First Flights at Edwards Air Force Base Compiled by History Office Air Force Flight Test Center

First flights are always considered a risky business. Test pilot, astronaut and manager for the space shuttle orbital test program Donald K. "Deke" Slayton put it very well when he cautioned prior to the first flight of "Columbia": "In my opinion, about 90 percent of your risk in a total program comes with a first flight. There is no nice in-between milestone. You have to bite it all in one chunk." In a similar vein, NASA's associate administrator for Space Transportation Systems, John Yardley, explained at the same time: "I'm not worried over any of the problems we have worried about. They're in good shape. The things that you have to be careful about are the unknowns, things that have never happened before...A new engineering gremlin could crawl out of the woodwork, one nobody could have predicted." Others have been more succinct: The object of a first flight is to get it back down in one piece. Muroc Army Air Force Base, Calif., (now Edwards AFB) was selected for the maiden flight of the XP-59A Airacomet, America's first jet-powered aircraft, because of the remoteness of its highdesert location, the clear and uncrowded skies overhead, and the incalculable measure of safety afforded by the vast expanse of Rogers Dry Lake which could (and would, again and again) serve as an emergency landing field should any inflight problems occur. In the years since, these unsurpassed natural advantages have been augmented by the installation of sophisticated range tracking and communications equipment, as well as the development of a corps of technical and emergency response personnel who are trained to deal effectively with any kind of contingency. All of these resources, when combined, continue to make Edwards the optimum location for the first flights of high-performance and experimental aircraft. "First flight" is here defined as the first flight of an air vehicle that took off (launched), landed, or both, at Edwards AFB. This list represents a conservative compilation of confirmed first flights of new experimental and prototype air vehicles in addition to subsequent models which encompassed major configuration or system modifications.
DATE AIRPLANE CONTRACTOR

Aug. 10, 1917

2-seat scout

California Aeroplane & Motor Company (first recorded use of lakebed for flight test purposes) Northrop Avion (proto-flying wing; may have been second flight) Curtiss (flying mockup for the XP-55 Ascender) General Motors Bug (prototype remote control flying bomb, i.e., cruise missile) Bell (prototype for P-59A Airacomet)

Sept. 26, 1929

X-216H

Dec. 2, 1941 Dec. 5, 1941

CW-24B GM A-1

Oct. 1, 1942

XP-59A

DATE

AIRPLANE

CONTRACTOR

Jan. 9, 1943 Jan. 15, 1943 Aug. 27, 1943 Sept. 6, 1943 Oct. 2, 1943 Jan. 8, 1944

C-69 XP-54 JB-1 XP-56 MX-334 XP-80

Lockheed Constellation Vultee Swoose Goose Northrop Bat flying bomb (MX-543) unpowered Northrop Black Bullet Northrop (unpowered XP-79 concept demonstrator) Lockheed (concept demonstrator for singleengine jet fighter) Lockheed Chain Lightning Lockheed (prototype for F-80 Shooting Star) Northrop rocket powered version of MX-334 (first powered flight) Consolidated Vultee turbojet/turboprop fighter Northrop Flying Ram Republic Thunderjet Douglas Jetmaster (first U.S. jet bomber prototype) Northrop Flying Wing North American Fury (first pure-jet Navy fighter) Vought Pirate (U.S. Navy) Ryan Dark Shark (U.S. Navy) Lockheed Constitution (U.S. Navy) Bell (first powered flight) North American Tornado Convair Hughes (first complete--takeoff/safe landing--flight) Douglas Skystreak turbojet research plane Douglas (Mixmaster with two podded jet engines)

June 6, 1944 June 10, 1944 July 5, 1944

XP-58 XP-80A MX-324

Feb. 7, 1945 Sept. 12, 1945 Feb. 28, 1946 May 17, 1946 June 25, 1946 Sept. 12, 1946 Oct. 2, 1946 Nov. 1, 1946 Nov. 9, 1946 Dec. 9, 1946 March 17, 1947 April 2, 1947 April 5, 1947 April 15, 1947 May 27, 1947

XP-81 XP-79 XP-84 XB-43 XB-35 XFJ-1 XF6U-1 XF2R-1 XR60-1 X-1 XB-45 XB-46 XF-11 D-558-I XB-42A

DATE

AIRPLANE

CONTRACTOR

XF-86 Sabre

Oct. 1, 1947

XF-86

North American Sabre

DATE

AIRPLANE

CONTRACTOR

YB-49 Oct. 21, 1947 Feb. 4, 1948 March 5, 1948 March 23, 1948 Aug. 16, 1948 Aug. 23, 1948 Sept. 18, 1948 Oct. 20, 1948 Dec. 16, 1948 May 9, 1949 YB-49 D-558-II XF-87 XF3D XF-89 XF-85 XF-92A XF-88 X-4 XF-91 Northrop jet version of XB-35 flying wing Douglas Skyrocket Curtiss Blackhawk Douglas Skyknight (U.S. Navy) Northrop Scorpion McDonnell Goblin parasite fighter Convair Dart (worlds first delta wing) McDonnell Voodoo (name later used for F-101) Northrop Bantam Republic Thunderceptor
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DATE

AIRPLANE

CONTRACTOR

June 3, 1949 Dec. 22, 1949 Jan. 19, 1950 Jan. 25, 1950 May 4, 1950 May 26, 1950 June 3, 1950 June 27, 1950 Nov. 22, 1950 Jan. 23, 1951 Feb. 14, 1951

XF-90 YF-95A YF-94C YF-93 YRB-49 XA2D-1 YF-96A YF-89A XSSM-N-8 XF4D YF-84F

Lockheed North American Sabre Dog (redesignated YF-86D) Lockheed Starfire North American (F-86 variant) Northrop reconnaissance YB-49 with two podded jet engines Douglas Skyshark (Navy) turboprop AD-1 Republic Thunderstreak (redesignated YF-84F) Northrop (redesigned production version) Chance Vought Regulus I (U.S. Navy cruise missile) Douglas Skyray (U.S. Navy) Republic Thunderstreak (enlarged fuselage production version) Bell variable wing-sweep angle in flight North American turboprop version of AJ Savage Republic Thunderflash Grumman Jaguar (U.S. Navy) Bell (glide flight, first powered, Nov. 18, 1955) Douglas Flying Stiletto Douglas Skywarrior (U.S. Navy) Bell second-generation X-1 (glide flight, first powered, Feb. 21, 1953) North American (fighter-bomber version of Sabre)

June 20, 1951 Jan. 4, 1952 Feb. 3, 1952 May 19, 1952 June 27, 1952 Oct. 20, 1952 Oct. 28, 1952 Feb. 14, 1953

X-5 XA2J-1 YRF-84F XF10F-1 X-2 X-3 XA3D X-1A

April 30, 1953

YF-86H

DATE

AIRPLANE

CONTRACTOR

YF-100 Super Sabre

May 25, 1953 Sept. 16, 1953 Oct. 14, 1953 Oct. 24, 1953 Jan. 5, 1954

YF-100 A3D-1 X-10 YF-102 F-84G

North American Super Sabre Douglas, first production Skywarrior, #130352 North American RPV Navajo cruise missile testbed Convair Delta Dagger Zero-length launch and mat landing, or ZELMAL program

DATE

AIRPLANE

CONTRACTOR

March 4, 1954 May 7, 1954 June 16, 1954 June 22, 1954 June 28, 1954

XF-104 YF-84J XFV-1 XA4D RB-66

XF-104 Starfighter Lockheed Starfighter Republic Lockheed Salmon VTOL fighter Douglas Skyhawk (U.S. Navy) Douglas Destroyer USAF version of Navy A3D Skywarrior Lockheed Hercules McDonnell Voodoo Convair Delta Dagger (first area-ruled aircraft) Chance Vought Crusader (U.S. Navy) McDonnell photo-recon Voodoo Republic (turboprop w/ supersonic prop) Republic Thunderchief Convair (side-by-side trainer version of F-102) Ryan Vertijet Bell (Third generation X-1; glide flight; first powered, Dec. 15, 1955)

Aug. 23, 1954 Sept. 29, 1954 Dec. 20, 1954 March 25, 1955 June 30, 1955 July 22, 1955 Oct. 22, 1955 Oct. 31, 1955 Dec. 10, 1955 Dec. 12, 1955

YC-130 F-101 YF-102A XF8U YRF-101A XF-84H YF-105 TF-102A X-13 X-1E

DATE

AIRPLANE

CONTRACTOR

Feb. 17, 1956 April 21, 1956 April 23, 1956 May 25, 1956 May 29, 1956

YF-104A F5D-1 C-133 F11F-1F XSSM-N-9

Lockheed Starfighter (redesigned production model) Douglas Skylancer (U.S. Navy) Douglas Cargomaster Grumman Super Tiger (re-engined F11F) Chance Vought Regulus II cruise missile (U.S. Navy) North American Ultra Sabre Convair Delta Dart Lockheed Jet Star Zero-length launch program Convair Delta Dart combat trainer Douglas Chance Vought Crusader III Northrop Talon North American (first glide flight; first powered, Sept. 17, 1959) Northrop (became F-5) Lockheed (rigid-rotor test bed) Hiller (tilt-wing V/STOL) NASA-Dryden Paraglider Research Vehicle Northrop heavily rebuilt B-66 Lockheed Zero Length Launch Northrop Freedom Fighter
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Sept. 10, 1956 Dec. 26, 1956 Sept. 4, 1957 March 26, 1958 April 9, 1958 May 30, 1958 June 3, 1958 April 10, 1959 June 8, 1959

YF-107A F-106A C-140 F-100D F-106B DC-8 XF8U-3 T-38 X-15

July 30, 1959 Nov. 4, 1959 Nov. 24, 1959 Jan. 25, 1962 April 18, 1963 July 23, 1963 July 31, 1963

N-156F CL-475 X-18 Paresev X-21A F-104 ZELL YF-5A

DATE

AIRPLANE

CONTRACTOR

Aug. 16, 1963 May 15, 1964 June 25, 1964

M2-F1 XV-5A X-15A-2

NASA-Dryden (unpowered Lifting Body aircraft) Ryan (U.S. Army) North American

XB-70 Valkyrie Sept. 21, 1964 Oct. 30, 1964 Feb. 25, 1965 July 12, 1966 Dec. 22, 1966 XB-70 LLRV DC-9 M2-F2 HL-10 North American Valkyrie Bell Lunar Landing Research Vehicle Douglas Northrop Lifting Body (glide flight) Northrop Lifting Body (glide flight; first powered, Nov. 13, 1968) Lockheed up-sized version of the U-2 LTV Corsair II (first flight w/TF41-A-2 engine) Martin Marietta Lifting Body (glide flight; first powered, March 19, 1970)

Aug. 28, 1967 Sept. 1968 April 17, 1969

U-2R YA-7D X-24A

DATE

AIRPLANE

CONTRACTOR

Dec. 12, 1969

Hyper III

NASA Dryden Concept demonstrator high speed Lifting Body vehicle. Northrop Lifting Body (glide flight; first powered Nov. 25, 1970) Douglas Martin Marietta Compass Dwell RPV Fairchild Republic Thunderbolt II Northrop Cobra

June2, 1970

M2-F3

Aug. 29, 1970 Aug. 31, 1971 May 10, 1972 May 30, 1972

DC-10 YQM-93A YA-10A YA-9A

F-15 Eagle

July 27, 1972 Aug. 11, 1972 July 28, 1973 Aug. 1, 1973

F-15 F-5E YQM-94A X-24B

McDonnell Douglas Eagle Northrop (first Tiger II) Boeing Compass Cope-B RPV Gull Martin Marietta Lifting Body (modified X-24A; glide flight; first powered Nov. 15, 1973)

10

DATE

AIRPLANE

CONTRACTOR

YF-16 Fighting Falcon Feb. 2, 1974 June 9, 1974 Aug. 1, 1974 YF-16 YF-17 Mini-Sniffer General Dynamics Fighting Falcon Northrop (evolved into Navy F/A-18 Hornet) NASA Dryden Flight Research Center remotely piloted research vehicle, or RPV, (used to monitor the upper atmosphere for pollution) Ryan Compass Cope-R RPV Tern Northrop (2-seat version of F-5E Tiger II) Rockwell Lancer McDonnell Douglas Rockwell Space Shuttle Enterprise (unpowered) Fairchild (2-seat night-attack version) Rockwell (RPV) NASA oblique-wing concept demonstrator

Aug. 17, 1974 Sept. 25, 1974 Dec. 23, 1974 Aug. 26, 1975 Aug. 12, 1977 May 4, 1979 Aug. 27, 1979 Dec. 21, 1979

YQM-98A F-5F B-1A YC-15 OV-101 YA-10B HiMAT AD-1

11

DATE

AIRPLANE

CONTRACTOR

April 14, 1981

STS-1

Rockwell Space Shuttle Columbia (orbital flight) Northrop Tigershark Grumman forward-swept wing concept vehicle Fairchild Republic NASA/DARPA/Sikorsky

Aug. 30, 1982 Dec. 14, 1984 Oct. 15, 1985 Dec. 2, 1987

F-20 X-29A T-46 X-Wing

B-2 Spirit July 17, 1989 Aug. 27, 1990 B-2 YF-23A Northrop Spirit Northrop (Advanced Tactical Fighter, or ATF demonstrator)

12

DATE

AIRPLANE

CONTRACTOR

YF-22A Sept. 29, 1990 Dec. 20, 1990 YF-22A AC-130U Lockheed (ATF demonstrator) Lockheed/Rockwell gunship

C-17 Globemaster III Sept. 15, 1991 Oct. 20, 1993 C-17 Pathfinder McDonnell Douglas Globemaster III AeroVironment solar powered vehicle
13

DATE

AIRPLANE

CONTRACTOR

Dec. 21, 1993 March 29, 1996

Perseus A DarkStar

Aurora Flight Services Corp. (RPV) Lockheed Tier III Minus stealth Unmanned Aerial Vehicle, or UAV Aurora Flight Services Corp. (RPV) Flight Technology Corp. ducted fan single-seat private air conditioning Subscale model of NASA hypersonic waverider vehicle McDonnell Douglas 28 percent subscale model of tailless fighter

May 24, 1996 June 22, 1996

Theseus Spectrum

Dec. 16, 1996

LoFLYTE

May 17, 1997

X-36

RQ-4A Global Hawk Feb. 28, 1998 RQ-4A Teledyne Ryan (now Northrop Grumman) Global Hawk UAV Scaled Composites subscale space rescue vehicle

March 13, 1998

X-38

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DATE

AIRPLANE

CONTRACTOR

Nov. 10, 1998

Centurion

Aero Vironment Inc. solar-powered highaltitude RPV Aero Vironment Inc. high altitude RPV Boeing Joint Strike Fighter, or JSF, demonstrator

Sept. 8, 1999 Sept. 18, 2000

Helios X-32A

X-35A Joint Strike Fighter Oct. 24, 2000 Dec. 16, 2000 X-35A X-35C Lockheed-Martin JSF demonstrator Carrier version of Lockheed Martin JSF demonstrator (U.S. Navy) STOVL version of Boeing JSF demonstrator Boeing/DARPA Unmanned Combat Aerial Vehicle technology demonstrator Microcraft Hyper-X UAV air-breathing hypersonic research vehicle (first successful flight; after launch on first flight on June 2, 2001 the vehicle departed controlled flight within seconds)

March 29, 2001 May 22, 2002

X-32B X-45A

March 27, 2004

X-43A

15

DATE

AIRPLANE

CONTRACTOR

Oct. 6, 2004 April 7, 2006

RQ-4A (N-1) X-37

Northrop Grumman Global Hawk (U.S. Navy) Boeing Unmanned Approach and Landing Test Vehicle Northrop Grumman Block 20 Global Hawk UAV Boeing RPV Blended Wing Body concept demonstrator

March 1, 2007

RQ-4B

July 20, 2007

X-48B

AFFTC History Office, August 2007

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