Hear the sound of the airplane

Air Force Plant 42, Palmdale International Airport, California
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September 24, 1999

Air Force Plant 42, aka Palmdale International Air Force Plant 42 at Palmdale hosts a number of aircraft and spacecraft manufacturing and modification operations. It also serves as a convenient location for test aircraft from Edwards Air Force Base and other Southern California airfields to shoot touch-and-go landings.

September 25, 1999

747-SCA, N905NA delivers Space Shuttle Columbia to Palmdale on September 25, 1999 The space shuttle orbiter Columbia, OV-102 was delivered to Air Force Plant 42 at Palmdale, California on Saturday, September 25 on the back of a Boeing 747 Shuttle Carrier Aircraft (SCA).

October 24 and November 22, 2000

Lockheed-Martin X-35 Joint Strike Fighter at Palmdale The Lockheed-Martin X-35 Joint Strike Fighter took off on its first flight from Air Force Plant 42 at Palmdale, California on the morning of October 24, 2000. It returned to Palmdale on November 22, a little after three in the afternoon. It made a series of touch-and-go landings. It will be equipped with a lift fan and vectored thrust nozzle for short take-off/vertical landing tests next year.

July 3, 2001

Lockheed-Martin X-35B departs Palmdale on July 3, 2001 The Lockheed-Martin X-35B vertical take-off prototype of the Joint Strike Fighter candidate flew from Palmdale to Edwards AFB on July 3, 2001.

August 25, 2003

F-5 Shaped Sonic Boom Demonstrator at Palmdale, August 25, 2003 The F-5 Shaped Sonic Boom Demonstrator (SSBD) has been conducting tests aimed at reducing the impact of sonic booms. It made a series of flights from Air Force Plant 42 at Palmdale, California during the week of August 25 - 29, 2003.

Palmdale Airparks, February 13, 2006

Air Force Plant 42 in Palmdale is home to two collections of vintage airplanes, Blackbird Airpark and the Joe Davies Heritage Airpark. Both airparks are located on Avenue P, adjacent to 25th Street East. Blackbird Airpark is the only place where you can see an SR-71A, an A-12, and a D-21 drone together. There will eventually be over 40 airplanes on display at Joe Davies Heritage Airpark.

Boeing 757 F-22 Avionics Testbed, N757A at Palmdale, February 13, 2006

Boeing's Canadair T-33, N416X and the first Boeing 757-200, N757A which now serves as the F-22 Avionics testbed, arrived at Air Force Plant 42 at Palmdale on the morning of February 13.

Last flight of Stealth Fighters from Holloman AFB, April 21, 2008

Last flight of Stealth Fighters from Holloman AFB, April 21, 2008 The last four Lockheed-Martin F-117A Nighthawks from the 49th Fighter Wing flew from Holloman Air Force Base, New Mexico to Air Force Plant 42 at Palmdale, California on Monday, April 21.

Last flight of Air Force Stealth Fighters, April 22, 2008

Last flight of Air Force Stealth Fighters, April 22, 2008 The last four Lockheed-Martin F-117A Nighthawks from the 49th Fighter Wing departed from Air Force Plant 42 at Plamdale, California for Tonopah, Nevada on Tuesday, April 22. Their wings will be removed and they will be stored in their old hangars. The four Stealth Fighters took off from Runway 25 at 2:00 PM.

Slideshow of the visit of the last Stealth Fighters at Palmdale.

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