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Danderman
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« Reply #60 on: 05/30/2012 10:28 PM » |
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As it is today.
I thought the two of these things were in a hangar?
I know someone who is writing a book about the X-34.
According to a message posted here earlier, the two airframes were moved out onto the apron earlier this year. I did see the two airframes when I was taking a photo, but missed one of them. They don't seem to be in good condition.
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HMXHMX
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« Reply #61 on: 05/30/2012 10:46 PM » |
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As it is today.
I thought the two of these things were in a hangar?
I know someone who is writing a book about the X-34.
According to a message posted here earlier, the two airframes were moved out onto the apron earlier this year. I did see the two airframes when I was taking a photo, but missed one of them. They don't seem to be in good condition.
The were moved from Edwards AFB last year or the year before, to Mojave, and are sitting next to Stargazer.
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Whisper-stream
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« Reply #62 on: 05/31/2012 07:26 PM » |
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After the X-34 program was canceled, the two vehicles were moved from place to place around Edwards AFB for several years. Parts of a third airframe were in storage with spares and miscellaneous support equipment. Eventually, everything ended up in storage at North Base.
With the hangar doors open, X-34-A1 and X-34-A2 were exposed to some degree of weathering, as well as to damage caused by rodents and birds. Several years ago, the two vehicles were towed across the lakebed and out onto the Precision Impact Range Area (PIRA) where they reportedly served as laser targets. On the PIRA, the composite airframes were exposed to a variety of weather conditions including extreme heat, extreme cold, strong winds, dust storms, and rain.
After the vehicles were moved to the PIRA, the miscellaneous spare parts and other equipment were disposed of as trash and scrap. Parts destined for the third airframe lay on the ramp like remnants of a giant model kit. The speed brakes and elevons from the X-34-A1 had been removed and were destined for the dumpster. i rescued the speed brakes and the outboard elevons (I never did find the inboard elevons) and stored them at NASA Dryden in the event that someone might want to put them back on the vehicle someday.
That day eventually came. Someone decided to rescue the vehicles from the PIRA. Unfortunately, they became stranded on the edge of the lakebed due to weather. A rain storm made the lakebed surface too wet to allow the vehicles to be towed across. So they sat on the roadway leading to the East Shore Space Shuttle Public Viewing Site for several months where they were visible and accessible to anyone driving by.
By early May 2010, the lakebed had dried out, and the X-34 vehicles were returned to NASA Dryden and placed in outdoor storage. I called several people to let them know where to find the speed brakes and elevons. These items eventually disappeared from my building. I hope they ended up in the proper place.
The X-34 vehicles departed to Mojave in November 2010. After all the abuse they suffered, I find it hard to believe that they could be made flyable.
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brtbrt
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« Reply #63 on: 06/03/2012 04:27 AM » |
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After the X-34 program was canceled, the two vehicles were moved from place to place around Edwards AFB for several years. Parts of a third airframe were in storage with spares and miscellaneous support equipment. Eventually, everything ended up in storage at North Base.
With the hangar doors open, X-34-A1 and X-34-A2 were exposed to some degree of weathering, as well as to damage caused by rodents and birds. Several years ago, the two vehicles were towed across the lakebed and out onto the Precision Impact Range Area (PIRA) where they reportedly served as laser targets. On the PIRA, the composite airframes were exposed to a variety of weather conditions including extreme heat, extreme cold, strong winds, dust storms, and rain.
After the vehicles were moved to the PIRA, the miscellaneous spare parts and other equipment were disposed of as trash and scrap. Parts destined for the third airframe lay on the ramp like remnants of a giant model kit. The speed brakes and elevons from the X-34-A1 had been removed and were destined for the dumpster. i rescued the speed brakes and the outboard elevons (I never did find the inboard elevons) and stored them at NASA Dryden in the event that someone might want to put them back on the vehicle someday.
That day eventually came. Someone decided to rescue the vehicles from the PIRA. Unfortunately, they became stranded on the edge of the lakebed due to weather. A rain storm made the lakebed surface too wet to allow the vehicles to be towed across. So they sat on the roadway leading to the East Shore Space Shuttle Public Viewing Site for several months where they were visible and accessible to anyone driving by.
By early May 2010, the lakebed had dried out, and the X-34 vehicles were returned to NASA Dryden and placed in outdoor storage. I called several people to let them know where to find the speed brakes and elevons. These items eventually disappeared from my building. I hope they ended up in the proper place.
The X-34 vehicles departed to Mojave in November 2010. After all the abuse they suffered, I find it hard to believe that they could be made flyable.
I tried getting them saved in Nov 2009, just as after they went to PIRA. Alas, it was not to be. By the time I saw then in the winter of 2010, they were in bad shape. There were many parts missing (significant portions of the hydraulics system, control surfaces - now I know where they went :-), electronics). Exterior skins showed significant signs of weathering, there was 2 inches of water in the bilge, one of the ships probably had a bent front landing gear. The spare parts were worse off. I couldn't find one major structural component that was in good shape. Except for the LOX tanks, which were properly stored all wrapped up and in a wooden container. They'd still have to be tested, but they looked none the worse for wear. Still, with suitable application of elbow grease and $$$ they could probably be made to fly again. And fly they would - they were even more beautiful up close then in the pictures. But the devil's in the details - and I don't know if it's going to be possible to come up with the $$$. I tried, and failed. Maybe someone else will be more successful.
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Prober
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« Reply #64 on: 06/03/2012 01:14 PM » |
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After the X-34 program was canceled, the two vehicles were moved from place to place around Edwards AFB for several years. Parts of a third airframe were in storage with spares and miscellaneous support equipment. Eventually, everything ended up in storage at North Base.
With the hangar doors open, X-34-A1 and X-34-A2 were exposed to some degree of weathering, as well as to damage caused by rodents and birds. Several years ago, the two vehicles were towed across the lakebed and out onto the Precision Impact Range Area (PIRA) where they reportedly served as laser targets. On the PIRA, the composite airframes were exposed to a variety of weather conditions including extreme heat, extreme cold, strong winds, dust storms, and rain.
After the vehicles were moved to the PIRA, the miscellaneous spare parts and other equipment were disposed of as trash and scrap. Parts destined for the third airframe lay on the ramp like remnants of a giant model kit. The speed brakes and elevons from the X-34-A1 had been removed and were destined for the dumpster. i rescued the speed brakes and the outboard elevons (I never did find the inboard elevons) and stored them at NASA Dryden in the event that someone might want to put them back on the vehicle someday.
That day eventually came. Someone decided to rescue the vehicles from the PIRA. Unfortunately, they became stranded on the edge of the lakebed due to weather. A rain storm made the lakebed surface too wet to allow the vehicles to be towed across. So they sat on the roadway leading to the East Shore Space Shuttle Public Viewing Site for several months where they were visible and accessible to anyone driving by.
By early May 2010, the lakebed had dried out, and the X-34 vehicles were returned to NASA Dryden and placed in outdoor storage. I called several people to let them know where to find the speed brakes and elevons. These items eventually disappeared from my building. I hope they ended up in the proper place.
The X-34 vehicles departed to Mojave in November 2010. After all the abuse they suffered, I find it hard to believe that they could be made flyable.
I tried getting them saved in Nov 2009, just as after they went to PIRA. Alas, it was not to be. By the time I saw then in the winter of 2010, they were in bad shape. There were many parts missing (significant portions of the hydraulics system, control surfaces - now I know where they went :-), electronics). Exterior skins showed significant signs of weathering, there was 2 inches of water in the bilge, one of the ships probably had a bent front landing gear.
The spare parts were worse off. I couldn't find one major structural component that was in good shape. Except for the LOX tanks, which were properly stored all wrapped up and in a wooden container. They'd still have to be tested, but they looked none the worse for wear.
Still, with suitable application of elbow grease and $$$ they could probably be made to fly again. And fly they would - they were even more beautiful up close then in the pictures.
But the devil's in the details - and I don't know if it's going to be possible to come up with the $$$. I tried, and failed. Maybe someone else will be more successful.
Who has ownership, if you know?
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brtbrt
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« Reply #65 on: 06/03/2012 01:51 PM » |
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After the X-34 program was canceled, the two vehicles were moved from place to place around Edwards AFB for several years. Parts of a third airframe were in storage with spares and miscellaneous support equipment. Eventually, everything ended up in storage at North Base.
...
The X-34 vehicles departed to Mojave in November 2010. After all the abuse they suffered, I find it hard to believe that they could be made flyable.
I tried getting them saved in Nov 2009, just as after they went to PIRA.
...
But the devil's in the details - and I don't know if it's going to be possible to come up with the $$$. I tried, and failed. Maybe someone else will be more successful.
Who has ownership, if you know?
Last I heard NASA got it back from USAF and still officially owns the airframes. I didn't hear about any further transfers of ownership. But I've been out of that loop for well over a year, so I don't know.
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GClark
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« Reply #67 on: 06/07/2012 08:55 AM » |
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More likely just parked on the same part of the apron.
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Jester
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« Reply #68 on: 06/07/2012 12:29 PM » |
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brtbrt
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« Reply #69 on: 06/07/2012 05:18 PM » |
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According to the description of that image above of March 2011,
http://www.airliners.net/photo/Orbital-Sciences/Lockheed-L-1011-385-1-15-TriStar/1967628/L/&sid=eccf564096028469df4aaf22d90285aa
Two Orbital Sciences X-34s can be seen on the ramp.
So is that a mistake? or did they transfer to Orbital ?
I think Orbital was charged with the task of examining them closely, and they had the space at MHV. They're the ones that built the X-34, and the chief engineer of the project is was still at Orbital as of 2 years ago, so it made perfect sense for them to look at the airframes. About a year ago, I got the chance to ask one of Orbital's higher-ups about the status of the investigation, but couldn't get a straight answer.
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iamlucky13
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« Reply #70 on: 06/08/2012 03:45 PM » |
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Somewhat recent picture from Airliners.net
Sorry to be nitpicky, but I know that photos uploaded on Airliners.net retain full copyright to the original photographer and most of them do not want their images shared freely, so absent specific permission from the photographer, you should stick to just to linking to the photo instead of attaching it. Great job finding that picture, however. According to the description of that image above of March 2011,
http://www.airliners.net/photo/Orbital-Sciences/Lockheed-L-1011-385-1-15-TriStar/1967628/L/&sid=eccf564096028469df4aaf22d90285aa
Two Orbital Sciences X-34s can be seen on the ramp.
So is that a mistake? or did they transfer to Orbital ?
Orbital was the design contractor for the X-34. I don't think he's suggesting Orbital owns them, but merely associating their involvement in the program (just like the Space Shuttles are sometimes called Rockwell Space Shuttles).
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truth is life
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« Reply #71 on: 06/08/2012 04:37 PM » |
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Sorry to be nitpicky, but I know that photos uploaded on Airliners.net retain full copyright to the original photographer and most of them do not want their images shared freely, so absent specific permission from the photographer, you should stick to just to linking to the photo instead of attaching it.
Great job finding that picture, however.
Also, it's not difficult to find a similar image (if from a different perspective) on Google Maps, and I would assume Google Earth. The X-34s are just chilling with Stargazer, yeah...
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