Edwards Air Force Base ( AFB ) (IATA: EDW , ICAO: KEDW , FAA LID: EDW ) is a United States Air Force installation located in Kern County in southern California, about 22 miles (35 km) northeast of Lancaster and 15 miles (24 km) east of Rosamond.
This is the home of the Air Force Test Center, Air Force Pilot Test, and NASA Armstrong Flight Research Center. It is the Air Force Command Center to conduct and support aviation research and development, as well as test and evaluate aerospace systems from concept to battle. It also hosts many test activities conducted by the American commercial aerospace industry.
Video Edwards Air Force Base
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Formerly known as Muroc Air Force Base, Edwards AFB was named in honor of Captain Glen Edwards (1918-1948). During World War II, he flew the A-20 Havoc mild attack bomber in a North African campaign on 50 low-level dangerous missions against German tanks, convoys, troops, bridges, airfields and other tactical targets. Edwards became a test pilot in 1943 and spent most of his time in the Muroc Army Air Field, in the high desert of California, testing various types of experimental prototype aircraft. He died in a Northrop YB-49 airplane accident near Muroc AFB on June 5, 1948.
This base is adjacent to Rogers Dry Lake, an endorheic desert salt pot whose harsh dry surface of the lake provides a natural extension to Edwards' runway. This large landing area, combined with excellent year-round weather, makes a good base for flight testing. The lake is a National Historic Landmark.
The base has helped develop almost every aircraft purchased by the Air Force since World War II. Almost every United States military plane since the 1950s was at least partially tested at Edwards, and has been the site of many airline breakthroughs.
Key occasions at Edwards include Chuck Yeager's flight which broke the sound barrier at Bell X-1, tested flights from North America X-15, first landing of the Space Shuttle, and Rilit's worldwide flight in 1986 Voyager.
Maps Edwards Air Force Base
Unit
Air Force Test Tests
Test Wings 412
The Test Wing 412 plans, performs, analyzes, and reports all flight and surface testing of aircraft, weapons, software and components as well as modeling and simulation for the U.S. Air Force. The Wing also oversees the day-to-day operations of the base and provides support for military, federal, and contract personnel assigned to Edwards AFB. The plane assigned to 412 carries the tail code: ED.
- US. Air Force Pilot Pilot : Part of Wing Test 412, USAF TPS is where the Air Force pilots, navigators, and engineers learn how to conduct flight tests and generate the data required to carry out test missions. The comprehensive curriculum of the Pilot School Test is critical to the success of flight tests and evaluation.
- Operation Group 412 : OG 412 flies on average 90 aircraft with more than 30 aircraft designs. It performs an annual average of more than 7,400 missions, including more than 1,900 test missions. The squadron includes:
- 411 Flight Test Squadron: (F-22)
- Flying Squadron 416: (F-16)
- Flying Squadron 419: (B-52H, B-1, B-2)
- 445 Flight Test Squadron: (Flight Preliminary Flight Operation, T-38)
- Flight Flight Squadron 461: (F-35 Joint Strike Fighter)
- Flying Squadron 412: (Trou C-135C Mottled)
- 418 Flight Test Squadron: (C-130 and special operating variant; CV-22; KC-135 and special variant; C-17A)
- 452d Flight Test Squadron: (RQ-4)
- Test Management Division 412
- Test Management Group 412
- 412th Electronic Warfare Group
- Engineering Division 412
The Engineering and Electronic Warfare Group division provides the main components in performing the Test and Evaluation mission of 412 TW. They provide tools, talents and equipment for the core disciplines of aircraft structure, propulsion, avionics and electronic warfare evaluations of the latest weapon system technology. They also hosted a core facility that allows flying test and field testing - Range Division, Anechoic Benefit Facility, Integrated Aviation Aviation Aviation Testing Facility and Air Force War Electronics Evaluation Simulator. The Project Management and Resource Division provides the foundation for the successful management of the test mission program.
- Civil Engineer Division 412
- Maintenance Group 412
- Medical Group 412
- Mission Support Group 412
Associate Unit
Edwards is also home to several other units of DOD, Air Force, Army, Navy, FAA, USPS and many companies that support the main mission or personnel stationed there.
The Main Base is also home to the Benefield Anechoic Facility (BAF), a radio frequency and electromagnetic testing building. It is also home to the Air Force Flight Test Center Museum, which has more than 15 aircraft on display.
The North Base is located in the northwest corner of Rogers Lake and is home to the most secret secret test program at Edwards. The site has 6,000 to 150 feet of paved runways (1,829 mÃÆ' Ã,Ã,46 m), 06/24, and is accessed from the bottom of the lake or via a single controlled road.
Air Field
As a military military base, civilian access is strictly limited. There are three clear and paved runways: ,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, ,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, ,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, , Ã, Ã, Ã, Ã, Ã, Ã, Ã, Ã, Ã, Ã, Ã, Ã, Ã, Ã, Ã, Ã?, And an additional 9,588Ã, ft (2,922 m) runway available at its north end This comes with a catching system about 1,500 ft (460 m) from each end.
There are 13 other official runways in Rogers that have a basic lake:
- 17/35 is 39.097Ã, ft ÃÆ'â € "Ã, 900Ã,f (11.917 mÃÆ'â €" 274 m). The imagery from the 1990s shows an extension of 7,500 ft (2,300 m) north, including visual signals and midlines that extend approximately 15,000 feet (4,600 m) at the base currently stated. In 2017, the Google Maps image, the runway all faded except the southern tip of the Runway 35 indicator still visible.
- 05L/23R is 22.175Ã, ft Ã,ÃÆ'â € "300 300 ft (6,759 mÃÆ'â €" 91 m)
- 05R/23L is 14.999 ft (300 m) (4,572 m Ã- 91 m) and is located at 05L/23R at the end of 23L (east)
- 06/24 is 7,050Ã, ft ÃÆ'â € "Ã, Ã, Ã, Ã, Ã, Ã, Ã, Ã, Ã, Ã, Ã, Ã, Ã, Ã, Ã, Ã, Ã, Ã, Ã, Ã, Ã, Ã, Ã, Ã, Ã, Ã, Ã, Ã, Ã, Ã, Ã, Ã, Ã, Ã, Ã, Ã, Ã, Ã, Ã, Ã, Ã, Ã, Ã, Ã, Ã, Ã, Ã, Ã, Ã, Ã, Ã, Ã, Ã, Ã, Ã, Ã, Ã, Ã, Ã, Ã, Ã, Ã, Ã, Ã, Ã, Ã, Ã, Ã, Â ± 300. Not be confused with the runway 06/24 south (which also extends to lakebed), or the northern base 06/24 runway.
- 07/25 is 23.100Ã, ftÃÆ'ÃÆ' Ã, 300Ã, ft (7.041 mÃÆ'Â ± 91 m)
- 09/27 is 9,991 ft (300 m) (3,045 mà £ 91 m)
- 12/30 is 9,235Ã, ftÃ, Â ± 600Ã, ft (2,815Ã, mÃÆ' Ã,Ã, 183 m). It is actually marked as two adjacent runways (L and R) with a diameter of 300 feet (91 m). Runway 30 rolls out to rose compass, so the track, unmarked, 12 never used.
- 15/33 is 29.487Ã, ftÃÆ'ÃÆ'Ã, 300Ã, ft (8,988Ã, mÃÆ'Â ± 91 m)
- 18/36 is 23.086Ã, ft ÃÆ'â € "Ã, 900Ã,f (7.037 mÃÆ'â €" 274 m). It is actually marked as three adjacent runways (L, C, and R) adjacent to 300 feet (91 m).
The Rosamond lakebed has two runways painted on it:
- 02/20 is 20,998 feet long
- 11/29 the length is 20,998 feet
History
Origins
A water stop on the Santa Fe Railroad since 1882, the site was largely unresolved until the early 20th century. In 1910, Ralph, Clifford, and Effie Corum built a guesthouse on the shores of Lake Rogers. Corums proved to be instrumental in attracting other settlers and building infrastructure in the area, and when a post office was assigned to the area, they named it Muroc, the reversal of the Corum name, because of a town called Coram.
Realizing that March Field is in an area of ​​increasing growth in Riverside County, and with the need for bombing and cannons for its units, the headquarters and commander of First Wing Lieutenant Colonel Henry H. "Hap" Arnold begins the process of obtaining the next land. to Muroc Dry Lake for a new bombing range far from the densely populated area of ​​August 1932; the last channel was not obtained until 1939. The facility that was established to support the range, originally called "Mohave Field" to nearby community Mohave, was Muroc Field. In October 1935, five people under Sergeant Folgleman were sent to the area from the Field in March. They set up targets of a circular bombing in the desert. For the next two years, the planes flew back and forth between Muroc Dry Lake and March Field for the Crew Bombing Exercises.
At this time, other colorful characters in Edwards' history, Pancho Barnes, built the famous Rancho Oro Verde Fly-Inn Dude Ranch that will host many festivities and festivities to come. The dry lake is a hot catcher's nest, with racing on playa. The foundation on which the space shuttle landed follows a route that hosted racing in the 1930s.
The first major aerial activity took place in Muroc in 1937 when the entire Air Force Air Force participated in large-scale maneuvers. Since then, the coverage of the bombardment has grown. When Arnold became Head of the Air Corps in 1938, the service was given a new focus on research and development. Muroc Field drew attention, because the nearby dry lake was very flat (Arnold described it as "the level as a pool table") that could serve as a giant base, ideal for flying tests. More than US $ 120 million was spent developing the base in the 1940s and expanding it to 301,000 acres (470 sqmin; 1,220 km 2 ). The main base of the 15,000-foot (4,600 m) main base was completed in a single concrete pour.
World War II
On the afternoon of 7 December 1941, the 41st Group of Bombings and the 6th Reconnaissance Squadron were transferred to Muroc from Davis-Monthan Army Airfield, Arizona, with a collection of B-18 Bolos, B-25 Mitchells, and A-29 Hudson. On Christmas Eve, the 30th Bombing Group and 2d Reconnaissance Squadron arrived from the New Orleans Air Force Base, Louisiana, for crew training. On July 23, 1942, the Murok and Gunnery Range bombing, Muroc Lake, California, was designated as a separate post (Released Status). The name of the facility at the time was "Army Airbase, Lake Muroc".
In July 1942, Field of the Muroc Army became an airfield separate from the Field of March and placed under the jurisdiction of the Fourth Air Force. Throughout the war years, the main mission at Muroc was to provide the last combat training for bomber and fighter just before deployment abroad. Among sub-bases and helper are:
- Bishop Army Airfield 37Ã, Â ° 22? 23? N 118 Â ° 21? 49? W
- Blythe Army Airfield 33Ã, Â ° 37? 09? N 114Ã, Â ° 43? 00? W
- Palmdale Army Airfield 33Ã, Â ° 37? 46? N 118 Â ° 05? 04? W
- Desert Center Army Airfield 33Ã, Â ° 44? 52? N 115Ã, Â ° 19? 31? W
- Gary Army Airfield 33Ã, Â ° 40? 45? N 114 Â ° 38? 36? W
Muroc was originally used for the training of Operations Unit Commando IV Bomber. The B-25 Group Mitchell 41 and 30th Bombardment and A-20 Havoc 47th Bombardment Groups were trained at the station in early 1942. The training gives pilots a fresh eight to 12 week training as teams using the same aircraft they will use in combat. In 1942, the training mission was transferred to the IV Fighter Command, with P-38 Lightning OTU training for the Fighter Group 78 and 81. In 1943, the Combat Group 360 and the 382d Bomb Group were assigned permanently to Muroc for the P-38 Lightning and B- 24 Liberator Replacement Training (RTU) personnel.
In the spring of 1942, the Mojave Desert station was chosen as a remote place to test America's first jet, the highly secret Aircraft P-59 fighter jet. The large volume of flight tests performed at Wright Field, in Ohio, helped drive the search for an isolated new site where the "Top Secret" aircraft could be tested "away from fascinating spies." The urgent need to complete the P-59 program without delay dictates the location with good weather weather throughout the year, and the inherent risks to radical new technology to be shown on aircraft dictate the vast field of landing. After checking a number of locations across the country, they selected a site along the northern coast from the wide flat surface of the Rogers Dry Lake about six miles away from the training center in Muroc.
The ground test began five days after the first XP-59 arrived on Sept. 21, 1942. The first flight occurred on September 30 when the height of XP-59 rose to 10 feet (3.0 m) to 0.5 miles (0.80 km) during taxi testing. However, the first official flight was October 1, 1942 with NACA, Navy personnel, Aeronautics, Royal Air Force, Army, Bell and General Electric.
Like most test programs conducted during the war years, most of the actual flight tests performed on P-59 were carried out by contractors. Although Air Force pilots (AAF) fly aircraft from time to time, and flight test engineers from Wright Field review the data, formal initial military tests and evaluation programs did not begin until the Autumn of 1943, a year after the first flight. Designed to validate contractor reports, this preliminary evaluation consists of a very limited number of flights and basically completed within a month. Formal operational compliance and accelerated service tests did not last until 1944, after the AAF decided that the aircraft would not be suitable for combat operations and vice versa, would be degraded into training roles.
The P-59 was tested in Muroc from October 1942 to February 1944 without a single accident and, although the aircraft did not prove to be worthy of combat, the success of the pilot program, combined with the success of the Lockheed XP-80 program. which followed it in early 1944, sealed the fate of the future of the remote desert installation. Muroc will from then on become synonymous with the spearhead of the turbojet revolution in America.
The test aircraft continued at this desert airbase, then on November 8, 1943, the base title was changed to "Muroc Murdo Field, Muroc". In the fall of 1944, the Eighth Air Force conducted tests to determine how well conventional fighters stood against the jet. Also, in October 1944, a small detachment arrived at the base for experimental work in rocket firing and achieved success as they remained through most of 1945.
Other World War II test flights include Northrop JB-1 Bat.
In 1943, a replica of a Japanese cruiser, dubbed "Muroc Maru", was built in Rogers Dry Lake where it was used for bombing training until 1950.
Postwar era
With the end of the war, the Fourth Air Force released the command of the Muroc Army Airfield on October 16, 1945 and the jurisdiction was transferred to the Air Service Technical Command, becoming Air Materiel Command in 1946. The Lockheed P-80 Shooting Star trial was the primary mission base for most great fall of 1945. Vultee XP XP-81 single-seat, long-distance fighters and fighters Republic of XP-84 Thunderjet arrived at the base in early 1946 for flight testing. It is clear even at this stage of basic embryonic development that the Army Air Force desert station is destined to be a proving ground for aircraft and test sites for experimental aircraft.
The success of these programs attracted a new kind of research activity to the base in late 1946. Bell X-1 rocket power was the first in a long series of experimental aircraft designed to prove or disprove aeronautical concepts - to investigate the least familiar of the challenging flight and solve its mystery. Further evidence of things to come was experienced on October 14, 1947, when the Captain. Charles "Chuck" Yeager flew a small bullet-shaped plane to become the first man to exceed the speed of sound.
Four months later, on February 10, 1948, Muroc AAF was again appointed as Muroc Air Force Base with the establishment of the United States Air Force as a separate military service. The units installed or assigned to the base at the time were Air Force Air Force Unit 4144, Strategic Bombing Squad Squad 3208 along with weather communication and detachment. On August 20, 1948, the Air Force Base Unit 4144 was reinstated as the AF Base Unit 2759 and with the adoption of the Hobson Plan, as the Experimental Wing of 2759.
With X-1, flight testing in Muroc starts assuming two different identities. Extremely experimental research programs - such as X-3, X-4, X-5 and XF-92A - are usually flown in conjunction with the National Advisory Committees for Aeronautics, or NACA, and are carried out methodically to answer most theoretical questions. Then, as now, most of the flight testing in Muroc is focused on evaluating aircraft capabilities and the proposed system for operational inventory.
In December 1949, Muroc was renamed Edwards Air Force Base in honor of Captain Glen Edwards, who was killed a year earlier in the Northrop YB-49 Flying Wing accident. From the time the Edwards Air Force Base was named, speed and altitude records began to accumulate as new planes developed and the base began to build and branch significantly.
The main reason for the growth of Edwards AFB is the proximity of Western Coast aircraft manufacturer. However, another major reason was a decision in 1947 to build a missile test facility at the base. The need for a static missile faculty to test a high-thrust missile engine rocket was first envisioned in 1946 by the Power Generation Laboratory at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base. It was a decision that such facilities should belong to the government to prevent the exclusive sole contractor's profits on air force contracts for high-power missile rocket power plants, and that would eliminate duplication like facilities by different manufacturers. Site selection in 1947 was Leuhman Ridge east of Rogers Dry Lake at Edwards AFB. Construction began in November 1949 on what became the Experimental Rocket Test Station.
Cold War
Flight testing
Edwards AFB's jurisdiction was moved from Air Materiel Command on 2 April 1951 to the newly created Air Research and Development Command. The activation of the Air Force Flight Test Center (AFFTC) was followed on 25 June 1951. The designated and assigned unit to the Center at the time of activation was 6510 Basic Air Base for station support units. The test flight unit at Edwards is assigned directly to the AFFTC.
That same year, the US Air Force Trials School moved to Edwards from Wright Field, Ohio.
The curriculum focuses on the areas of traditional performance testing and a relatively new field of stability and control, which is suddenly considered very important with a dramatic increase in speed offered by the new turbojet. When the decade was opened, the first generation X-1 reached Mach 1.45 (1.776.31 km/h; 1,103.75 mph) and a height of 71.902 feet (13.6178 mi; 21.916 km), representing the edge of the envelope. The D-558-II Douglas Skyrocket soon surpassed these signs. In 1951, the Douglas test pilot Bill Bridgeman flew the Skyrocket to Machà speeds, 1.88 (2.303.08 km/h, 1.431.07 mph) and a peak height of 74,494 feet (14,1087 mi; 22,706 km). Then, in 1953, a Marine Corps trial, Lieutenant Colonel Marion Carl, flew the same plane to a height of 83,235 feet (15.7642 mi; 25.370 km).
On November 20, 1951, the National Advisory Committee of Scott Crossfield Aeronautics became the first person to reach Mach 2 as he piloted the Skyrocket to Machà speed, 2005 (2,456,213 km/h, 1,526,220 mph). Less than a month later, Major Chuck Yeager topped this record as he tested the second generation Bell X-1A to Machane's top speed, 2.44 (2,989.11 km/h, 1.857.35 mph) and, just nine months later, Major Arthur " Kit "Murray flew the same plane to a new altitude record of 90,440 feet (17,129 miles, 27.57 km).
These records stand for less than three years. In September 1956, Captain Iven Kincheloe became the first person to fly over 100,000 feet (19 miles, 30 km), as he drove the Bell X-2 to an incredible height of 126,200 feet (23.90 mi, 38.5 km). Flying the same plane just weeks later on September 27th, Captain Mel Apt became the first to exceed Mach 3 (3.675 km/h; 2.284 mph), accelerating to Mach 3.2 speed (3,920.1 km/h; 2,435.9 mph)). However, the moment of glory is very short. Just seconds after reaching top speed, the X-2 crashed out of control and the Apt never recovered.
With the loss of X-2, the search for many answers to the high Mach flight puzzle should be postponed until the arrival of the most ambitious rocket plane - North America X-15.
Meanwhile, the turbojet revolution has reached the plateau at Edwards. By the time the base was officially designated as the US Air Force Flight Test Center in June 1951, over 40 different types of aircraft had first flown in the base and the first generation jet-powered fighter had completed construction. One of them, Saber F-86 North America, dominates the sky above Korea.
The promise of turbojet revolution and supersonic breakthroughs was realized in the 1950s, as the Center tested and developed the first generation of true supersonic fighter - the famous "Super Series" F-100 Super Saber, F-101 Voodoo, F-102 Delta Dagger, F-104 Starfighter , F-105 Thunderchief and F-106 Delta Dart, and, in the process, defines the basic velocities and envelope heights for fighter aircraft that are still in effect today. The center also plays an important role in the development of a system that will provide the United States with true intercontinental electric projection capabilities for testing aircraft such as B-52 Stratofortress, C-133 Cargomaster and KC-135 Stratotanker, and YC-130 Hercules that serve as the basis for a classic series tactical transportation that will continue in frontline service until entering the 21st century. It also supports the remarkably high and long distance development of Lockheed U-2 and the dazzling ultra-performance capabilities of the B-58 Hustler, the world's first 2nd bomber bomber.
Throughout the 1950s, American aircraft regularly solved the absolute speed and altitude records at Edwards, but nothing compared to the arrival of North America X-15 in 1961. The program began in earnest in 1961 when Major Robert M. "Bob" White became the first to surpass Mach 4, as he accelerated to Mach.4.44 (5.426.94 km/h; 3.372.15 mph) on 7 March. He claimed Mach 5 only three months later when he fixed Machà speeds of 5.27 (6.455.98 km/h; 4,011.56 mph) on June 23 and then, during the first full X-15 flight on November 9, he surpassed Mach 6, as he flies to Mach 6.04 speed (7,399.27 km/h; 4,597.69 mph). Major White was also the first person to fly an airplane in space when he climbed to 314,750 feet (59,612 mi; 95.94 km) on July 17, 1962. Joe Walker of NASA flew the plane to a peak height of 354,200 feet (67.08 mi; 108.0 km) on August 22, 1963 and Maj William J. "Pete" Knight reached MachÃ, 6.72 (8.232.30 km/h; 5,115.31 mph) in the X-15A-2 modification on October 3, 1967, the highest ever steady pace on an airplane.
In addition to the X-15 Program, AFFTC and NASA are also working together to explore a new concept called "lifting reentry" with a series of wing lifts without wings. These rocket-powered vehicles - M2-F2, M2-F3, HL-10, X-24A and X-24B - pave the way for Space Shuttle and spaceplane designs in the future when they demonstrate that they can make precision landings after high speed glide from high altitude.
The main aircraft systems were tested and developed during the 1960s, T-38 Talons, B-52H Stratofortress, F-4 and RF-4 Phantom II, F-111 and FB-111, C-141 Starlifter and C-5 Galaxy, all became a mainstay of the USAF's operational inventory. Another aircraft gained world fame in the late 1960s at Edwards: Lockheed YF-12A, the predecessor to the SR-71 Blackbird, broke the nine records in a single day of testing at Edwards. The full capability of the SR-71 remains classified, but the records set on May 1, 1965 include a sustained speed of 2,070 miles per hour (3,330 km/h) and an altitude of 80,257 feet (15 miles, 24 km).
New types of aircraft arrived in the 1970s: F-15 Eagle with advanced engines and fire control systems; a single F-16 Fighting Falcon engine with a revolutionary "fly-by-wire" flight control system; and B-1 Lancer with a highly sophisticated defense and offensive system. These planes are more than just issuing predictions about the importance of testing and increasing system integration. In addition, other new elemental complexities are soon introduced into the flight testing process.
In remote locations in 1978 and 1979, an AFFTC test pilot and a pair of test flight engineers engaged in proof-of-concept testing with the Lockheed "low-observed" technology demonstrator, dubbed "Have Blue." The successful conduct of this test immediately led to the development of a new subsonic attack plane designated F-117A Nighthawk.
Existing aircraft capabilities such as the F-15 and F-16 have been continuously refined and expanded, even as new aircraft and systems incorporate radically new technologies developed for future operational use. The dual role of F-15E, for example, was developed in the 1980s and continues to show remarkable combat effectiveness in the Persian Gulf conflict in the early 90s. Low Altitude Navigation and Targeting Infrared for Night, or LANTIRN, the system revolutionized air-to-ground combat operations during the same conflict by denying opposing sanctuaries of ever entertaining night sanctuaries.
The late 1980s also witnessed the arrival of the first giant flying wing that hovered over the base in nearly 40 years. Thin silhouettes, compound curves and other observable low characteristics of B-2 Spirit bombers represent third generation stealth technologies, following SR-71 and F-117.
The 1980s also saw Edwards host a demonstration of the ability of American spaceflight when the highly modified Elang F-15 launched an ASM-135 anti-satellite missile on the P78-1 (or Solwind) satellite that died and destroyed it. In 1986, Dick Rutan and Jeana Yeager launched from Edwards to set a new aviation record by driving the world's first non-stop flight at a fuel tank at Rutan Voyager.
Field research
Extensive flight research was also conducted on the ground at Edwards. Two rocket sled tracks pioneered important developments and research for the Air Force. The first 2,000 feet (610 m) lane was built by Northrop in 1944 near what is now North Base. Originally intended to help develop the V-1 flying bomb style weapon that never left the drawing board, the track was found used after the war as a test area for V-2 rockets taken from Nazi Germany in Operation Paperclip. Later, Lieutenant Colonel John Stapp adjusted the path for his MX981 project and installed what is believed to be one of the most powerful mechanical braking systems ever built. His deceleration test made the press call him "the fastest man in the world" and "the bravest man in the Air Force".
The results of the first trajectory prompted the Air Force to build a second in 1948. Located just south of Rogers Lake, the 10,000 foot (1.9 mi, 3.0 km) trajectory was capable of producing supersonic speeds. His first project was the development of the SM-62 Snark cruise missile. The track was so successful that the extension was built, and on May 13, 1959, a 20,000 foot (3.8 ×, mi, 6.1 km) trajectory was opened. After the Navy undertook research on the Polins UGM-27 ballistic missile, this trajectory was used to develop lontar seats that could be used at supersonic speeds. Although the program was successful, the budget review concluded that the track was too expensive to maintain and its trajectory was deactivated on May 24, 1963. Before it was closed, the trials set a world speed record of Mach 3.3 (4,042.6 km/h; 2.512.0 mph) before the test car break. Once closed, the rail is drawn to help straighten Lancaster Boulevard.
Space Shuttle Support
After President Richard M. Nixon announced the Space Shuttle program on January 5, 1972, Edwards was selected for Space Shuttle orbiter testing. The Space Shuttle Enterprise prototype was taken to the heights by Shuttle Carrier Aircraft (SCA) and released. Overall, 13 test flights were conducted with Enterprise and SCA to determine the characteristics and handling of their flights.
After the Space Shuttle Columbia became the first space shuttle launched into orbit on April 12, 1981, the plane returned to Edwards to land. The vast airbase and its proximity to Plant 42, where the space shuttle served before it was relaunched, was an important factor in its election and continued to serve as the main landing area for the space shuttle until 1991. After that time, Kennedy Space Center (KSC ) in Florida favored. This saves considerable transportation costs from California back to Florida, but Edwards AFB and White Sands Space Harbor continue to serve as a reserve for the duration of the space shuttle program. The space shuttle landed at Edwards recently on August 9, 2005 (STS-114), June 22, 2007 (STS-117), November 30, 2008 (STS-126), May 24, 2009 (STS-125), and 11 September, 2009 (STS-128) due to showers and event ceilings at KSC Shuttle Landing Facility. STS-126 is the only mission to land on the interim platform 04 at Edwards, as the restored main runway operates from STS-119 to the retirement of the space shuttle.
Into the 1990s
The end of the Cold War was marked by the arrival of YF-22A and YF-23A. Two prototype fighter planes are the first aircraft to combine stealth with high-speed supersonic cruising and agility. YF-22A was chosen to be the new Air Force's new tactical fighter after a short demonstration and test program of risk reduction reduction of validation. Now called Raptor, the F-22A continues to undergo tests and evaluations at Edwards.
A new group of research projects came to Edwards in the 1990s. Global Hawk, an unmanned aerial vehicle that has been widely used in Afghanistan and Iraq, made its first flight at Edwards in February 1998. X-24, X-33, X-34, X-36 and X-38, , technology demonstrators and half-scale models were tested here by NASA for a decade.
The new millennium brings new projects with impact around the world. The X-35A and X-32A, competing models for the Joint Strike Fighter program, made their first flight in September and October 2000. The X-35A won the competition in 2001 and eventually will be built in various versions for American flying armed services and for troops foreign air too. Also new are the RQ-4 Global Hawk, YAL-1 Airborne Laser, the B-52's synthetic fuel program, the C-17 Globemaster III, and many unmanned aerial prototypes (UAVs).
Edwards are some US military bases that have been getting jobs since the Cold War. Under the process of Rearrangement and DoD Closures, several smaller bases have been disabled, and their facilities and responsibilities have been sent to Edwards, Lake China, and other major bases.
During 2012, the 95th Air Force Base, the former base support unit at Edwards is disabled and consolidated into Wing 412 Test as part of the Air Force Flight Test Center being diverted to the Air Force Test Center. The five-center consolidation not only better integrates the workforce, but also saves taxpayers about $ 109 million per year.
Movie Transformers 2007 was filmed here.
Previous name
- The bombing of Lake Murocat and Gunnery Range, September 1933
- Army Airbase, Lake Muroc, July 23, 1942
- Army Airbase, Muroc, September 2, 1942
- Muroc Army Airfield, 8 November 1943
- Muroc Air Force Base, February 12, 1948 - December 5, 1949
The main command set
- IX Corps Area, United States Army, September 1933 - January 16, 1941
- Head of the Air Corps, September 1933 - March 1, 1935
- GHQAF, March 1, 1935 - January 16, 1941
- Southwest Air District, January 16, 1941 - March 11, 1941
- Fourth Air Force, 31 March 1941 - July 17, 1944
- AAF Materiel and Command Service, July 17, 1944 - August 31, 1944
- AAF Technical Services Command, August 31, 1944 - June 6, 1945
- Continental Air Forces, June 6, 1945 - October 16, 1945
- Air Service Technical Command, October 16, 1945 - March 9, 1946
- Air Materiel Command, March 9, 1946 - April 2, 1951
- Air Research and Development Command, April 2, 1951 - April 1, 1961
- Command of the Air Force System, April 1, 1961 - July 1, 1992
- Air Force Command, July 1, 1992-now
Defined main unit
The Dutch Royal Air Force
- 323 RNLAF Squadron, November 2014 - Now
Geography
The biggest feature of the 470 square miles (1,200 km 2 ) that make up Edwards AFB is Lake Rogers and Lake Rosamond Lake dry. It has served as an emergency and scheduled landing site for many aerospace projects including Bell X-1, Lockheed U-2, Lockheed SR-71 Blackbird, and Space Shuttle. Lakebed has black stripes painted on them to mark the official seven "runways". Also painted on a dry lake bed near Dryden is the world's largest compass rising: 2,000-foot (610 m) radius, 4,000 feet (0.76 Ã, mi; 1.22 km) in diameter. Edward Edwards AFB's magnetic declination to the north is actually measured by Google Earth's distance measurement tool as it tends to magnetic north with 15.3 degrees eastern variance from the actual north, compared to the eastern 12.4 degrees variance (2014). consistent with the magnetic variant calculated at this location in the early 1960s. The larger lake bed, Rogers, covers 44 square miles (110 km 2 ) desert. Because of Rogers' history in the space program, he was declared a National Historic Landmark.
The Rosamond dry lake bed covers 21 square miles (54 km 2 ) and is also used for emergency landing and other aviation research roles. In August, the bottom of the lake was dry and rough due to weather and from high performance aircraft made the landing. Both lake beds are some of the lowest points in the Antelope Valley and they can collect rainfall in large quantities. The desert winds whip seasonal waters around the lake beds and the process of polishing them, producing a very flat new surface; Lake Rosamond bed measured has a deviation of 18 inches (460 mm) in height over 30,000 feet (9,100 m) in length; it is about 1 millimeter (0.039 in) the height of deviation is more than every 20 meters (66 ft) in length.
This census-defined spot covers an area of ​​44.38 square kilometers (17.1 m²) of which 0.173 hectares (0.43 hectares) is water.
Environmental issues
There are several protected and threatened species living in Edwards, the most famous of which is the desert tortoise ( Gopherus agassizii ). It is illegal to touch, harass or harm the desert tortoise. Another important species is Yucca brevifolia : higher members of this species are called Joshua trees.
Demographics
The US Census Bureau has appointed Edwards Air Force Base as a separate census-designated place for statistical purposes.
Census 2010
The 2010 US Census reported that Edwards AFB had a population of 2,063. Population density was 120.4 people per square mile (46.5/km ²). Edwards AFB's racial makeup is 1.518 (73.6%) White, 165 (8.0%) Black, 16 (0.8%) Native Americans, 99 (4.8%) Asian, 10 (0.5%) Islands Pacific, 96 (4.7%) of the other races, and 159 (7.7%) of two or more races. Hispanic or Latin from any race is 355 people (17.2%).
The Census reported that 1,834 people (88.9% of the population) live in households, 229 (11.1%) live in unembienced groups, and 0 (0%) are institutionalized.
There are 574 households, of which 387 (67.4%) have children under the age of 18 living in them, 456 (79.4%) are married couples who live together, 33 (5.7% ) had a female husband without a husband now, 17 (3.0%) had a housewife without wife's presence. There are 1 (0.2%) unmarried couples, and 0 (0%) couples or married couples. 68 households (11.8%) consisted of individuals and 4 (0.7%) had their own living age 65 years old or older. Average household size is 3.20. There are 506 families (88.2% of all households); average family size is 3.48.
Population spread with 771 people (37.4%) under the age of 18, 392 persons (19.0%) aged 18 to 24, 803 people (38.9%) aged 25 to 44, 87 people (4.2%) aged 45 to 64 years, and 10 people (0.5%) aged 65 years or older. The median age was 23.0 years. For every 100 women, there are 106.5 men. For every 100 women age 18 and over, there are 117.1 men.
There are 785 housing units with an average density of 45.8 per square mile (17.7/km ²), of which 8 (1.4%) are occupied owners, and 566 (98.6%) are occupied by tenants. The homeowner's vacancy rate is 0%; Rental vacancy rate is 0.2%. 16 people (0.8% of the population) live in residential units occupied by the owners and 1,818 people (88.1%) live in rented housing units.
2000 Census
At the 2000 census, there were 5,909 people, 1,678 households, and 1,515 families living in the base. Population density was 132.9 people per square kilometer (344/sq., Mi). There are 1,783 housing units with an average density of 40.1/km 2 (104/sqÃ, mi). The basic racial makeup is 72.7% White, 10.4% Black, 0.8% Native Americans, 4.4% Asia, 0.5% Pacific Island, 5.4% of other races, and 5.7% of two or more races. 11.7% of the population is Hispanic or Latino of any race.
There are 1,678 households where 67.3% have children under the age of 18 living with them, 84.9% are married couples living together, 3.0% have unmarried female households, and 9.7% is not family. 9.1% of all households were individual and none lived alone aged 65 or older. The average household size was 3.19 and the average family size was 3.38.
At the population base it is spread by 36.1% under the age of 18, 19.9% ​​from 18 to 24, 42.1% from 25 to 44, 1.8% from 45 to 64, and 0.2% 65-year-old or older. The median age is 23 years. For every 100 females, there are 121.6 males. For every 100 women age 18 and over, there are 130.4 men.
The average income for households at the base is $ 36,915, and the average income for families is $ 36,767. Men have an average income of $ 27,118 compared to $ 23,536 for women. The per capita income for base is $ 13,190. About 1.0% of families and 1.3% of the population are below the poverty line, including 1.3% of those under the age of 18 and none 65 or older.
State and federal representations
In the State Senate of California, Edwards AFB is in the 16th Senate District, represented by Republican Jean Fuller. In the State Assembly of California, in District Assembly 36, represented by Republic Tom Lackey.
In the United States House of Representatives, Edwards AFB is in California's 23rd congress district, represented by Republican Kevin McCarthy.
See also
- Air Force Command Materials
- John Stapp - medical doctor and research physicist; contemporary and friends for Yeager and Murphy, known in various ways as the fastest man on earth, the bravest man in the Air Force, and the careful Daredevil , heads the historic MX981 sled rocket research project.
- The Aerospace Walk of Honor, in Lancaster, California, is close to the famous Edwards test pilot.
- Murphy's Law - an origination point roughly in 1949. Popularized by John Stapp, one of engineer neighbors Edward A. Murphy, his team coined the term out several months later at Stapp's first press conference several decades. Murphy donated a measurement instrument that was inconsistent with Doctor Stapp's MX981 project that sparked legal naming for Murphy by Stapp's staff on his program visit.
- North Edwards - the home of the retired head sergeant's chief and NASA engineers as well as the earliest clay mine that is crucial to Muroc's fate.
- California World War II Army Airfields
- List of airports in Kern County, California
References
This article incorporates public domain material from the Air Force History Research Agency website http://www.afhra.af.mil/.
Bibliography
- Collins, Michael (2009). Bringing Fire: An Anstronaut's Journey . Lindbergh, Charles (preface). Cooper Square Press. ISBN: 9780374531942.
External links
- Official website
- Edwards Air Force Base at GlobalSecurity.org
- Video and Images of current and historical testing in DFRC
- PRS AFRL PRS
- The documentary about 'First Citizen Edwards' Florence "Pancho" Barnes
- Flights: From Sand Hill to Boom Sonic, National Parks Service Discover Our Joint Heritage Travel Schedule
- The balloon history record was launched from the base between 1953 and 1954
- Edwards AFB Open House & amp; Air Show, October 22, 2005
- Edwards AFB Open House Test Nation 2009
- FAA Airport Chart Ã, (PDF) , effective May 24, 2018
- Resources for this US military airport:
- FAA airport information for EDW
- AirNav airport information for KEDW
- ASN accident history for EDW
- NOAA/NWS latest weather observations
- SkyVector aeronautical graph for KEDW
Source of the article : Wikipedia
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