Testing Limits – Pushing Frontiers
Welcome to my website of NASA´s huge and historical fleet of one-of-the-kind research aircraft, often called and described as
My intention is to show you the large variety of aircraft used in the last decades by NASA and its predecessor, the NACA.
Since
1987 I seriously started as a model builder with NASA´s historical and recent
astronautical achievements, especially with custom model kits of the Apollo-
and Space-Shuttle era.
In 1993, I discovered a new field of interest, the more or less unknown (in
the German public) first A in NASA: The aeronautical research. I have been
inspired to focus on NASA-aircraft by my first book dealing with this subject:
"Flying The Frontiers" by Arthur Pearcy (Airlife Publishing
Ltd, 1993; see right picture).
To show you the exploring spirit of the people involved in aeronautical research
of those days, I quote as follows (THOMPSON, M., PEEBLES, C. ,1999):
"When the Space Shuttle ´Columbia´ came out of the reentry blackout April
14, 1981, my eyes filled with tears. NASA had accomplished a lifting reentry
and a fly-back to a precise landing on Rogers Dry Lake at Edwards Air Force
Base. When I arrived at Edward 1956, I didn´t foresee what I was about to
be part of. The golden age of flight test was nearing its end. We were almost
finished with the X-1 program; the X-3, X-4, and X-5 programs had ended; and
the X-2 was in trouble. I thought to myself, "The X-programs are all over,
I´ve missed it all." Then came the X-15, the Dyna-Soar program, the Parasev,
and the lifting bodies. I hadn´t missed it after all."
Over the following years, I have been trying to set up an unique fleet,
as extensive as possible, of aircraft – helicopters, jet- and rocket-powered
planes – NASA has had in its inventory over the years.
My fleet of NASA-aircraft comprises now more than forty models, all in scale
1:72 for better comparison. Usually, I have trying to use customary plastic
model kits by customary manufacturers. In order to match the original, I often
had to convert these kits and had to create the required decals and paint
schemes on my own. Some types of NASA-aircraft are represented in multiple
versions.
THE FLEET:
OV-101 "Enterprise", OV-103 "Discovery", Shuttle-C, Lifting Bodies
from ASSET, PRIME, M2F1, M2F2, HL-10, X-24A to X-24B, KC-135A, WB-57F, NC-130B,
P-3, YF-12C, U-2C, B-57B, B737-130, F-4A, F-5F, A-5A, SC-7, AV-8A, OV-10A,
F-14A, F-15A, F-16A, F16XL, F-18A und TF-18, F-20A, XF-85, F-100C, F-104A,
F-104N, TF-104G, (Q)F-106A, NF-106B, F-111A, XV-6A, YAV-8B, XV-15A, T-38A,
Cessna 172, AH-1G, SH-3G, X-1, X-13, X-15, X-29A and new models are still
to come...
Since 1990 I have been a member of the VdPM Hannover e.V., one of Germany´s eldest scale modelling societies. Founded in 1979, the VdPM (Verein der Plastik Modellbauer) currently has about 70 members and covers Hanover region. At our annual model-exhibition, I present my models to the public (see pictures below).
More information about me: |
Air- & Space-related visits until now: |
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For more than 25 years I
have been dealing extensively with Air- & Space Since 2000 user of air- & space-related websites Since 2005 operator of my own hobby-website www.nasa-wings.info
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1992 and 1996 visit of the
Kennedy Space Center, Florida 1997 and 2005 visit of the Flugwerft Schleissheim as a part of the Deutsche Museum München 2009 model exhibition at the Deutsche Raumfahrtausstellung as part of the DLR, Morgenröthe-Rautenkranz 2012 at least visit of the Historisch-Technisches Museum Peenemünde 2011, 2013 & 2015 model exhibitions at the Tag der Luft- und Raumfahrt at DLR-main base, Cologne |
As member of the VdPM Hannover e.V. since 1990 I took part for a large number
of model exhibitions.
And to take part at the "Day of Aerospace" in 2009 in Morgenröthe-Rautenkranz
(see report) at the "Deutschen Raumfahrtausstellung"
was already outstanding.
But as my personal "knighthood" I perceived the peerless opportunity
to present a variety of my models at the "Day of Aerospace" 2011
at the DLR
in Cologne-Porz (see report), the german
equivalent of NASA Headquarters and most important R&D site. This experience
would be only to surpass by a presentation of my models anywhere at NASA itself.
But why not? At DLR it worked well – and I have a dream...{;-)
Later I was again given the opportunity to show a selection of my models on
the "Day of Aerospace" 2013 (see
report) and 2015 (see report) at the
DLR in Cologne-Porz to the public.
Many thanks for invitation, DLR!
Here are some photos of historical exhibition participations:
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During a three-week vacation trip through the Southwest of the
USA I visited (by a stroke of good fortune) the DFRC on the weekend of September
6th and 7th in 1996. Exactly that weekend the DFRC celebrated an open house
day and airshow to commemorate its 50th anniversary. I was very lucky by chance,
because until my arrival at Lancaster, California, on September 5th I didn´t
knew anything about this unique event!
So, I took this opportunity to have a look behind the scenes of the DFRC,
to talk to DFRC-staff and to photograph extensively.
Of course, I know that the DFRC has been officially redesignated to "Armstrong Flight Research Center" (ARFC) on March 1st, 2014. But for me it will still remain the DFRC. Especially because I am dealing specifically with historical research programs and aircraft.
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The
author of this website on the apron of the Dryden
Flight Research Center, after a visit of the SCA "NASA 905"
and in front of the huge aircraft-hangar 4802, containing the exhibition
of NASA-aircraft commemorating 50 years of Dryden Flight Research Center (Photograph: Scharfenberg) |
The
official logo of Dryden Flight Research Center commemorating the 50th
anniversary (September 30th, 1946) as former station of Langley Memorial
Aeronautical Laboratory |
Just 13 month later, on the weekend of October 18th and 19th in 1997, I visited Edwards Air Force Base again for the mega-event "Edwards Open House and Air Show", celebrating 50 years of U.S. Air Force und 50 years of supersonic flight. A truly never-to-be-forgotton experience!
End of January 2013 I started a new professional retraining as a Warehouse Logistic Expert. This is a whole new qualification to be completed within 23 months and which ended in January 2015 by passing the final examination for the officially accredited profession with the overall grade: good (85%). Important parts of the professional retraining have been two three months lasting blocks of work experience. I was able to complete successfully both blocks at the same company.
As someone who lives in Langenhagen since 1969 and was grown up with the airport, I never missed an ILA from 1980 to 1990. Neither on the roof of my parents' bungalow nor alongside the runway fence or on the exhibition grounds. As a general aviation and aerospace enthusiast and a plastic model builder working in this division, nothing better could happen to me as getting an internship just at the logistics division of TUIfly GmbH (klick here for WIKIPEDIA-article), which is located at the Hannover-Langenhagen airport!
After determining the reliability according to § 7 LuftSiG I started my internship in the section "Material, Planning, Procurement & Supply" of the department "Maintenance" of TUIfly GmbH.
For this, I not only got my internal employees card but also my individual IATA number. Thus I became a "real AIRLINER", also I was the proud owner of an official employee ID card as a trainee!
The first internship, I graduated from 15 July 2013 to 25 October, the second one followed in the same section from 03 February 2014 to 29 April.
It was a highly demanding, varying time with many exciting events and deep insights that I could never win as "John Doe" otherwise.
Great times made by great people. Stay as great as you are, you all really deserve it. Your merit is my success!
Many thanks to all the employees of TUIfly GmbH, with whom I was able to work together, for the very friendly reception, the willingness to help and patience when I once again wanted something "exactly".
Below a few photo impressions of this beautiful time:
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Hangar 2 with three
B737 |
Hangar 2 with B737
as "Phase Out" and tractor |
Hangar 1 with B737
at maintenance dock I |
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CFM56-jet-engine
in transport rack |
Shipping preparation
for two CFM56-jet-engines |
Main and nose wheels
for B737 at shipping dept. |
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Arrival of the new
B737 "D-ATUM" |
As close as possible!
Thanks to Franz Hah! |
AOG-shipping of a
B737-brake to Heraklion |
Addendum:
From April 2018 until the end of 2021, I had the privilege of working as Receiving Inspector Incoming Goods (TUI E&M Part-145 MOE) for TUIfly GmbH in the logistics department of the Hanover Base Maintenance. The main tasks were:
To have worked as a real airliner for TUIfly was the fulfillment of a dream
I had never dared to dream before. Unfortunately, this dream did not even
last four years, after 1356 days at the end of 2021 it was over.
Thanks to all for this great experience, because I had the privilege to have
turned my hobby into my profession.
To paraphrase Tom Hanks aka James Lovell in the movie "Apollo 13":
"Gentlemen, it's been a privilege flying with you!"
KLETZM over and out
Flying in the most natural way:
The author of the website as paraglider,
a "selfie" already taken in 1993! No less memorable
were my own experiences with the air sports: In the early 1990s, I have even
used the opportunity literally to "go up in the air" for myself:
For four years I flew as a paraglider in Northern Germany, Austria and South
Tyrol. Unfortunately, at the end of my studies I could no longer to continue
in this great air sport by lack of time. As a "compensation", in
1995 I made a tandem parachute jump. Also a very nice sport! In the truest
sense of the word "horizon-expanding"!
Further activities around aviation have been flights with the original Ju 52 of the Swiss "Ju-Air", a Ford "Trimotor" of the "Kalamazoo Air Zoo", a C-47/DC-3 operated by "Air Service Berlin," an Antonov AN-2, a Bell "Jet Ranger", a glider two-seater and a ride in a hot air balloon. Still things missing are a ride in a zeppelin or blimp and a nice sightseeing flight with a beautiful vintage biplane...
I hope you have learned a little about myself and my interests/intentions and you have enjoyed visiting my comprehensive website.
Any suggestions of improvement, corrections or further information about NASA-aircraft would be greatly appreciated. Please feel free (or please don´t hesitate) to contact me via e-mail.
I hereby assure I only have informative and respectively educational intentions (for private use only) and I pursue no commercial interests neither on this website nor in the sources I have used and stated.
If not stated otherwise all photographs have come from NASA.
Langenhagen, Germany
"The author is not responsible for any contents linked or referred to from this website."
Copyright © 2005 – 2023 Michael Kletzsch
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