About Flight Demonstrations and Capabilities (FDC) Project

The FDC project conducts complex integrated small-scale flight research to validate the benefits of new technologies. By modifying aircraft from FDC’s support fleet, the project enables aggressive, success-oriented flight campaign schedules. While many technologies are at mid-levels of technology readiness, the FDC project supports all phases of technology maturation.   FDC’s support aircraft fleet enables safety chase and in-flight experimental measurements for a variety of […]

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Mar 10, 2026 - 01:00
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About Flight Demonstrations and Capabilities (FDC) Project
Image of a sleek, white airplane with a sharp, pointed nose flies above arid mountains. The plane's wheels are down. NASA is painted in blue lettering on its tail. The X-59 has a role in NASA's Flight Demonstrations and Capabilities (FDC) project.
NASA’s X-59 quiet supersonic research aircraft lifts off for its first flight Tuesday, Oct. 28, 2025, from U.S. Air Force Plant 42 in Palmdale, California. The aircraft’s first flight marks the start of flight testing for NASA’s Quesst mission, the result of years of design, integration, and ground testing and begins a new chapter in NASA’s aeronautics research legacy.
NASA/Lori Losey

The FDC project conducts complex integrated small-scale flight research to validate the benefits of new technologies.

By modifying aircraft from FDC’s support fleet, the project enables aggressive, success-oriented flight campaign schedules. While many technologies are at mid-levels of technology readiness, the FDC project supports all phases of technology maturation.  

FDC’s support aircraft fleet enables safety chase and in-flight experimental measurements for a variety of NASA missions.

The project collaborates with academia, industry, and government organizations to leverage flight opportunities, and engages with NASA researchers and university students to bring innovative concepts to flight.  

The FDC project operates, sustains, and enhances other national flight research capabilities that enable complex high-risk flight research for both NASA and the aviation industry.

These capabilities are located at NASA’s Armstrong Flight Research Center at Edwards, California, and includes the Aeronautics Test Data Portal, Flight Loads Laboratory, the Dryden Aeronautical Test Range, and a suite of flight simulators.

The project leverages collaborative opportunities for flight testing from across the aeronautical industry. 

Flight Research Facilities

The FDC project validates benefits associated with critical technologies through focused flight experiments. Through the integration of appropriate flight test capabilities and assets — whether from NASA. other government agencies, or industry — FDC campaigns focus on aggressive, success-oriented schedules using the best collection of assets.

The FDC project supports tests of technology at all phases of maturation.

Flight Loads Laboratory

Research Aircraft Integration Facility

Dryden Aeronautical Test Range

Support Aircraft and Maintenance Operations

FDC

IASP  

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Last Updated
Mar 09, 2026
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Jim Banke
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