Aviation facilities

1'x1' Supersonic Wind Tunnel

Cleveland, OH

Used to conduct fundamental research in supersonic and hypersonic fluid mechanics. It is also used for supersonic-vehicle-focused research and detailed benchmark quality experiments for CFD code validation.

8' x 6' Supersonic Wind Tunnel (8x6)

Cleveland, OH

The 8- by 6-Foot Supersonic Wind Tunnel (8x6 SWT) is an atmospheric tunnel with perforated stainless steel walls that provide boundary control during transonic operations. It is the only transonic propulsion wind tunnel at NASA. Aircraft such as the Advanced Turboprop, the National Aerospace Plane, the Advanced Tactical Fighter, the Joint Strike Fighter and the High Speed Civil Transport have been tested in this facility.

9' x 15' Low Speed Wind Tunnel (9x15)

Cleveland, OH

The 9- by 15-Foot Low Speed Wind Tunnel (9x15), housed in the return leg of the 8- by 6-Foot Supersonic Wind Tunnel, provides a unique facility for testing large-scale hardware in a continuous subsonic air stream. The test section is 9 ft. high and 15 ft. wide by 28 ft. long and provides airspeeds from 0 to 175 mph. The facility is used to evaluate aerodynamic performance and acoustic characteristics of nozzles, inlets, and propellers and to test short and vertical take off and landing aircraft systems.

Aerodynamic Wind Tunnel 4T

Arnold AFB, TN

Aerospace Ground Equipment Complex

Edwards AFB, CA

The Aerospace Ground Equipment (AGE) Flight provides pickup, delivery, repair, modification, inspection, and servicing of powered and nonpowered Aerospace Ground Equipment (AGE) valued at over $24.5 million. The flight performs service inspections, Time Compliance Technical Orders (TCTO), minor and major maintenance for base assigned aircraft, transient alert, tenant units, special projects, and contractor equipment as contractually agreed.

AH-64A Apache Distributed Mission Operations (ADMO)

Orlando, FL

The ADMO is a multi-phase research and development program, which provides U.S. Army and Air Force attack aircraft pilots with a means of training for Joint Close Air Support (JCAS) missions. This training capability develops the skills needed to conduct coordinated attacks on enemy targets. Phase I demonstrated Joint Air Attack Team training (JAAT) with an AH-64A CMS at the Western Army National Guard Aviation Training Site (WAATS) and an Air Force F-16C simulator at the Air Force Research Lab (AFRL) in Mesa, AZ. Phase II networked two AH-64A CMS simulators at Eastern Army National Guard Aviation Training Site (EAATS) and WAATS and two F-16C simulators at AFRL demonstrating coordinated JCAS target engagements. Current ADMO objectives include participation in Combat Air Force (CAF) DMO Events and Warfighter FOCUS Events. A Distributed Scenario Generation Lab (DSGL) is being developed to capture current AH-64A pilot experience and to disseminate real-world scenarios via DMON to networked simulator sites.

Air Data Calibration Facility

Edwards AFB, CA

This facility is for low altitude subsonic altimeter system calibrations of air vehicles. Mission is a direct support of the AFFTC mission. Postflight data merge is used to provide corrections to air data systems. The 35-foot tower uses a surveyed altitude grid to determine actual altitude to within 10-feet. A computer is installed to provide real-time weather data Inter-Range Instrumentation Group (IRIG) time and visual altitude transcriptions. A UHF/VHF radio is also installed for test communications. The lakebed run-in provides for a stable air mass increasing the accuracy of the calibration.

Airborne Evaluation Facility

Rome, NY

AFRL's Airborne Evaluation Facility (AEF) utilizes Air Force Aero Club resources to conduct test and evaluation of a variety of equipment and concepts. Twin engine Cessna 402B and a Piper Aztec aircraft are specially configured for the test mission. These are especially suited to test SIGINT, IMINT, LASINT, and other sensors, as well as communications, navigation, ECM and ECCM systems. The AEF can also provide controlled signal source and target for evaluation of ground based systems.

Airborne Surveillance Command and Control (ASC2) Research Platform

Washington, DC

Aircraft Modifications

Edwards AFB, CA

On many projects to maintain low cost and responsive aircraft modifications, the instrumentation team will provide T-2 modification support directly. In other cases, especially those requiring significant development in terms of cost or schedule, the modification management will be provided by the modification management section of the Instrumentation Division. In either case the lead operations engineer provides a single point of contact for the customer to monitor modification status and to resolve any issues relative to the requirements.

Aircraft Vulnerability

Aberdeen Proving Ground, MD

Aviation Facilities Development and Engineering

Port Hueneme, CA

Avionics Test & Integration Complex

Edwards AFB, CA

The division is comprised of three collocated core facilities and a remote operating location with capabilities that can operate independently or linked to satisfy specific customer requirements. These test facilities contribute to five of the six steps in the Air Force Test Process.

DEVICE 9F7A

Orlando, FL

The interservice Training Review Organization (ITRO) determined that the consolidation of the Naval Aviation Water Survival Training Program and the USAF Water Survival Parachuting Program would serve in the best interest of the Department of Defense. As a result, the USAF Parasail Trainer (two launch platforms and nine (9) MonArk parasail tow/pick-up boats) was transferred to the Navy, inducted into the Navy''s COG 2''0'' inventory system by the Naval Air Warfare Center Training Systems Division (NAWCTSD) and designated DV 9F7A. Only one DV 9F7A exists.

Edwards Flight Test Range

Edwards AFB, CA

The 412th Test Wing operates and maintains the Edward's Flight Test Range (EFTR) complex. The EFTR is a major range resource consisting of multi-environmental test areas, instrumentation, and airborne capability needed for developmental test and evaluation (DT&E;) and operational test and evaluation (OT&E;). Low and high altitude supersonic flight profiles can be accommodated over land and water ranges from surface to unlimited altitude. Highly instrumented land test areas, along with access to overwater areas provide for full aircraft/avionics/weapon integration and subsystem testing. Range capabilities include radar, telemetry, radio, television, and timing instrumentation. These elements are controlled from Ridley Mission Control Center (RMCC) and can be modified and adjusted to meet test requirements. The EFTR encompasses some 1575 square statute miles of restricted airspace designated R-2515. Contained within R-2515 are two range areas designated Precision Impact Range Areas (PIRAs). The PIRA was established for the conduct of air-to-ground gunnery, precision bombing (PB) tests, photo resolution, spin testing, aerial decelerator tests, and other tests requiring precision instrumentation. The range is located in the southeast portion of the Edward's reservation and covers approximately 75 square miles. Supersonic approaches to the PIRA below 15,000-feet MSL are restricted to the Alpha Corridor (west to east) only. The PIRA is subdivided into the West Range, the East Range and the PB-6 Range. Each range can be scheduled individually, or in conjunction with one another, dependent upon mission requirements.

Elevated Fixed Platform

Lakehurst, NJ

The height of the EFP deck provides a change in ground effect as the aircraft transitions over the platform, resulting in true flight characteristics. Aircraft having gross weights of up to 90,000 pounds can be landed at 2.67 G’s. This is the only site in the world for evaluating RAST equipment and operational procedures.

External Air Transport

Aberdeen Proving Ground, MD

Flight Research Building (Hangar)

Cleveland, OH

The NASA Glenn Flight Research Building is located at the NASA Glenn Research Center with aircraft access to Cleveland Hopkins International Airport. The facility is heated and spacious, 165 feet by 250 feet, and is large enough to hold numerous aircraft of various sizes. The facility houses the Learjet Model 25 and Twin Otter Icing Research Aircraft.

Flight Support Detachment

Washington, DC

Flight Test and Open Air Ranges

Edwards AFB, CA

The Air Force Flight Test Center's airborne testbeds range from small aircraft with pod-mounted components or systems to large aircraft designed for spread-bench installation and testing of electronic warfare components, subsystems, systems, or functions of avionic suites in early development and modification – often before the availability of prototype or production hardware.

Ground Vibration Test/Structures Laboratory

Edwards AFB, CA

The GVT system is designed to perform GVT's on fighter-sized aircraft, modifications, and troubleshooting of aircraft structural problems. Although designed for small aircraft, can be used on all aircraft in the Air Force inventory. The system is a multichannel excitation system capable of four simultaneous excitation points and 1,286 response channels taken in banks of up to 51 channels. Both excitation and response are driven by Hewlett-Packard (HP) 9000 Series 380 workstation utilizing either HP's VISTA Modal Test Acquisition or Structural Dynamics Research Corporation's (SDRC) data acquisition software.

Hypersonic Tunnel Facility (HTF)

Cleveland, OH

The Hypersonic Tunnel Facility (HTF) is a blow-down, non-vitiated (clean air) free-jet wind tunnel capable of testing large-scale, propulsion systems at Mach 5, 6, and 7 flight enthalpies. Currently, it is the only large high-mass-flow nonvitiated, hypersonic test facility in the United States.

Hypersonic Wind Tunnels

Arnold AFB, TN

Hypervelocity Range Facility

Arnold AFB, TN

Hypervelocity Wind Tunnel 9

Arnold AFB, TN

Instrumented Refueling Test Tankers

Edwards AFB, CA

This capability allows the Air Force to certify any DoD aircraft for Boom/Receptacle and Probe/Drogue inflight refueling behind Air Force KC-135 tankers. A instrumentation pallet is maintained at Edwards Air Force Base for rapid installation on a modified KC-10A aircraft possessed by AMC for certification testing behind KC-10 aircraft. This capability has been used by multiple services and foreign countries.

Integration Facility for Avionic Systems Testing

Edwards AFB, CA

Orders of magnitude of cost reductions are achieved in comparison to flight test and and many ground tests can be accomplished that otherwise would be unsafe or impractical to achieve in flight. The ultimate purpose of the integrated ground and flight test approach supported by the IFAST, is avionics performance risk reduction and cost-effective ground test capabilities, for a systematic approach toward the development of operational flight test programs and advanced avionics hardware.

J-9 Large Rocket Motor Test Facility

Arnold AFB, TN

Jet Blast Deflector (JBD) Test Site

Lakehurst, NJ

The orientation of aircraft carrier catapults requires that the hot exhaust gases of the jet aircraft turning up to full power during launch operations are deflected so as not to cause heat and blast damage to other aircraft, equipment, and personnel on the flight deck. The JBD, which consists of a series of water cooled panels, achieves this purpose. In the flush deck position, it allows an aircraft to be taxied over it and into launch position. As soon as the aircraft is forward of the JBD, the operator actuates the hydraulic system to raise the JBD for aircraft turn up.

KC-135 Operations Facility

Cleveland, OH

The KC-135 Low-G Flight Research aircraft (a predecessor of the Boeing 707) is used to fly parabolas to create 20-25 seconds of weightlessness so that the astronauts can experience and researchers can investigate the effects of "zero" gravity. As NASA's lead center for microgravity research in the areas of fluid physics and combustion science, NASA Glenn hosts the KC-135 for 6-10 weeks each year in support of its ground-based microgravity research.

Propulsion Wind Tunnel Facility

Arnold AFB, TN

Roller Test Facility

Natick, MA

A roller bed moves the cargo to the rear of a plane, where it can be unloaded or dropped from the air while the plane is in fight. Our Roller Test Facility is a mock-up of the roller bed from a Cargo aircraft.

Runway Arrested Landing Site

Lakehurst, NJ

Over 3,000 feet of runway are available to build up speed while the aircraft remains on the runway with over 8,000 feet after the arresting gear. This provides RALS with the unique ability to make both high-speed ground roll-in arrestments and fly-in arrestments. The roll-in process is especially useful because it allows safe, repeatable test conditions. If the aircraft should bolter (miss the arresting gear wire), there are 7,000 feet of runway in which the aircraft can either take off or come to a safe stop.

Support Equipment Staging Warehouse

Lakehurst, NJ

Encompasses 127,500 sq. ft. receiving and staging newly acquired SE, ALRE and aviation equipment for fleet initial outfitting. Items are bar-coded and recorded for fleet visibility. It provides an area for Engineering Investigations (EI) and Engineering Change Proposal (ECP) development

Test Instrumentation

Edwards AFB, CA

Our mission is to provide the truth in test data used for the test and evaluation of aircraft at the Air Force Flight Test Center (AFFTC). This requires us to be the center of expertise for instrumentation, including aircraft modifications. We provide the evaluators with the knowledge, understanding and support of the instrumentation providing the data, so an unbiased evaluation can be made of the vehicles being tested.

Westfield Airfield

Lakehurst, NJ