HISTORY OF EDWARDS AIR FORCE BASE "REACH BEYOND THE HORIZON" X-PLANES MUROC 63354

Reach Beyond the Horizon: A History of Edwards Air Force Base is a short 1970s film that provides an overview of the aviation and aerospace achievements of the base. The film takes viewers on a tour of the base beginning with its foundation in the 1930s up through its ongoing programs in the 1970s. The film opens with a shot of California’s Antelope Valley, where tumbleweeds are blown along the desert floor. The desert scene is superimposed with images of jets and rockets taking off. The film shows the first building in the valley, the Muroc train station (01:00), and other black-and-white photos of the small community that predated the base. In 1934, planes of Army Air Corps fly to Muroc Lake—the initial name of Edwards AFB—and practice bombing raids (01:20). This is followed by footage of flying planes, including a shot of planes flying next to rocky mountain side (02:09) and planes fighting during WWII. The film shows viewers photos of some of the first service men and women at Muroc Lake (02:28). A photograph shows a B-29 crew and plane. A Bell XP-59A Airacomet is wheeled out of a hanger and takes off (03:12); it is the first U.S. jet aircraft. The film then shows viewers photographs or footage of a number of planes (05:00): the North American B-45 Tornado, the B-46 and B-47 Stratojet; the XF-85 Parasite Fighter, and the F-86 Sabre. Captain Chuck Yeager flies the Bell X-1 (05:43), attempting to hit supersonic flight. Various prototypes of planes are shown (06:30), including footage of an XF-85 being damaged during a test. Footage shows the McDonnell XF-88 Voodoo, Douglas D-558-2 Skyrocket, Northrop X-4 Bantam, and the XF-85 Parasite fighter successfully docking. The YB-49 flying wing (07:48). The film continues to showcase more new planes (08:15), including a reconnaissance wing and the pilotless SSM-N-8 Regulus. There are shots of the Air Force Flight Center and trainers. A B-52 Stratofortress prototype flies above Edwards AFB. Footage shows the F-100 Super Sabre (09:47) and the F-101, F-102, F-104, F-105, F-106, F-107, Fairchild C-123 Provider, C-130 Hercules, and C-133 Cargomaster, and KC-135 Stratotanker. Aerial photos show the expansion of Edwards AFB (11:03). At Leuhman Ridge, men test and develop rocket technology. Jet components are tested at a rocket-sled track (12:14); Colonel John Stapp tests the effects of speed and gravity on the human body (13:07). Men prepare a sled mission by preparing rocket bottles and a dummy for testing an ejection system (14:06). A Bell X-2 flies through air (15:05). A North American X-15 is lowered onto runway (15:43). The first class of astronauts graduate from the Test Pilot School’s Aerospace Research Pilot’s Course (16:34). Neil Armstrong works with an X-15 (16:55). Footage shows an X-15 carried by a B-52 being released at 45,000 feet. An F-104 Starfighter with augmented rocket action is used as a trainer for future astronauts. Men experience zero-gravity simulations (18:49) in the Aerospace Research program. The aviation wing of the Army is moved to Edwards AFB, primarily to test helicopters. President Lyndon Johnson visits Edwards AFB (22:06) and reviews the Air Force’s C-141 Starlifter. XB-70 Valkyrie triple-sonic bombers are flight tested at Edwards AFB (22:32). At the base’s Rocket Propulsion Laboratory building at Leuhman Ridge (23:54), rocket propulsion is tested. Vice President Hubert Humphrey visits Edwards AFB (24:59) and tours the Aerospace Research Pilot’s School and NASA Flight Research Center. The Air Force tests the F-111 Aardvark (25:57), and during one test the plane flips over on the runway. A retrieval system using a C-130 is tested (26:32), retrieving a pilot from the ground using a balloon. Footage shows new test planes, such as the A-10 Thunderbolt II (28:19), the F5-E Tiger II, and the F-15 Eagle. A 1974 high-speed taxi test of a YF-16 goes array and forces the test pilot to actually take the aircraft on its first flight. More footage shows the Navy’s F-18 Hornet, the Boeing 707 (29:56), the B-1 Lancer bomber, the WC-15 cargo plane prototype, and the Boeing YC-14. A space engine is tested at the Rocket Propulsion Laboratory (31:07). A Lockheed YF-12 flies for research (35:54), testing new computer systems. Tactical drones are tested in flight (36:12) over the lake. An unpiloted drop model is carried by a larger aircraft (36:26); more drop model ships are released in air. The Space Shuttle is towed out on runway (37:10). The film ends with footage inside of the Space Shuttle and a jet landing at Edwards AFB from the perspective of the nose of the aircraft.

This film is part of the Periscope Film LLC archive, one of the largest historic military, transportation, and aviation stock footage collections in the USA. Entirely film backed, this material is available for licensing in 24p HD, 2k and 4k. For more information visit http://www.PeriscopeFilm.com

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