Erv,

 

Just a short note to add to the abbreviated lineage pages on NF-106B

57-2529; this airplane was modified in the mid-60s for use as a variable

stability trainer at the Aerospace Research Pilots School (ARPS). I was

an instructor on the staff of ARPS from June 1969 through May 1971. My

logbook shows an evaluation flight in 529 on Oct. 28, 1969; I do not

recall any details on when the airplane was taken out of service at

ARPS, but do remember that it was shortly after this flight. The VSS

(designed by Minneapolis-Honeywell) provided a very interesting

emulation of a lifting body and the Space Shuttle re-entry profiles and

handling qualities, flying it from the back seat. So this kind of

training was not just done by Martin in Baltimore. We worked very hard

at getting 529 into service as a training vehicle, but it was

complicated enough that we were never able to fold it into the ARPS

curriculum reliably. We just could not get enough flying time out of

it; it was very sophisticated "hangar queen". Sorry, I have no pictures

of the airplane, though I would expect the history office at Edwards

might have something on it from that era.

 

Thanks for putting together a very complete F-106 lineage.