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Postcard from USAF Flight Test Center at Edwards


Arie

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I thought I'd share a few shots from a recent trip I had out to the U.S. Air Force Flight Test Center at Edwards AFB, Calif. They were kind enough to allow me some nice photo-ops and, as would be expected, there's was a grand vareity of USAF, as well as international aircraft flying about the day I visited, so here's just a sampling of the highlights...enjoy!

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NASA F/A-18B from Dryden Flight Research Center which shares the dry lakebed and runways with Edwards. It was flying chase for NASA 853 (below)

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NASA F/A/-18A with some sort of experimental payload on the dorsal spine--she was flying a two-ship with NASA 846 (above)

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A Norwegian F-16 landing at Edwards--note the '666' tail number...not certain if that's serial, or humourous...

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A Marine Corps MV-22 Osprey put on quite a show, banking right over my head. She's from the USMC's dedicated tiltrotor test and eval squadron, VMX-22...

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F-16BM of the Royal Danish Air Force, assigned as an F-35 test support aircraft with the 461st Flight Test Squadron at Edwards. I didn't see this one fly, but it was an attractive paint scheme none the less...

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I guess the test pilots fight over this F-16B--it was the only Falcon on the flight line still painted in the old orange and white test pilot school colours--most are currently grey...though that may change, we shall see...

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The F-16B looked tidy from a distance, but there was some nice wear and tear for modelling interest (trailing edge of the wing here)

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...and a shot of the midnight-blue underside with some more fantastic weathering...

I've got a few more shots at my Flickr page if you're interested:

...not really enough room to post them all...maybe some F-16 modelling inspiration there though,

Cheers & happy building!

Arie C.

Edited by Arie
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