Valley aerospace industry leaped forward in 1998

This new shape and definition didn't arrived gracefully. It was molded with the addition of new projects and leadership combined with the loss of old programs. Meanwhile, the Valley kept doing what it has always done best: manufacturing, modifying and building aircraft.

Led by VentureStar, a reusable space vehicle, and the X-33, a prototype for the VentureStar, space projects that had been on the drawing boards began to take shape in the past year.

Areas near Edwards AFB were considered as part of the competition for a launch site for VentureStar.

The X-33 launch at Edwards AFB was pushed back from June to December 1999. Construction of the X-33 launch site was completed.

Rotary Rocket is building its launch site in Mojave. It completed its first hangar and began work on a high-bay hangar. In addition, testing began on key components.

Space Access completed its initial wind tunnel tests for its aerospace plane.

Boeing was recently awarded a contract to build Future-X, a test aircraft that will be released from the space shuttle, orbit the Earth and re-enter. Future-X will be built in Palmdale.

Boeing finished its modification of the space shuttle Atlantis in Palmdale and is scheduled to do modifications on the space shuttle Columbia next year.

Drop tests for the X-38, the lifeboat for the international space station, began at Edwards AFB. After more than 10 months of troubleshooting, X-38 testing will resume this year.

Not only were projects taking shape but there were changes in leadership positions at the three major government facilities in the area: Air Force Plant 42, the Air Force Flight Test Center and NASA Dryden Flight Research Center.

Each outgoing leader had begun steps toward space.

Maj. Gen Richard Engel, former Air Force Flight Test Center Commander, envisioned a hypersonic corridor and space planes flying over Edwards AFB. In his farewell speech, Engel referred to his hope to return to Edwards to fly a next generation space plane.

Ken Szalai, former director of Dryden, wanted X-planes of all sorts to slash through the Antelope Valley skies. At the end of 1998, there were nine military or NASA planes scheduled to fly or flying.

Lt. Col. Peter "Pete" Drinkwater positioned Air Force Plant 42 for the 21st century. He eliminated a budget shortfall at Plant 42 and fostered a spirit of cooperation among contractors.

The new leaders promised to continue the work of their predecessors and continue the multiple moves toward space endeavors.

So far, two of the three positions have been filled. Engle was replaced by Brig. Gen. Richard Reynolds who has pointed to space as a key part of the future at Edwards AFB.

Lt. Col. Robert Catlin became the new commander at Plant 42. Catlin brings a background that included overseeing contracts to develop space systems for the Pentagon.

Kevin Petersen is acting director at Dryden, a position he has held since Szalai left at the beginning of August.

With the start of F-22 testing at Edwards AFB in 1998, the test tradition at Edwards AFB continued.

Skunks Works signed an eightyear $1.8 billion contract to perform Total System Performance Responsibility on the F-117A stealth fighter.

At Tracor Flight Systems in Palmdale, which has become Marconi Flight Systems after a merger last year, work that could last for more than 20 years is beginning on wing assembly for the Boeing 707.

The fight by local leaders to land assembly of the joint strike fighter, the next large aircraft procurement program, appeared to gain steam with a visit by Boeing to evaluate Plant 42. According to some estimates, final assembly could bring 10,000 jobs to the Valley for a generation of work.

Even with the new projects, 1998 continued the end of the old, Cold War programs.

The B-1B program, with all 100 bombers built in Palmdale, left for good in October with the end of maintenance and modification activities

The B-2 program, with all 21 stealth bombers built at Air Force Plant 42, is reaching the end of the block-upgrade phase. In November 1998, Northrop announced that it expects a reduction of 700 employees by the end of 1999 at the Palmdale plant.

With the moves in 199813 January, 1999 could provide a dynamic, rapidly changing picture; as the last of the upgraded B-2s begin to soar out of the Antelope Valley, the X-33 could be rocketing into the sky on its first flight.

Correction - in Monday's edition about the Antelope Valley Aerospace Heritage Trail should have stated the Blackbird Airpark is at Avenue P and 25 Street East; and Fox Airfield is at 50th Street West and Avenue G.

For free Fox Airfield tours, call Dave Kleiman at 945-3817.