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Odd NASA F-16 at Moffett?

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posted on Sep, 22 2019 @ 05:36 PM
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So its a bit of an odd one. I know the base well and this kind of popped up in the last week. Its clearly looks like an F-16 but its not clear what. Its not the VISTA, XL, etc. It might be ATFI or It could be just a plain old A model that was sitting in a hanger rotting and they towed it outside. Its not in a spot that has easy access to the runways and it looks like its been retired for some time.

Thoughts?


edit on 9/22/19 by FredT because: (no reason given)



posted on Sep, 22 2019 @ 06:49 PM
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Me thinks the F-16xL. I saw one at Langley I think they had two%



posted on Sep, 22 2019 @ 06:51 PM
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originally posted by: FredT
So its a bit of an odd one. I know the base well and this kind of popped up in the last week. Its clearly looks like an F-16 but its not clear what. Its not the VISTA, XL, etc. It might be ATFI or It could be just a plain old A model that was sitting in a hanger rotting and they towed it outside. Its not in a spot that has easy access to the runways and it looks like its been retired for some time.

Thoughts?



NASA had two for their use experimentally,

en.wikipedia.org...



posted on Sep, 22 2019 @ 07:26 PM
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Guys Its NOT an XL, both are at Edwards and I saw one them just a few months ago and neither has flown for at least a decade. Nor were either XL in pure NASA white



posted on Sep, 22 2019 @ 08:59 PM
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Ma reply to: FredT

It’s not VISTA since I actually work on it now it’s at Edwards it’s probably the other XL there is one here at Edwards that they are painting to pu in the museum



posted on Sep, 22 2019 @ 09:27 PM
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originally posted by: Slide22
Ma reply to: FredT

It’s not VISTA since I actually work on it now it’s at Edwards it’s probably the other XL there is one here at Edwards that they are painting to pu in the museum


I figured but I was running through the options.

I thought both XL's were accounted for at Dryden I saw both at the 2009 open house and neither looked in flying condition and why would they move one to Ames?
edit on 9/22/19 by FredT because: (no reason given)



posted on Sep, 22 2019 @ 11:26 PM
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originally posted by: FredT
Thoughts?


They also had operated some F-16s as chase planes, at least according to the Internet.



posted on Sep, 22 2019 @ 11:30 PM
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originally posted by: mightmight

originally posted by: FredT
Thoughts?


They also had operated some F-16s as chase planes, at least according to the Internet.


Yeah thats what I'm leaning towards but am thrown by the lettering and program branding below the tail but you never know what lurks in those hangers lol



posted on Sep, 22 2019 @ 11:31 PM
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The white ones were used as chase and for some experiments. Five or six years ago now there was one at Plant 42, sitting in one of the Lockheed bays being worked on.



posted on Sep, 24 2019 @ 12:39 PM
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Probably not helpful. But according to this NASA has 2.

en.wikipedia.org...



posted on Sep, 24 2019 @ 12:59 PM
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It could be a Navy F-16N.



posted on Sep, 24 2019 @ 01:44 PM
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a reply to: FredT

I can't read the tail because of the haze but it looks like it has program names at the base of the stab.



posted on Sep, 25 2019 @ 01:06 PM
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originally posted by: Zaphod58
a reply to: FredT

I can't read the tail because of the haze but it looks like it has program names at the base of the stab.


For sure, MAD it appears to be but, its on the closed side fo the base and thats about the best angle I'm going to get on it.



posted on Sep, 26 2019 @ 12:40 AM
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Am I correct in seeing it has the drag chute option fitted? I remember at least one of the XL's did, but I dont think this is it.



posted on Sep, 26 2019 @ 12:59 AM
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a reply to: thebozeian

Sure looks like it has the drag chute option.



posted on Sep, 26 2019 @ 07:39 AM
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a reply to: thebozeian

IIRC none of the current NASA F-16 fleet has a drag chute. I might be wrong, but I don't think I am. For this to be an XL, they would have had to disassemble it and fly it in on a C-5 or C-17, and put it back together.
edit on 9/26/2019 by Zaphod58 because: (no reason given)



posted on Sep, 26 2019 @ 03:05 PM
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originally posted by: Zaphod58
a reply to: thebozeian

IIRC none of the current NASA F-16 fleet has a drag chute. I might be wrong, but I don't think I am. For this to be an XL, they would have had to disassemble it and fly it in on a C-5 or C-17, and put it back together.


Thata point I made earlier I saw BOTH XL's at Edwards in 2009 and both were no longer in flying condition. They (NASA) would not fly it up to AMES to simply sit out and rot.

That airframe was not there till recently (The google view is a mishmash of years for the base as whole) and given all of the stuff going on at the NASA side coupled with their "sell our soul" to google, perhaps it was towed out of a hanger to make room for the burgeoning Gulfstream fleet



posted on Sep, 26 2019 @ 03:07 PM
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I just wanted to add Im not saying its something special, for all I know its just a corroded out A model, but Most NASA F-16 had special pourposes to them AND most are accounted for elsewhere, AND it just popped up recently



posted on Sep, 27 2019 @ 10:56 AM
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a reply to: FredT





Just speculating here, but could this be what sits there?

Source for the first picture:
www.reddit.com...



posted on Sep, 27 2019 @ 03:40 PM
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Yes! Thats it. Wonder what they were using as I used google maps and did not spot it.

Rules out an XL as that had a cranked kit configuration




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