A seldom noticed, but cool Air Base. And its mostly underground...

And its in my backyard! About an hour or so away, very near to the place where Bonnaroo™ is held every year, sits Arnold Air Force Base.

Arnold Engineering Development Center (AEDC) is the most advanced and largest complex of flight simulation test facilities in the world. The center operates 58 aerodynamic and propulsion wind tunnels, rocket and turbine engine test cells, space environmental chambers, arc heaters, ballistic ranges and other specialized units. Twenty-seven of the center’s test units have capabilities unmatched elsewhere in the United States; 14 are unique in the world. The Arnold Engineering Development Center is an Air Force Materiel Command organization and an important national resource.

One of Many Wind Tunnels


F-35 Lightling II Joint Strike Fighter initial flight
A Pratt and Whitney F135 engine undergoes altitude testing at the Arnold Engineering Development Center. It is one of two engines slated to power the F-35 Lightning II Joint Strike Fighter.


An H3 Arc Heater undergoes tests prior to the installation of the model injection system. (Air Force photo)


THAAD - The Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) missile is designed to intercept and destroy ballistic missiles inside or outside the atmosphere while they are in their final, or terminal, phase of flight. The THAAD model shown here was tested at AEDC’s Hypervelocity Wind Tunnel 9 facility in White Oak, Md., to collect high-accuracy static stability and drag data. Once demonstrated, the same test model and instrumentation were used in a test in the von Karman Facility to confirm complementary test capabilities exist between the two AEDC facilities. (U.S. Air Force photo)


Hit to kill - AEDC has tested the PATRIOT Advanced Capability-3 “hit-to-kill” missile in the center’s 16S to determine its lethality capacity. A rapidly deployable system, it provides short-range defense, defends deployed troops and provides continuous missile defense coverage for rapidly maneuvering forces. The PAC-3 system was deployed to the Middle East as part of Operation Iraqi Freedom where it successfully engaged several ballistic missiles. (U.S. Air force photo)

SOURCE | www.arnold.af.mil

[edit on 4/26/2007 by damajikninja]

This is a good find! Arnold AFB, Engineering and Development Center is a smaller, but pretty important R&D facility for many aerospace projects. From the webside, it seems that one of their biggest projects at the moment has to do with the Missile Defense Shield.

Tim

Yeah, they may be small - but they have THE premier aerospace testing facilities in the nation, and rival many facilities in the world. Says so on tha main page. Small, yet pretty spiff-o. I wonder if there are any "black" projects that go through there? I know people that have seen UFO's near that area... even though most of the stuff they test there is in component form, not full craft (as far as I know).

I wonder if it has to do with those radioactive semi-trucks I saw the other day... nah, I doubt it but its a fun conspiracy theory anyways! Speculating is fun!

Originally posted by damajikninja
Yeah, they may be small - but they have THE premier aerospace testing facilities in the nation, and rival many facilities in the world. Says so on tha main page. Small, yet pretty spiff-o.

I wonder if there are any "black" projects that go through there? I know people that have seen UFO's near that area... even though most of the stuff they test there is in component form, not full craft (as far as I know).

My brother-in-law works there....he's a civilian though. He has to stay in a room all night and monitor some type of electrical gauges...don't really know the specifics.I know he cannot leave the room and must get someone to fill-in even when he needs to use the bathroom.

Are you in The 'Boro damajikninja? So am I....small world.

I do school in da boro, but i do my living in South Nashville. About as south as you can get without being in brentwood, where I graduated HS.