-15 STGB. Hope you like F-15 B ACTIVE S/MTD (2D Nozzles) Kit : Revell F-15E Strike Eagle Scale : 1:144 Decals : Some kit ones, Dragon F-15/F-5 Aggressor and home made. Paints : Tamiya, Humbrol, and Vallejo Extras : Retrowings F-15E Strike Eagle Cockpit set and F-18 Control surfaces set, Monokio Ladders, cake wires, and lots of plasticard. Build Thread : Clicky Linky Herey Kind Regards Dazz

Hello one and all, This is my first GB, hope I don't cock it up! Anyhow while I wait clarification about "What-ifs", I post what I wanted to do and then what I will be doing if not. First one I wanted to do was a plane I used a lot when I had my old PS2 out. It's from the computer game Ace Combat Zero : The Belkan War (I know the two main aircraft in this game where F-15C's but I am not doing them... yet) its called the F-15 ACTIVE, as far as I am aware there was only one of these aircraft made and is now retired. It was used for lots of experiments and was also the first aircraft that I knew of that had thrust vectoring nozzles both 2D and 3D ones. Well here is the scheme I wanted to do, from the game. I must apologise for the crappy picture, but you get the point. Here is the actual "squadron" I will be doing and the aircraft. I do not own the artwork and I have no idea whom to ask either, but originally it belongs to Namco-Bandai. Not much in the way of stencils there, but I will see what I can source from my spares. Also I think that middle fuel tank should be a gun pod as the gun was removed for the canards. If anyone is looking at the canards and thinking "Hang on... they look familiar!!" It's because they have come from an F-18's horizitonal stabilizers. I had to check that one up on NASA's website, even I didn't believe it! The only thing I am going to have difficulty with is, the squadron badge, triangles/bars and the star. If you are wondering why the markings on this fictitious aircraft/country look like the ones used by America, its because in the game, Osea is based on America. I am planning on making my own decals for this one also. I need to learn a few things for this one before I can decal it. Now if this isn't allowed I will be making the proper version of this plane that NASA flew and will be building this one in the background for fun. I will be using the great Revell 1/144 F-15E Strike Eagle (what the original was made from), and also I will be using the Zactomods upgrade set as well as the Retrowings sets (once they arrive). In a stroke of pure planning greatness (or pure fluke you decide!) I already have the F-18 canards from when I made my F-18D, the Retrowings set for the control surfaces came with spare horizontal stabilizers but I never used them. So I will be using them on here. I will post up the bits as and when they arrive. I am hoping it will be soon. Kind Regards, Dazz

Ok then, in at the deep end. I am going to attempt to build the NASA F-15B #836 from the Dryden Flight Research Center, as it was during 2006’s Gulfstream Aerospace, Quiet Spike research project. Here's a photo of the real thing (hope it's ok to post this picture as believe it or not, I didn't take it). I will be using this 1:48 Hasegawa TF-15 Eagle Bicentennial Bird kit. I’ve not taken sprue shots as I expect that many of you are pretty familiar with Hasegawa’s Eagles. To go with the kit I have ordered a set of NASA decals via eBay but they’ve not arrived yet though. So still crossing my fingers that there’ll be some appropriate sized NASA logos on the sheet when it arrives. I’m in the process of getting hold of some further decals for the ‘836’ on the vertical stabilisers and the Gulfstream logo to go on the spike. And finally on the decal front I’ve just ordered some gold stripe decals by Microscale via Hannants. I’m hoping these will do for the gold edge to the blue sections as I really don’t fancy trying to mask and paint them. Then, arguably the most important feature of this aircraft is the spike and this I have 3D modelled and had printed at work. Just got it this afternoon and I’m quite happy with it but it’s definitely going to take some careful effort to get it nice and smooth. And as for fitting it – shudders! Finally, I will probably get some Aires exhausts (turkey feather type) to replace the kit ones. Not bothering with AM seats as I’ll be going closed canopy. This project is likely a bit much for a novice modeller so I do have plans B, C and D (which used to be plan A) for in the event of this going to pot. (Sorry if I've been a bit wordy)

Kennedy Space Center Launch Pads 39A & 39B along with the Vehicle Assembly Building form the Launch Complex 39 at the Kennedy Space Centre. Pad 39a originally launched Apollo missions and then Shuttle missions, it future now is uncertain. Pics thanks to Mike (Bootneck)

The Vehicle (originally Vertical) Assembly Building, or VAB, at NASA's Kennedy Space Centre. It used to assemble American manned launch vehicles from 1968-2011. At 3,664,883 cubic meters, it is one of the largest buildings in the world by volume. The building is at Launch Complex 39. The VAB is the largest single-story building in the world, and is still the tallest building in the United States outside an urban area. The VAB, which was completed in 1966, was originally built to allow for the vertical assembly of the Saturn V rocket for the Apollo program. It was then used for housing Space Shuttle external fuel tanks and flight hardware, and was where Space Shuttle orbiters were mated with their solid rocket boosters and external fuel tanks. Once assembled, the complete Space Shuttle was moved on the Mobile Launcher Platform and Crawler-Transporter to LC-39 Pad A or B. Pics thanks to Mike (Bootneck)

The motivation for this build was a local model club meeting as the theme was "multi-engine". My primary project wasn't going to be ready in time, so I hatched this crazy idea to do a model in a day. The kit used was a 1994 SSP reissue of the original 1955 issue Revell D-558-2 Skyrocket. This kit was done back in the day when Revell was all over the map on their scales. The model scales out to about 1/65 scale. While not quite 1/72, it would like quite at home next to a couple Matchbox cars I suspect since 1/64 is a common diecast scale. So, work started at about 5 AM on Wednesday morning as I began work by painting a stand for it in Tamiya metallic black (it is an Aurora Moebius stand as the kit didn't come with a stand) and by a little before 6 PM, I was adding the finishing touches by running a fine line black pen into the panel lines to pick them out a bit. I admit the model is not perfect as there are some minor issues in spots. My kit also didn't have the clear window parts, so I had to use some Micro Krystal Klear to make them (and a day later one of the windows is STILL drying). But I like the results in any event. For those of you who aren't familiar with the Douglas Skyrocket, it was a late 1940s US Navy design intended to help break the sound barrier. The D-558-I Skystreak was intended to explore speeds up to Mach 1 while the D-558-II was intended to explore speeds beyond mach 1. The aircraft made use of German swept wing innovations and it was developed as a rival to the US Army Air Force's Bell X-1 (the USAF split off in 1947). Both planes were developed at a time when the aerospace race was between two miltary agencies as opposed to two countries. Defense budgets were very lean back then in the immediate post war years as the prestige of record breaking could help prop up the budget when the time came. Defense budgets didn't begin to climb until after the start of the Korean War and the noticeable cooling off of East West relations which began the cold war. The original design featured a hybrid powerplant as it had a jet engine intended for takeoffs and landings and a rocket engine (of the same design as used on the Bell X-1) for its speed run. Unfortunately, the jet engine was underpowered and combined with the tiny intakes and bent tailpipe in the bottom of the fuselage, the plane was a heavy slug. Lack of decent fuel tankage for the rocket engine meant that the aircraft could barely hit mach 1 on its speed runs. But on the times it did this (especially close to the ground where the air was nice and thick), it was very exciting to watch. The Revell kit represents this configuration. Midway through the program, the decision was made to remove the jet engine from at least one of the three planes built, increase the fuel tankage for the rocket engine and air drop it from a B-29. During several test flights, Douglas test pilot William Bridgeman took the Skyrocket to up to Mach 1.8 before the plane was turned over to NACA for research work. A few years later, NACA test pilot Scott Crossfield became the first man to break Mach 2 in the rocket only powered D-558-2 Skyrocket. The Skyrocket lead to several innovations which found their way into production military aircraft.

Hello everyone I'd like to do NASA's B-52. this one http://www.dfrc.nasa.gov/gallery/photo/B-52/Medium/EC02-0083-12.jpg Would i be able to use the Revell kit? Also will i need to make any adaptions? Thanks Bradley