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F-16XL #1 in Flight

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NASA

May 01, 2014
Image Article
F-16XL #1 in Flight
NASA's single-seat F-16XL presents a unique look to an observer from above as it flies over the snow-covered southern Sierra Nevada Mountains of California on a flight out of the Dryden Flight Research Center, Edwards, CA.

EC94-42885-1
NASA’s single-seat F-16XL presents a unique look to an observer from above as it flies over the snow-covered southern Sierra Nevada Mountains of California on a flight out of the Dryden Flight Research Center, Edwards, CA. The aircraft was most recently used in the Cranked-Arrow Wing Aerodynamics Project (CAWAP) to test boundary layer pressures and distribution.
Previously, the aircraft was used in a program to investigate the characteristics of sonic booms for NASA’s High Speed Research Program. Data from the program will be used in the development of a high-speed civilian transport. During the series of sonic boom research flights, the F-16XL was used to probe the shock waves being generated by a NASA SR-71 and record their shape and intensity.Circa 1995
NASA Photo / Judson Brohmer