Edwards Air Force Base Open House
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I attended the Edwards Air Force Base Open House with my father, Richard Lockett, on November 16, 1975. The displays featured a Boeing NKC-135A Stratotanker, Boeing T-4A, the Boeing NB-52B Stratofortress, the Martin Marrietta X-24B lifting body, and pre-production models of the McDonnell-Douglas F-15 Eagle, General Dynamics YF-16, and Northrop YF-17. Photographer: Brian Lockett.
Boeing T-43A 71-1404. Photographer: Brian Lockett.
Boeing NKC-135A Stratotanker 55-3135 has multiple windows on its starboard side for observing tests in flight. Photographer: Brian Lockett.
Two 3/8-scale F-15 Remotely Piloted Research Vehicles (RPRV) were built for hazardous tests. They were launched from the NB-52B Stratofortress that had launched the X-15 and lifting bodies.Initially, they were retrieved by helicopters at the end of their flight. Later they were equipped with skid landing gear and landed on the dry lakebed. Photographer: Brian Lockett.
F-15 RPRV. Photographer: Brian Lockett.
The second F-15A 71-0281 was bailed to NASA in 1975. It was painted white and had similar high visibility markings. It was returned to the Air Force to be displayed at Langley AFB, Virginia in 1983. Photographer: Brian Lockett.
F-15A 71-0281. Photographer: Brian Lockett.
The second General Dynamics YF-16 Fighting Falcon 72-1568 was displayed at the Edwards Air Force Base open house on November 16, 1975. Photographer: Brian Lockett.
YF-16 72-1568. Photographer: Brian Lockett.
YF-16 72-1568. Photographer: Richard Lockett
The second Northrop YF-17 Cobra 72-1570 was displayed in gray camouflage. Photographer: Brian Lockett.
YF-17 72-1570. Photographer: Brian Lockett.
YF-17 72-1570. Photographer: Richard Lockett
Fairchild-Republic A-10A equipped ith a 20mm gatling gun pod. Photographer: Richard Lockett
Cessna A-37A Dragonfly is equipped with a 7-62mm GAU-2B/A gatling gun. Photographer: Richard Lockett
Boeing NB-52B Stratofortress 52-0008 with Martin Marietta X-24B 65-13551 lifting body. Photographer: Brian Lockett.
Mission marks of Boeing NB-52B Stratofortress 52-0008. The flights of North American X-15s, Northrop M2-F2, Northrop Hl-10, and Martin Marietta X-24A are represented by a single silhouette of each. There are thirty-five silhouettes of the Northrop M2-F3, indicating 25 powered flights and ten unpowerd flights. There are thirteen silhouettes of the Martin Marietta X-24B, indicating two powered flights and eleven unpowered flights. There are six silohouettes of the F-15 Remotely piloted research vehicle (RPRV). Photographer: Brian Lockett.
Martin Marietta X-24B 65-13551 lifting body with Boeing NB-52B Stratofortress 52-0008. Photographer: Brian Lockett.
Martin Marietta X-24B 65-13551 lifting body with Boeing NB-52B Stratofortress 52-0008. Photographer: Richard Lockett
After the November 16, 1975 Edwards
AFB Open House, the X-24B would make two more flights on November 19 and 26. They would
mark the last flights of the four-chambered XLR-11 rocket engine
that had first powered the X-1 in 1947. The last flight was
piloted by Captain Francis Scobee. Photographer: Brian Lockett.
Martin Marietta X-24B 65-13551 lifting body. Photographer: Brian Lockett.
Martin Marietta X-24B 65-13551 lifting body. Photographer: Brian Lockett.
The maximum speed attained during the thirty-six flights of the X-24B program was mach 1.76 (1163 miles per hour) on the sixteenth flight on October 26, 1974 with Mike Love as the pilot.
The maximum altitude of the program was 74,130 feet, achieved on the twenty-third flight on May 22, 1975, with John Manke as the pilot.
Edwards AFB displays.
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