Wow what a great story on the Smithsonian history! So much cool stuff I did not know! I knew about the A & S Museum coming and Michael Collins being named the curator. Missile Row was pretty cool! What memories! I remember a field trip from my school in NoVa, Belvedere E.S. in '65 to the Smithsonian museums. That was a cool trip! The trees were just being planted lining the mall grass way now know as The Mall.
In '65 I remember NASA coming to the school and we had a NASA presentation in the cafeteria looking for future APOLLO astronauts to finish out the program in 1989 to commercial mining for starters. It's to bad that never materialized.
Did you ever get to the A & S Museum 4th floor for the engineers? When I was learning how to fly I had that opportunity and I took it. The relative of mine who was a WWII military pilot and test pilot got me in with him and his appointment. The engineer I met was working on figuring out why a prop's strut became a wing after a certain point due the the prop being to big to fit on the aft fuselage and stay a strut. It generated much higher air speeds which is why they wanted do do that. Boeing airframe 727 was what they wanted to flight test. I believe they flight tested a single engine, maybe 2 but it was not what they really wanted to do. Cool back and forth between us. Finally did you ever get to see their "closet" for the A & S M in Rockville? He got us the authorization to get in over there. We took it! That was cooler than cool! Sorry, no photo's allowed.
I'm looking forward to the next part of your great adventure! Thanks for sharing it!!
Glad you enjoyed this one, Bob. Thanks for sharing your experiences. It sounds as if we may have been living parallel lives for a time around the D.C. area!
If by the "closet in Rockville" you mean the Paul Garber restoration facility in Silver Hill, yes, I visited in the late 1970s. The single image that remains in my memory is the model of the alien ship used for the "Close Encounters of the Third Kind" movie. I know ... its kind of an odd thing to have stood out for me.
I never visited the Air and Space Museum's fourth floor. I am certain that I would be a regular visitor there if I still lived nearby. But, instead of studying 727 engine struts (my Boeing days are over), I would be researching the origins of the air and space art gallery and the NASA Art Program.
Those art works you mentioned would be a great adventure if you were still in the area. Well neither of us are. I'm in Raleigh, NC now. Financially I still have a ways to go but now that I'm back working I am hoping that soon I can buy some of your prints. Money is now tight vs in the hole! LOL! Yes that Rockville facility is what I was referring to. The artifact that stood out for me was the APOLLO spacecraft apex cover. Beats me why!! LOL!!!!
Hello Dave!,
Wow what a great story on the Smithsonian history! So much cool stuff I did not know! I knew about the A & S Museum coming and Michael Collins being named the curator. Missile Row was pretty cool! What memories! I remember a field trip from my school in NoVa, Belvedere E.S. in '65 to the Smithsonian museums. That was a cool trip! The trees were just being planted lining the mall grass way now know as The Mall.
In '65 I remember NASA coming to the school and we had a NASA presentation in the cafeteria looking for future APOLLO astronauts to finish out the program in 1989 to commercial mining for starters. It's to bad that never materialized.
Did you ever get to the A & S Museum 4th floor for the engineers? When I was learning how to fly I had that opportunity and I took it. The relative of mine who was a WWII military pilot and test pilot got me in with him and his appointment. The engineer I met was working on figuring out why a prop's strut became a wing after a certain point due the the prop being to big to fit on the aft fuselage and stay a strut. It generated much higher air speeds which is why they wanted do do that. Boeing airframe 727 was what they wanted to flight test. I believe they flight tested a single engine, maybe 2 but it was not what they really wanted to do. Cool back and forth between us. Finally did you ever get to see their "closet" for the A & S M in Rockville? He got us the authorization to get in over there. We took it! That was cooler than cool! Sorry, no photo's allowed.
I'm looking forward to the next part of your great adventure! Thanks for sharing it!!
Glad you enjoyed this one, Bob. Thanks for sharing your experiences. It sounds as if we may have been living parallel lives for a time around the D.C. area!
If by the "closet in Rockville" you mean the Paul Garber restoration facility in Silver Hill, yes, I visited in the late 1970s. The single image that remains in my memory is the model of the alien ship used for the "Close Encounters of the Third Kind" movie. I know ... its kind of an odd thing to have stood out for me.
I never visited the Air and Space Museum's fourth floor. I am certain that I would be a regular visitor there if I still lived nearby. But, instead of studying 727 engine struts (my Boeing days are over), I would be researching the origins of the air and space art gallery and the NASA Art Program.
Hi Dave,
Those art works you mentioned would be a great adventure if you were still in the area. Well neither of us are. I'm in Raleigh, NC now. Financially I still have a ways to go but now that I'm back working I am hoping that soon I can buy some of your prints. Money is now tight vs in the hole! LOL! Yes that Rockville facility is what I was referring to. The artifact that stood out for me was the APOLLO spacecraft apex cover. Beats me why!! LOL!!!!