The Air Force Flight Test Museum is an aviation museum located at Edwards Air Force Base near Rosamond, California, focused on the history of the Air Force Flight Test Center.
History The Flight Test Museum Foundation was founded in 1983 by Carol Odgers, Chuck Yeager, Robert Cardenas, and William J. Knight. A 335-acre site on Rosamond Boulevard was given to the foundation in 1984 to build a museum, but construction was delayed for many years. In the intervening time, the museum moved forward with the creation of the Blackbird Airpark at Air Force Plant 42 in 1991 and began collaborating with a group of amateur archaeologists to display pieces of wreckage of crashed x-planes recovered from the desert.
By 1997, the museum had raised enough money to begin construction on a new building, which was fitted out in 1999 and opened in July 2000. Further efforts led to the opening of a Century Circle outside the west gate in August 2007 made up of six Century Series airplanes and the top of the former Edwards Air Force Base control tower. The museum's longtime chief historian, Dr. Jim Young, retired in 2011.
Efforts to move aircraft to better storage conditions began in March 2012, when the museum cleaned up its storage yard. This was followed by a number of significant moves in 2013, with the restoration shop being relocated to a new hangar with better equipment in February, three aircraft being towed to the museum grounds in August, and a VH-34 being transferred to a museum in Texas in September.
After its closure in 2015, an XB-47 was acquired from the Octave Chanute Aerospace Museum.
The museum broke ground on a new location outside the gate to the base in March 2018. Following site preparation, the first concrete was poured in June 2020. The first phase of construction was completed in May 2023.
Collection Aircraft
Accurate Automation LoFLYTE Beech UC-45J Expeditor 67161 Bell P-59A Airacomet 44-22633 Bell X-1 – Replica Bensen X-25B 68-10771 Boeing NC-135A Stratolifter 60-0377 Boeing C-135C Stratolifter 61-2669 "Speckled Trout" Boeing NB-52B Stratofortress 52-0008 Boeing Phantom Eye Boeing XB-47 Stratojet 46-0066 Boeing X-48C Cessna NA-37B Dragonfly 73-1090 Convair F-106B Delta Dart 59-0158 Convair TF-102A Delta Dagger 54-1353 Convair YB-58A Hustler 55-665 de Havilland Canada C-7B Caribou 63-9765 Douglas A3D-1 Skywarrior 135434 Douglas C-53D Skytrooper 41-20093 Douglas F-10B Skyknight 125850 Douglas TB-26B Invader 44-34165 Fairchild T-46A 84-0492 Fairchild Republic YA-10B Thunderbolt II 73-1664 General Dynamics F-16B Fighting Falcon 75-0751 General Dynamics F-16B Fighting Falcon 80-0634 General Dynamics F-16XL 75-0747 General Dynamics F-16XL 75–0749 General Dynamics F-111A Aardvark 63-9766 General Dynamics NF-111A Aardvark 63-9778 Gloster Meteor TT.20 WD592 Grumman X-29 82-0049 Grumman Gulfstream II Shuttle Training Aircraft Lockheed A-12 60-6924 Lockheed C-130E Hercules 61-2358 Lockheed C-140A JetStar 59-5962 Lockheed D-21B Lockheed EF-80A Shooting Star 44-85123 Lockheed F-104A Starfighter 56-801 Lockheed NC-141A Starlifter 61-2779 Lockheed NF-104A Starfighter 56-756 Lockheed NF-104A Starfighter 56-790 Lockheed SR-71A Blackbird 61-7955 Lockheed SR-71A Blackbird 61-7973 – On loan Lockheed T-33A 52-9846 Lockheed T-33A 58-0669 Lockheed U-2D 56-6721 Lockheed YF-22 87-0700 Lockheed YF-94A Starfire 48-356 Lockheed YF-117A Nighthawk 79-10783 LTV YA-7D Corsair II 67-14583 LTV YA-7F 71-0344 Martin RB-57B Canberra 52-1576 Martin Marietta Model 845 01454 McDonnell F-4C Phantom II 64-0741 McDonnell Douglas F-15B Eagle 73-0114 McDonnell Douglas X-36 McDonnell Douglas YC-15 72-1875 McDonnell Douglas YF-4E Phantom II 65-0713 McDonnell Douglas YF-15A Eagle 71-0287 McDonnell F-101B Voodoo 58-288 McDonnell NF-4C Phantom II 63-7407 McDonnell RF-4C Phantom II 64-1004 Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-21PF 761811 NASA M2-F1 North American CT-39A Sabreliner 60-3505 North American F-86F Sabre 52-5241 North American F-100A Super Sabre 52-5760 North American T-28B Trojan 137702 North American X-15 – Replica North American YF-100A Super Sabre 52-5755 Northrop F-89D Scorpion 52-1959 Northrop T-38A Talon 61-0810 Northrop T-38A Talon 61-0849 Northrop X-4 Bantam 46-676 Northrop X-21 55-408 Northrop X-21 55-410 Northrop YA-9A 71-1367 Piasecki H-21B Work Horse 52-8623 Piper PA-48 Enforcer 48-8301002 Republic F-84F Thunderstreak 51-9350 Republic F-105D Thunderchief 61-146 Rockwell B-1B Lancer 84-0049 Rutan VariEze Ryan AQM-34J Firebee Scaled Composites Model 133 Scaled Composites Model 226 Sikorsky CH-34G Seabat 53-4477 Sikorsky JCH-3C 62-12581
Missiles PGM-17 Thor
Events The museum holds an annual gala called the Gathering of Eagles.
See also List of aviation museums
References Footnotes
Notes
External links