Mojave Air & Space Port in California is not a typical aviation museum, but rather a working airport with some rare and fascinating aircraft on display. It is located near the town of Mojave, about 70 miles north of Downtown Los Angeles.
Gate Guardians
As you drive to the airport, you will be welcomed by three gate guardians: a Convair 990 Coronado, a McDonnell Douglas QF-4 Phantom II, and a SAAB TF-35 Draken. These are not just random static displays, but actual aircraft that have been used for various purposes at Mojave.
Mojave Air and Space Port
The Convair 990 was a narrow-body four-engine passenger jet that flew for American Airlines and Modern Air Transport in the 1960s. It was later acquired by NASA and used with the NASA tail number #810 to test the Space Shuttle’s wheel and brake systems. It is the only Convair 990 on display in the United States.
Convair 990 Coronado – NASA Landing System Research Aircraft
The F-4 Phantom II was a legendary fighter-bomber that served in the US Air Force, Navy, and Marine Corps from the 1960s to the 1990s. The one at Mojave was converted by BAE Systems, one of the airport’s tenants, to an unmanned QF-4 version that was used as a target drone for military radar and missile testing.
McDonnell Douglas F-4C Phantom II
The Draken was a supersonic fighter-interceptor developed by the Swedish company SAAB in the 1950s. It was used at Mojave by the National Test Pilot School, which trains pilots and test engineers for the aerospace industry.
Saab TF-35XD Draken
Legacy Park
If you walk to the airport administration building, you will find the Legacy Park, which exhibits some of the most remarkable achievements of Mojave’s aerospace companies. The park features a full-size model of SpaceShipOne, the first privately funded manned spacecraft that reached the edge of space in 2004. It was built and flown by Scaled Composites, a company founded by the famous Burt Rutan, who is also known for designing other innovative aircraft such as the Voyager, the GlobalFlyer, and the Boomerang.
SpaceShipOne replica
The park also has the Roton Atmospheric Test Vehicle (ATV) on display, which was a unique spacecraft concept developed by the company Rotary Rocket in the late 1990s. It featured a rotating annular aerospike engine and a helicopter rotor for controlled landings. The idea was to create a reusable and low-cost launch vehicle that could carry small satellites to orbit. Unfortunately, the project ran out of funds in 2001 and was shut down.
Rotary Rocket Roton Atmospheric Test Vehicle (ATV)
Famous Tenants and the Boneyard
As you wander around the airport, you might catch a glimpse of other fascinating aircraft that are stored or tested at Mojave. For example, you might see the Scaled Composites Stratolaunch, the world’s largest aircraft by wingspan, which was designed to air-launch orbital rockets and now meant for launching hypersonic test vehicles.
Rotary Rocket Roton Atmospheric Test Vehicle (ATV)
Or you might see the Stargazer Lockheed L-1011, a wide-body airliner that was modified to carry the Pegasus rocket under its fuselage. You’ll likely also see some of the aircraft that are parked in the storage and boneyard areas of the airport, awaiting for their fate.
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Convair 990 Coronado – NASA Landing System Research Aircraft
Convair 990 Coronado – NASA Landing System Research Aircraft
Convair 990 Coronado – NASA Landing System Research Aircraft
Convair 990 Coronado – NASA Landing System Research Aircraft
McDonnell Douglas F-4C Phantom II
McDonnell Douglas F-4C Phantom II
McDonnell Douglas F-4C Phantom II
McDonnell Douglas F-4C Phantom II
McDonnell Douglas F-4C Phantom II
McDonnell Douglas F-4C Phantom II
Saab TF-35XD Draken
Saab TF-35XD Draken
Saab TF-35XD Draken
Saab TF-35XD Draken
Rotary Rocket Roton Atmospheric Test Vehicle (ATV)
Rotary Rocket Roton Atmospheric Test Vehicle (ATV)
Convair 990 Coronado – NASA Landing System Research Aircraft
Convair 990 Coronado – NASA Landing System Research Aircraft
