Odd group of aircraft at Edwards AFB

Ok so first off I'm not a major thread maker so forgive me if I screw up. Also I'm not star or flag hunting

So this morning when I was meant to be working, I got bored and decided to google earth Edwards AFB. While I was zooming in and out and checking out the B52s on the tarmac I stumbled across a group of aircraft all shapes and sizes. The thing that struck me odd were the way they were parked, all facing west almost nose to tail

Now I reconise some aircraft, I see a B-1b, possibly a star lifter with an adapted nose cone, I also see a Dakota, 2 Boeing 707s (could be wrong there), a Canberra, f-4 phantom and possible an old coursair (spelling).

One plane that strikes me as odd well there is two, the first is a small white aircraft at the front of the pack with strange wing formation and the second is at the back of the group of aircraft in camouflage green colour with what also looks like it has drop takes on the wings

I'm sorry I can't post pics right now as I'm on my iPhone but can do this later once I'm home. But I can provide the google earth co-ordinates. They are 34o 53.9991N and 117o 52.1467W

So sorry to spoil your fun there's no conspiracy or secrets just something I stumbled across. If anyone can enlighten me on what aircraft are there and possibly why they are all bunched up and why the mixture of aircraft

Cheers people of ATS have a good day

reply to post by ThePeaceMaker


You'd have to be able to know when that image was taken, they aren't realtime, sometimes google earth images are years old. My house, for instance, is about 2 years old now. google earth shows empty lots, the street wasn't even there when they took the image.

could be something as simple as an airshow.

I mean old phantoms? what the heck are they doing with those? lol

reply to post by ThePeaceMaker

reply to post by phishyblankwaters


Yeah I know it's not in real time, it could be a part of an air show or left overs perhaps the planes were waiting to be put back it their right places. I just found it odd that's all. And yes a phantom, although the colour pattern of it may of been a test aircraft

reply to post by this_is_who_we_are


Yes! Those two that I find odd I haven't a clue what they are. Thanks for putting the pics up!

Especially the green one, looks as though I has 4 engines by the tail section and the drop tanks look as though they are on top of the wings, which isn't unusual I remember the old English electric lightning they had fuel tanks on top of the wings

Those are all aircraft belonging to the Air Force Flight Test Museum. They are being stored at South Base until there is a permanent display area available.

The white airplane with the dual set of wings in the Scaled Composites Model 133 Advanced Technology Tactical Transport demonstration prototype (tail no. N133SC). The camouflaged plane is a Lockheed C-140 JetStar (AFSN 59-5962).

The red and white airplane just to the right of the ATTT is a modified TB-26B (N9146M) that was used by Calspan as a variable stability flying simulator.

The gray-camouflaged A-7 northeast of the B-26 is the YA-7F "A-7 Plus" prototype (71-0344) that was developed in response to an Air Force request for an improved fast close air support and ground attack aircraft.

Just east of the YA-7F is the Advanced Fighter Technology Integration (AFTI) F-111 (63-9778, the 13th F-111A) that was used to flight-test the Mission Adaptive Wing, a variable-camber airfoil.

Just to the right of the F-111 is a C-135C Speckled Trout (61-2669) aircraft that was used by the Secretary and the Chief of Staff of the Air Force for executive transport requirements. Fully equipped with an array of communications equipment, data links and cryptographic sets, the aircraft served a secondary role as a testbed for proposed command and control systems and was also used to evaluate future transport aircraft design concepts.

The hog-nosed aircraft between the Speckled Trout and the C-140 is the NKC-135A (60-0377) that was used as an Avionics testbed during the development of the B-2.

The B-57B (N809NA) to the right of the C-140 was flown by NASA for a variety of research programs including a study of clear-air turbulence.

Further to the northeast, you can see the YRF-4E Phantom II (former F-4D, 65-0713) and one of the two Fairchild T-46 prototypes (84-0492).

The southernmost row of aircraft includes a B-1B (85-0068), the NC-141A Advanced Radar Testbed (61-2779), a C-53 (41-20093), and a C-7B Caribou (63-9765) used by the U. S. Army Golden Knights parachute team.

reply to post by Shadowhawk


Shadow .. Thank you very much

I know this thread will get buried .. I don't mind I was just posting as I was curious. And who else better to ask than the ATS communtiy

reply to post by Shadowhawk


Since they're waiting for a museum, I assume Speckled Trout is 669? That was the second, and I believe 589 is the current Speckled Trout.

reply to post by Zaphod58


Yes, that's right. Sorry. I forgot to include the C-135C serial number. It's there now.

reply to post by Shadowhawk


I always used to love when CSAF would come through. I loved that bird. Beautiful on the outside, and had all kinds of neat toys on the inside.

reply to post by Shadowhawk


The collection is stored in an area where the mere mortals who are at EDW on media passes can't do any photography. You don't know the self-restraint that is required! The photographer's convoy goes right past that area. The instructions are no photographs of South Base. Period. End of story.

Maybe now that the ABL is canceled, the restriction will be gone. Well presuming EDW ever does another open house. It has been years since the last one.

gariac
reply to post by Shadowhawk

 

The collection is stored in an area where the mere mortals who are at EDW on media passes can't do any photography. You don't know the self-restraint that is required! The photographer's convoy goes right past that area. The instructions are no photographs of South Base. Period. End of story.

Maybe now that the ABL is canceled, the restriction will be gone. Well presuming EDW ever does another open house. It has been years since the last one.

I've been to south base quite a few times while TDY at Edwards. One of my good friends who I joined the Air Force with got stationed at Edwards right out of tech school. He loaded bombs on the B-1, B-52, and B-2. The only time I've ever seen the cockpits of the B-1 and B-52 is when he took me and my two pilots to south base to get a little private tour. I remember that the B-1 on the inside was pretty impressive. There's tons of room in there and the two rear seaters have all kinds of cool gadgets to play with. But what was really impressive was the B -52 bomb bays. They are huge!

I would guess that perhaps the reason for no photography at South Base is because the B-2 is sometimes parked outside the building.

In the early days of the B-2 test program, security around South Base was increased significantly with a wider perimeter, and a guarded gate preventing anyone not cleared into the program from entering the area. Eventually, those restrictions were eased, reducing the most highly secured area to the immediate vicinity of the hangars and South Base flightline. All of that is soon to change, and South Base will once again become highly secure for a new program.

Shadowhawk
In the early days of the B-2 test program, security around South Base was increased significantly with a wider perimeter, and a guarded gate preventing anyone not cleared into the program from entering the area. Eventually, those restrictions were eased, reducing the most highly secured area to the immediate vicinity of the hangars and South Base flightline. All of that is soon to change, and South Base will once again become highly secure for a new program.

Is the new bomber that close already or are you speaking of another project?

I don't know. South Base is home to the bomber CTF, but it could be anything that needs high security and substantial hangar space. Maybe it is something that was initially tested elsewhere and is now edging closer to white (or at least gray) world operations.

reply to post by Shadowhawk


Seems like there's a few just itching to come out of the black world! Can't wait

Stealthbomber
reply to post by Shadowhawk

 

Seems like there's a few just itching to come out of the black world! Can't wait

Yeah me neither!

Edwards south base has radar based perimeter security. If you know what the gear looks like, it is easy to spot. But the technology is really old school. However, you don't see the gear that often. The sensors look like this:
Microwave Security Sensor