NASA F-15A 835 Flight Research Facility

NASA acquired F-15A 835 from the U.S. Air Force on January 5, 1976, and used it for more than 25 advanced research projects. As the F-15 Flight Research Facility, it integrated digital flight and engine controls with inlet controls and a research computer. The Highly Integrated Digital Electronic Control (HIDEC) work included adaptive engine control, self-repairing flight controls, and performance-seeking control. It also became NASA’s first propulsion-controlled-aircraft demonstrator. On April 21, 1993, it landed using engine power to control turns, climbs, and descents with the normal flight controls locked. Its propulsion-control and instrumentation research was separate from the later work of F-15s 836 and 837.