This site is dedicated to archiving the historical events that have transpired over the last 60+ years of flight research at what is now known as NASA Dryden Flight Research Center.
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Point of Contact
Dr. Christian Gelzer (Tybrin Corp.)
Chief Historian
NASA Dryden Flight Research Center
(661) 276-5290
Christian.Gelzer-1@nasa.gov
Dryden History
NASA's 50th Anniversary
This Week in Dryden's History
A collection of rare photos and historical facts documenting the extraordinary employees, special events and flight research projects flown at Dryden Flight Research Center over the last 50 years.
Where Are They Now?
Want to know where you can see some of the most famous, cutting-edge aerospace vehicles ever flown? Fire-up the afterburner and cruise through this list to see where these historic NASA air and spacec...
NASA's 50th Anniversary
On October 1, 2008 the National Aeronautics and Space Administration officially turned 50. This site celebrates the "Inspiration, Innovation, and Discovery" that defined the Agency's last five decades...
Dryden Historical Features
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Final Flight of the X-15 Left a Legacy of Success
Research pilot William H. "Bill" Dana completed his cockpit checklist in preparation for a flight in the rocket-powered X-15.
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The Last Rocketeer: Pink Boots and Yellow Daisies
On the morning of Sept. 23, 1975, a team of engineers, technicians and flight crew busily prepared for the final rocket-powered flight of the X-24B, the last of the wingless lifting bodies.
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The M2-F1: 'Look Ma! No Wings!'
The planned retirement of the space shuttle fleet in 2010 will bring to a close an era that opened in the high desert of Southern California nearly a half century ago.
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1966 Collision of XB-70, F-104 Drew Attention to Wing Vortex Issue
In 1961, President John F. Kennedy signed an initiative endorsing the development of an American supersonic transport – SST for short – capable of flying three times the speed of sound.
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LLRV Work led to Apollo Lunar Landers
NASA Flight Research Center's LLRV work led to development of the Apollo Lunar Landers.
Research Corner
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Past Research Projects
Links to information about past research projects and programs flown at Dryden Flight Research Center.
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Dryden Fact Sheets
Documents about the research projects, facilities, people, and history of the Dryden Flight Research Center.
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Flight Research Milestones
A chronological listing of major flight research milestones flow at Dryden Flight Research Center from the late 1940s to the present.
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Dryden Biographies
Biographies and photos of Dryden's present and former Directors, reseaerch pilots and current management team.
Multimedia
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X-Planes Overview (Flash)
An interactive overview of the experimental X-Planes flown at Dryden Flight Research Center over the last several decades.
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Dryden Movie Gallery →
A collection of QuickTime movies documenting flight research and special events conducted at NASA Dryden Flight Research Center from the 1940s to the present.
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Dryden Photo Gallery →
A collection of digitized photos containing many of the unique research aircraft flown at NASA Dryden Flight Research Center from the 1940s to the present.