This rear view of the left wing load hardware shows the setup for testing a F/A-18E from the Naval Air Systems Command (NAVAIR) in Patuxent River, Maryland. The aircraft is in NASA’s Armstrong Flight Research Center Flight Loads Laboratory in Edwards, California, for the center’s biggest load calibrations tests. This testing is needed before the aircraft can serve as a test vehicle for determining if it can safely manage maneuvers and proposed upgrades.

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Photo credit: © NASA/piemags / Alamy / Afripics
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Keywords: /-18e, air, armstrong, base, california, center, command, edwards, flight, force, hornet, laboratory, loads, nasa, navair, naval, research, super, systems, testing