From: Ed Rasimus


As for structural limits, those are typically explored to failure in
static ground tests. They used to have a big hangar down at Eglin
(probably at Edwards as well) that they would load up an airframe and
keep increasing the load until flex limits or destruction. Fascinating
stuff.

Ed, I used to work in that hangar (422) and the next one over (421). The
airplane that spent the most time in the shaker during the 1980s was an F-105.
It's now in the Armament Museum.

That part of the hangar was also where they laid out an F-4 and a couple of
F-16s after they were plowed into the ground or ocean.

By the time I retired the shaker had been mostly removed and that portion of
the hangar was turned into WRSK.

FWIW the other half of the hangar was the C-130 nose dock.

Ed Rasimus
Fighter Pilot (USAF-Ret)

Dan, U. S. Air Force, retired