NASA Dryden's F/A-18 #853 research aircraft that was the centerpiece of the Active Aeroelastic Wing (AAW) project several years ago took to the skies again June 18, 2009, for the first time since the AAW project ended in 2005.
ED09-0157-02
Project: Integrated Resilient Aircraft Controls (IRAC)
NASA Dryden’s F/A-18 #853 research aircraft that was the centerpiece of the Active Aeroelastic Wing (AAW) project several years ago took to the skies again June 18, 2009, for the first time since the AAW project ended in 2005. The flight was a functional check following the extended downtime. The aircraft replaced Dryden’s now-retired NF-15B #837 as the full-scale flight research test bed for NASA’s IRAC project.June 18, 2009
NASA photo/Tony Landis