A Shock Sensing Probe, a cone-shaped aeronautical test instrument attached to the nose of the NASA F-15 aircraft.

Fact Sheets

Downloadable pdfs about the aircraft, flight test and research projects, facilities, people, and history of NASA’s Armstrong Flight Research Center in Edwards, California.

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Overview

Programs & Projects

Aircraft

Historical

Overview

Armstrong Flight Research Center

The center is NASA’s primary center for high-risk, atmospheric flight research and test projects. FS-2021-08-001 AFRC

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Large group of people in front of a building.

NASA Armstrong group photo taken outside Building 4800 at NASA’s Armstrong Flight Research Center in Edwards, California.

NASA

The C-20A aircraft takes off from airport runway.

Airborne Science Operations

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The X-56A flies over Rogers Dry Lakebed. A huge compass rose painted onto the lakebed can be seen below. Lines to the left and below the compass rose are runways.

The Lake Beds

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A large hanger with a split 225 X 50-foot door and metal staircases on both sides. To the right of the hangar is a smaller attached section of the structure for support staff.

Walter C. Williams Research Aircraft Integration Facility

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Aircraft

B200 Super King Air Research Support Aircraft

Armstrong’s Beechcraft B200 Super King Air aircraft serves as a testbed for various aeronautical research and airborne science projects. This B200 also serves as a pilot proficiency aircraft as part of NASA’s support aircraft fleet. FS-2022-11-099 AFRC

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NASA’s Armstrong Flight Research Center in Edwards, California, flew the B200 King Air in support of the Signals of Opportunity Synthetic Aperture Radar (SoOpSAR) campaign on Feb. 27, 2023.

NASA/Carla Thomas

The C-20A lifting off with wheels just above the runway below.

C-20A Airborne Science Research Aircraft

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Image of the two engines under the wing of the aircraft flying over the Antarctic.

DC-8 Airborne Science Laboratory

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NASA ER-2 takes off from the Los Angeles County Airshow runway.

ER-2 High-Altitude Airborne Science Aircraft

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The underside of a fighter jet flying above Mojave Desert

F/A-18 Mission Support Aircraft

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F/A-18 Systems Research Aircraft

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F-15B Aeronautics Research Test Bed

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Two jets seen on takeoff just above the runway.

F-15 Flight Research Facility

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NASA’s Global Hawk 872 soars over Edwards Air Force Base.

Global Hawk High-Altitude, LongEndurance Science Aircraft

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The G-III aircraft in flight against a clear blue sky.

G-III Aerodynamics Research Test Bed

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T-34C is seen in flight with desert floor below.

T-34C Mission Support Aircraft

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The X-57 aircraft inside a hangar with the hangar door open.

X-57 Maxwell

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Programs & Projects

Commercial Supersonic Technology Project

This project focuses on sonic boom reduction methods and approaches. Its primary goal is to develop and validate tools, technologies, and concepts to overcome the barriers to practical supersonic commercial aircraft. FS-107 AFRC

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A schlieren image of the X-59 small-scale model captured inside NASA Glenn’s 8- by- 6-foot Supersonic Wind Tunnel. These images are used to predict sonic booms and verify computer-based modeling.

NASA

Top view of an aircraft wing with fiber optic sensors attached.

Fiber Optic Sensing System

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Two crew beside an inflated high-altitude balloon, with a building labeled World View in the background

Flight Opportunities

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Launch Abort System PA-1 flight test

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Prandtl-D in flight against a light blue sky.

Prandtl-D Aircraft

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Schlieren image of a T-38 aircraft creating shock waves during supersonic flight.

Sonic Booms

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Historical

Active Aeroelastic Wing Flight Research

The center researched a high-tech adaptation of the Wright Brothers rudimentary “wingwarping” approach to aircraft flight control. FS-2005-03-061 DFRC

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First Check-Flight of F/A-18 Active Aeroelastic Wing (AAW)

How differential deflection of the inboard and outboard leading-edge flaps affected the handling qualities of this modified F/A-18A was evaluated during the first check flight in the Active Aeroelastic Wing (AAW) project at NASA’s Armstrong Flight Research Center in Edwards, California.