Editing Edwards Air Force Base (section)

===Cold War===
====Flight testing====
[[File:North American X-15A 56-6671.jpg|thumb|left|North American X-15A (AF Ser. No. ''56-6671'') with test pilots, Edwards AFB, California. Number 6671 was extensively damaged during emergency landing at Edwards AFB on 9 November 1962 with John McKay at the controls. Later modified as X-15A-2; now on display at the [[National Museum of the U.S. Air Force]] at [[Wright-Patterson AFB]], OH.]]

Jurisdiction of Edwards AFB was transferred from Air Materiel Command on 2 April 1951 to the newly created [[Air Research and Development Command]]. Activation of the [[Air Force Flight Test Center]] (AFFTC) followed on 25 June 1951. Units designated and assigned to the Center at the time of activation were the 6510th Air Base Wing for station support units. The test flying units at Edwards were assigned directly to the AFFTC .<ref name="AFSCHIST"/>

That same year, the U.S. Air Force Test Pilot School moved to Edwards from Wright Field, Ohio.<ref name="HIST"/><ref name="AFSC">Air Force Systems Command, Delivering The Future (1989). Compiled by Lt. Col. Beverly S. Follis, USAFR HQ AFSC/Office of History</ref>

Its curriculum focused on the traditional field of performance testing and the relatively new field of stability and control, which had suddenly assumed critical importance with the dramatic increases in speed offered by the new turbojets. As the decade opened, the first-generation X-1 reached {{Convert|1.45|Mach|}} and a {{Convert|71902|feet|mi km}} altitude, representing the edge of the envelope. The D-558-II Douglas Skyrocket soon surpassed these marks. In 1951, Douglas test pilot Bill Bridgeman flew the Skyrocket to a top speed of {{Convert|1.88|Mach|}} and a peak altitude of {{Convert|74494|feet|mi km}}. Then, in 1953, Marine Corps test pilot, Lieutenant Colonel [[Marion Carl]], flew the same plane to an altitude of {{Convert|83235|feet|mi km}}.<ref name="HIST"/><ref name="AFSC"/>

On 20 November 1951, the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics' [[Albert Scott Crossfield|Scott Crossfield]] became the first man to reach Mach 2 as he piloted the Skyrocket to a speed of {{Convert|2.005|Mach|}}. Less than a month later, Major [[Chuck Yeager]] topped this record as he piloted the second-generation Bell X-1A to a top speed of {{Convert|2.44|Mach|}} and, just nine months later, Major Arthur "Kit" Murray flew the same airplane to a new altitude record of {{Convert|90440|feet|mi km}}.<ref name="HIST"/><ref name="AFSC"/>

These records stood for less than three years. In September 1956, Captain Iven Kincheloe became the first man to soar above {{Convert|100000|feet|mi km}}, as he piloted the [[Bell X-2]] to a then-remarkable altitude of {{Convert|126200|feet|mi km}}. Flying the same airplane just weeks later on 27 September, Captain Mel Apt became the first to exceed {{Convert|3|Mach|}}, accelerating to a speed of {{Convert|3.2|Mach|}}. His moment of glory was tragically brief, however. Just seconds after attaining top speed, the X-2 tumbled violently out of control and Apt was never able to recover.<ref name="HIST"/><ref name="AFSC"/>

With the loss of the X-2, the search for many of the answers to the riddles of high-Mach flight had to be postponed until the arrival of the most ambitious of the rocket planes—the [[North American X-15]].<ref name="HIST"/><ref name="AFSC"/>

[[File:McDonnell Douglas F-15A-1-MC Eagle 71-0250.jpg|thumb|McDonnell Douglas F-15A-1-MC Eagle (AF Ser. No. ''71-0280'') (also known as YF-15A, first F-15 manufactured) preparing to make its historic first flight on 27 July 1972 at Edwards AFB, CA with the 6512th Test Squadron. This airplane was later used for exploring the F-15's flight envelope, handling qualities and external stores carriage capabilities.]]

Meanwhile, the turbojet revolution had reached a high plateau at Edwards. By the time the base was officially designated the U.S. Air Force Flight Test Center in June 1951, more than 40 different types of aircraft had first taken flight at the base and the nation's first generation of jet-powered combat airplanes had already completed development. One of them, the North American [[F-86 Sabre]], was dominating the skies over Korea.<ref name="EDHIST">[http://www.af.mil/shared/media/document/AFD-080117-028.pdf The U.S. Air Force Flight Test Center Forging Aerospace Power for America Air Force Flight Test Center History Office] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121012075524/http://www.af.mil/shared/media/document/AFD-080117-028.pdf |date=12 October 2012 }}</ref>

The promise of the turbojet revolution and the supersonic breakthrough were realized in the 1950s, as the Center tested and developed the first generation of true supersonic fighters—the famed "Century Series" [[F-100 Super Sabre]], [[F-101 Voodoo]], [[F-102 Delta Dagger]], [[F-104 Starfighter]], [[F-105 Thunderchief]] and [[F-106 Delta Dart]], and, in the process, defined the basic speed and altitude envelopes for fighter aircraft that still prevail to this day. The Center also played a pivotal role in the development of systems that would provide the United States with true intercontinental power projection capabilities as it tested aircraft such as the [[B-52 Stratofortress]], [[C-133 Cargomaster]] and [[KC-135 Stratotanker]], as well as the [[YC-130 Hercules]] which served as the basis for a classic series of tactical transports that would continue in frontline service until well into the 21st century. It also supported the development of the extremely high-altitude and long-range [[Lockheed U-2]] and the dazzling ultra-performance capabilities of the [[B-58 Hustler]], the world's first Mach 2 bomber.<ref name="EDHIST"/>

Throughout the 1950s, American airplanes regularly broke absolute speed and altitude records at Edwards, but nothing compared to the arrival of the [[North American X-15]] in 1961. The program got under way in earnest in 1961 when Maj. Robert M. "Bob" White became the first man to exceed Mach 4, as he accelerated to {{Convert|4.43|Mach|}} on 7 March. He claimed Mach 5 just three months later when he pegged a speed of {{Convert|5.27|Mach|}} on 23 June and then, during the X-15's first full-powered flight on 9 November, he exceeded Mach 6, as he flew to a speed of {{Convert|6.04|Mach|}}. Major White also became the first man to fly an airplane in space when he climbed to {{Convert|314750|feet|mi km}} on 17 July 1962. NASA's Joe Walker flew the airplane to its peak altitude of {{Convert|354200|feet|mi km}} on 22 August 1963 and Maj William J. "Pete" Knight reached {{Convert|6.72|Mach|}} in the modified X-15A-2 on 3 October 1967, a speed that remains the highest ever attained in an airplane.<ref name="EDHIST"/>

In addition to the X-15 Program, AFFTC and NASA also teamed up to explore a new concept called "lifting reentry" with a series of wingless lifting body aircraft. These rocket powered-vehicles – the M2-F2, M2-F3, HL-10, X-24A and X-24B – paved the way for the Space Shuttle and future spaceplane designs when they demonstrated that they could make precision landings after high-speed gliding descents from high altitude.<ref name="EDHIST"/>

The major aircraft systems that were tested and developed during the 1960s, the [[T-38 Talon]], [[B-52H Stratofortress]], [[F-4 Phantom II|F-4 and RF-4 Phantom II]], the [[F-111]] and FB-111, [[C-141 Starlifter]] and [[C-5 Galaxy]], all became mainstays in the USAF operational inventory. Another aircraft gained world fame in the late 1960s at Edwards: the [[Lockheed YF-12A]], a precursor to the [[SR-71 Blackbird]], shattered nine records in one day of testing at Edwards. The SR-71's full capabilities remain classified, but the records set on 1 May 1965 included a sustained speed of {{convert|2070|mph}} and an altitude of {{convert|80257|ft|mi km|0}}.<ref name="HIST"/><ref name="AFSC"/>

[[File:YF-16 and YF-17 in flight 2.jpg|thumb|left|YF-16 and YF-17 in flight during their competitive fly-off, 1974. Over 4,000 production F-16s were built after the competition. The YF-17 was the basis for the highly successful United States Navy F/A-18 Hornet.]]

New aircraft types arrived in the 1970s: the F-15 Eagle with its advanced engine and fire-control system; the single-engine F-16 Fighting Falcon with its revolutionary "fly-by-wire" flight control system; and the B-1 Lancer with its multitude of highly sophisticated offensive and defensive systems. These planes more than bore out the prophecy concerning the ever-increasing importance of systems testing and integration. Moreover, another major new element of complexity was soon introduced into the flight test process.<ref name="HIST"/><ref name="AFSC"/>

At a remote location in 1978 and 1979, an AFFTC test pilot and a pair of flight test engineers were engaged in proof-of-concept testing with Lockheed's "low-observable" technology demonstrator, dubbed "Have Blue." The successful completion of those tests led immediately to the development of a new subsonic attack aircraft that was designated the F-117A Nighthawk.<ref name="HIST"/><ref name="AFSC"/>

The capabilities of existing aircraft such as the F-15 and F-16 have been continually refined and expanded, even as totally new aircraft and systems incorporating radical new technologies are developed for future operational use. The dual-role F-15E, for example, was developed in the 1980s and went on to demonstrate truly remarkable combat effectiveness in the Persian Gulf conflict of the early 90s. The Low Altitude Navigation and Targeting Infrared for Night, or LANTIRN, system revolutionized air-to-ground combat operations during the same conflict by denying opposing forces the once comforting sanctuary of night.<ref name="HIST"/><ref name="AFSC"/>

The late 1980s also witnessed the arrival of the first giant flying wing to soar over the base in nearly 40 years. The thin silhouette, compound curves and other low-observable characteristics of the [[Northrop Grumman B-2 Spirit|B-2 Spirit]] bomber represented third-generation stealth technology, following the SR-71 and F-117.<ref name="HIST"/><ref name="AFSC"/>

The 1980s also saw Edwards host a demonstration of America's space warfare capabilities when a highly modified [[F-15 Eagle]] launched an [[ASM-135 ASAT|ASM-135]] anti-satellite missile at the dead [[P78-1]] (or Solwind) satellite and destroyed it. In 1986, [[Dick Rutan]] and [[Jeana Yeager]] launched from Edwards to set a new aviation record by piloting the first non-stop, around-the-world flight on a single tank of fuel in the [[Rutan Voyager]].<ref name="HIST"/><ref name="AFSC"/>

====Ground research====
[[File:Rocket sled track.jpg|thumb|left|Lt. Col. [[John Stapp]] riding the [[rocket sled]] ''Gee Whiz'']]

Extensive aviation research was also conducted on the ground at Edwards. Two rocket sled tracks pioneered important developments and research for the Air Force. The first {{convert|2000|ft|adj=on}} track was built by [[Northrop Corporation|Northrop]] in 1944 near what is currently the North Base. Originally intended to help develop a [[V-1 (flying bomb)|V-1]] flying-bomb-style weapon that never left the drawing board, the track found use after the war as a test area for [[V-2 rocket]]s captured from [[Nazi Germany]] in [[Operation Paperclip]]. Later, Lt. Col. [[John Stapp]] appropriated the track for his [[MX981]] project and installed what was believed to be one of the most powerful mechanical braking systems ever constructed. His deceleration tests led the press to nickname him the "fastest man on earth" and the "bravest man in the Air Force".<ref name="HIST"/>

The results from the first track prompted the Air Force to build a second in 1948. Located just south of Rogers Lake, the {{convert|10000|ft|mi km|adj=on}} track was capable of supersonic speeds. Its first project was the development of the [[SM-62 Snark]] [[cruise missile]]. This track was so successful that an extension was constructed, and on 13 May 1959, the full {{convert|20000|ft|mi km|adj=on}} track was opened. After the [[United States Navy|Navy]] had conducted research on the [[UGM-27 Polaris]] [[ballistic missile]], the track was used to develop [[ejection seat]]s that could be used at supersonic speeds. Though this program was a success, a budgetary review concluded that the track was too expensive to maintain, and the track was decommissioned on 24 May 1963. Before it was closed, a trial run set a world speed record of {{Convert|3.3|Mach|}} before the test car broke up. After it closed, the rails were pulled up to help straighten Lancaster Boulevard.<ref name="HIST"/>

====Space Shuttle support====
{{See also|List of Space Shuttle landing sites}}
[[File:STS-126 Endeavour atop carrier aircraft.jpg|thumb|[[Space Shuttle Endeavour|Space Shuttle ''Endeavour'']] atop the [[Shuttle Carrier Aircraft]] taking off from Edwards AFB after the [[STS-126]] mission, 9 December 2008. For a complete list of Space Shuttle landing locations, see: [[List of Space Shuttle missions]].]]

After President [[Richard M. Nixon]] announced the [[Space Shuttle program]] on 5 January 1972, Edwards was chosen for [[Space Shuttle orbiter]] testing. The prototype {{OV|101}} was carried to altitude by the [[Shuttle Carrier Aircraft]] (SCA) and released. In all, 13 test flights were conducted with the Enterprise and the SCA to determine their flight characteristics and handling.

After Space Shuttle [[Space Shuttle Columbia|''Columbia'']] became the first shuttle launched into orbit on 12 April 1981, it returned to Edwards for landing. The airbase's immense lakebeds and its proximity to [[Plant 42]], where the shuttle was serviced before relaunch, were important factors in its selection and it continued to serve as the primary landing area for the space shuttle until 1991. After that time, [[Kennedy Space Center]] (KSC) in [[Florida]] was favored. This saved the considerable cost of transporting the shuttle from California back to Florida, but Edwards AFB and [[White Sands Space Harbor]] continued to serve as backups for the duration of the shuttle program. Shuttles landed at Edwards as recently as 9 August 2005 ([[STS-114]]), 22 June 2007 ([[STS-117]]), 30 November 2008 ([[STS-126]]), 24 May 2009 ([[STS-125]]), and 11 September 2009 ([[STS-128]]) due to rain and ceiling events at the KSC [[Shuttle Landing Facility]]. STS-126 was the only mission to land on temporary runway 04 at Edwards, as the refurbished main runway was operational from [[STS-119]] through to the retirement of the shuttles.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.nasaspaceflight.com/2008/11/endeavour-lands-at-edwards-to-conclude-sts-126/|title=Endeavour lands at Edwards to conclude STS-126|access-date=30 November 2008|publisher=NASASpaceflight.com|date=30 November 2008|author=Chris Bergin}}</ref>