Page 1 - Aerotech News and Review July 15 2016

Museum launches ‘Give to Restore’ campaign
The Air Force Flight Test Museum
located at Edwards Air Force Base,
Calif., is currently raising money to
restore the museum’s YF-117A.
The museum took possession of
the aircraft in 2008, and it was on
display at the Blackbird Airpark in
Palmdale, Calif.
After four years, however, the
condition of the aircraft was begin-
ning to deteriorate due to the harsh
conditions of the Antelope Valley —
intense sunlight, extreme hot temper-
atures in summer and cold in winter,
plus the never-ending winds.
At that time, it was decided to
bring the aircraft to Edwards so that
it could be undergo restoration.
On the night of June 7, 2012, mu-
seum staff and volunteers braved a
35-mile tow that lasted more than
eight hours under the cover of night
in order to get the aircraft to Edwards manently assigned to the SENIOR
AFB.
“The journey to Edwards was un-
eventful, thankfully, and we believe
the Flight Test Museum set a new
world record for the longest F-117
tow in history,” said a museum
spokesperson.
Since that time, the aircraft has
been stored inside a hangar facility
assigned to the museum where mu-
seum volunteers have begun the task
of restoring this historic aircraft.
“Your financial help is needed
in preparing this very historic air-
craft for eventual public display in
the Air Force Flight Test Museum’s
new museum building, to be located
outside the Edwards AFB West Gate
and accessible to the general public,”
said a museum spokesperson.
There are currently more than 80
aircraft in the Air Force Flight Test
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Museum’s collection, with 41 on
display — 36 at Edwards AFB and Courtesy photograph
five at Blackbird Airpark — and the
remainder in storage or restoration. The YF-117A Nighthawk is currently stored in a hangar at Edwards Air Force Base, Calif. The Air Force Flight Test
Museum is raising money to complete the renovation of the aircraft so it can be displayed as part of the museum’s
The numerous volunteers, support- 80-plus plane collection.
ers and trustees of the Flight Test
Historical Foundation are dedicated briefing at the Pentagon in November to Air Force Plant 42 in Palmdale. Squadron). The mission of the 410th
to preserving the history of flight test 1988. At that time only a single dark, The unit’s test aircraft included FLTS includes testing new upgrades
to inspire future generations. grainy image was released to news three of the original YF-117A FSD and modifications for the F-117A
media. Air Force officials have re- prototypes (782, 783, 784) and one as well as functional testing of op-
Foundation members and museum cently identified the picture as a rare production model F-117A (831). erational aircraft going through the
volunteers have put in numerous early photo of Article 783. In March 1993 the unit was reorga- Modification Redelivery Program.
hours to sustain artifacts and one- nized and activated as the 410th Test
of-a-kind objects that tell the rich In April 1992, the Baja Scorpions Squadron (later 410th Flight Test In 1998, Article 783 became the
history of aviation and flight test. relocated F-117A test operations See MUSEUM, Page 3
The fourth YF-117A SENIOR
TREND full-scale development pro-
totype of the Lockheed Martin F-
117A Nighthawk, Scorpion 4, has a
long and distinguished history.
Built in 1979, it was first flown by
Lockheed test pilot Tom Morgenfeld
July 7, 1982. The airplane was per-
TREND Joint Test Force, known as
the Baja Scorpions to serve primar-
ily as a low observables “stealth”
testbed.
Following initial anti-radar and
anti-IR trials, the airplane was used
alternatively between LO tests and
integration of improvements to navi-
gation and weapon delivery systems.
It was also flown in a Navy perfor-
mance review to evaluate the F-117A
for aircraft carrier suitability.
In August 1986, Scorpion 4 was
flown 32 times in a single month and
by February 1987 the airframe had
logged 600 flight hours. By March
1990, it had logged 900 hours.
SENIOR TREND remained an
unacknowledged special access pro-
gram until Defense Department offi-
cials revealed its existence in a press
NTPS certified by European agency
by Linda KC Reynolds
staff writer
The National Test Pilot School located at
Mojave Air and Space Port recently received
certification by the European Aviation Safety
the agency’s new requirements to train civil-
ian European test pilots.
NTPS is currently the only school in the
world qualified to meet these new require-
ments.
“It was a lot of work but it is well worth
the effort,” said Chief Operations Officer Jim
“JB” Brown, who took on his new position
about six months ago. “It proved we were do-
See NTPS, Page 3
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