B-2 IRON BIRDS
The image above, taken from Google Earth's historical imagery archive, depicts two rare airframes on the ramp at Palmdale. Neither of these aircraft were flyable, instead serving as static test articles. The two aircraft are the B-2 static test airframes, referred to as "iron birds". One of these airframes has since been refurbished and is now on display at the USAF Museum in Dayton, Ohio.
ADDITIONAL DISCUSSION
Feel free to discuss the current Image of the Week at the IMINT & Analysis Forum Image of the Week discussion thread found here.
SOURCES
-Overhead imagery provided courtesy of Google Earth
The image above, taken from Google Earth's historical imagery archive, depicts two rare airframes on the ramp at Palmdale. Neither of these aircraft were flyable, instead serving as static test articles. The two aircraft are the B-2 static test airframes, referred to as "iron birds". One of these airframes has since been refurbished and is now on display at the USAF Museum in Dayton, Ohio.ADDITIONAL DISCUSSION
Feel free to discuss the current Image of the Week at the IMINT & Analysis Forum Image of the Week discussion thread found here.
SOURCES
-Overhead imagery provided courtesy of Google Earth
2 comments:
What is a static test article? What is useful for?
Raul, when you build new plane you want to test it not only in the air, but on the ground too. But the amount of ground testing far exceeds the time flyable frame(s) are available for it. So you build static (non-flyable) frames to do your ground testing/training.
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