Flight Test Museum

The Flight Test Museum Foundation has teamed up with award-winning photographer Jim Krantz @jimkrantzphoto and architecture and design firm Gensler to bring the breathtaking conceptual design for the museum to life!

February 28th was a popular day in aviation history! ✈️February 28th, 1946: The Republic Aviation XP-84 took its first flight. ✈️February 28th, 1998: The Northrop Grumman RQ-4A took its first flight. #flighttest #flighttesthistory #testpliots #flighttestengineer

This week in aviation history: ✈️1-2. February 16th, 1952, the YRF-84F took its first flight! ✈️3. February 17th, 1956, the YF-104A took its first flight! ✈️4. February 18th, 1977, the STS/SCA 747/Shuttle Combo took its first flight! #flighttest #flighttesthistory

the Flight Test Historical Foundation to build our current museum. We need to expand, and the Foundation is helping the museum again! #aviationlovers #aviationhistory #flighttest #flighttestengineer #ChuckYeager #soundbarrier #stemeducation

Featuring exclusive interviews with: Chuck Yeager, Bob Hoover, Bob Cardenas, Walt Williams, Mac McKendry, James Young, PhD, and Jack Russell. Originally produced by Dana Marcotte Kilanowski and Atwood Keeney Productions, all proceeds were donated -

For all of you aviation enthusiasts, friends and fans of the Bell X-1, the documentary of the Quest for MACH One will premier on YouTube! Join us February 11, 2026 at 7:00 p.m. EST for the Premier! Check out our launch party here: lnkd.in/ebTkCv6r Read more below⬇️

Bonus first flight! The North American F-100D (January 24th, 1956) #flighttest #flighttesthistory #testpliots #flighttestengineer #aerospaceengineer #aerospace #aviation #firstflights

A birds eye view of January’s first flights!  Slide One: The Vultee XP-54 ( January 15th, 1943) Slide Two: The Lockheed YF-94C (January 19th, 1950) Slide Three: The Douglas YF4D (January 23rd, 1951) Slide Four: The North American YF-93 (January 24th, 1950) Plus one more⬇️❗️

At the end of the war, only 22 C-69s were produced with most of those being declared surplus.  #flighttest #flighttesthistory #testpliots #flighttestengineer #aerospaceengineer #aerospace #aviation #xc69 #constellation

Even at half power, its cruising speed is approximately 100 miles per hour faster than that of a standard airliner! Unfortunately, the Constellation did end up facing engine issues and that, combined with the tide of the war shifting, lessened the need for the aircraft.

✈️This week in aviation history: On January 9th, 1943, pilot Eddie Allen took the XC-69 on its first flight! The Constellation was an incredibly powerful four-engine military transport aircraft. Read more below⬇️

All B-1s are planned to be retired by 2036, replaced by the B-21. #flighttest #flighttesthistory #testpliots #flighttestengineer #aerospaceengineer #aerospace #aviation #b1lancer #bomber

The program was briefly canceled in 1977 due to high costs before being revived in 1981 in lieu of a delayed B-2 stealth program. After the revival, multiple changes needed to be made which resulted in the B-1B, which is now operated by the Air Force.

On this windy Christmas Eve, let’s take a look back on some recent aviation history. On December 23, 1974, the B-1A took its first flight! The Rockwell B-1 Lancer was a supersonic heavy bomber used by the U.S. Air Force. Read more below⬇️

#flighttest #flighttesthistory #testpliots #flighttestengineer #aerospaceengineer #aerospace #aviation #liftingbody #hyperⅲ #spaceshuttle

The Hyper III program was short-lived as it was canceled not long after its short 3-minute first flight. However, these low-cost testing vehicles were important in exploring efficiency and safety in new designs.

December 12th, 1969, the NASA Hyper III took its first flight! The Hyper III was a remotely piloted unpowered lifting body vehicle designed to help in the M2 lifting body program and development of the space shuttle. Read more below⬇️

While the modified S-72 X-Wing showed promise, budgetary limitations left it grounded and the program was ultimately canceled. #flighttest #flighttesthistory #testpliots #flighttestengineer #aerospaceengineer #aerospace #aviation #helicopter #xwing #s72

Uniquely, it was fitted with a crew emergency extraction system, with the crew extracted using rockets as opposed to the typical ejection-seat method. The RSRA was a research aircraft meant to connect design analysis, wind tunnel testing, and flight results of rotor aircraft.

On December 2nd, 1987, the RSRA S-72 took its first flight! Sikorsky competed for and won the RSRA contract in January 1974 with the proposal to modify an S-67 Blackhawk. The S-72 could fly as a fixed-wing aircraft without a main rotor. Read more below⬇️