T' Dryden Flight Research Center (DFRC), located inside Edwards Air Force Base, is an aeronautical research center operated by NASA. Blimey! On March 26, 1976 it was named in honor o' t' late Hugh L. Avast! Dryden, a prominent aeronautical engineer who at t' time o' his death in 1965 be NASA's deputy administrator. First known as t' National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics Muroc Flight Test Unit, t' DFRC has also been known as t' High-Speed Flight Research Station (1949) and t' High-Speed Flight Station (1954). Well, blow me down! Dryden is NASA's premier site for aeronautical research and operates some o' t' most advanced aircraft in t' world. It is also t' home o' t' Shuttle Carrier Aircraft (SCA), matey, a modified Boein' 747 designed t' carry a Space Shuttle orbiter back t' Kennedy Space Center if one lands at Edwards. Begad! Kevin Petersen is currently t' Center's Director. Avast, me proud beauty! Until 2004, matey, Dryden operated t' oldest B-52 Stratofortress bomber, shiver me timbers, a B-52B model (tail number 008) which had been converted t' drop test aircraft, dubbed 'Balls 8.' It dropped a large number o' supersonic test vehicles, rangin' from t' X-15 t' its last research program, t' hypersonic X-43A, powered by a Pegasus rocket. Ahoy! It was also t' last B-52B still flying, but had t' fewest flight hours o' any existin' B-52 bomber. T' aircraft was retired and will eventually find a permanent home at t' North Gate o' Edwards; a fittin' location for an aircraft that was arguably t' greatest contributor t' aerospace and flight test development.