On completion of their trials in 1966, two XV-6A Kestrels were transferred to the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) at Langley, Virginia. Their trials included air combat manoeuvring with thrust-vectoring in mock combat with a NASA-operated T-38 Talon.
Following their retirement, the prototype YAV-8B was acquired in 1984 as N704NA for the Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, as was a former U S.Marine Corps AV-8C in 1987 which was registered N719NA. Now flying as NASA 704 and 719 respectively, they are still used for various trials involved with space research, including control systems, microwave landing equipment and astronaut proficiency flying.
