NMUSAF Getting A Space Shuttle?

[APG85]

Any NMUSAF insiders got any info on the possibility of the museum getting it's hands on one of the Space Shuttles when they are retired? I have heard/read Discovery will go to Wright-Patt, Atlantis will go to Hazy (Enterprise will move to Seattle), and Endeavour will stay at KSC.
Does Wright-Patt have any plans for a new hangar to keep it in? Just curious.

Scott

[CH2Tdriver]

What! Their not going to park one on the deck of the Intrepid!

In any case, what about Pensacola? A lot of our Astronauts wear Wings of Gold.

I don't think I will ever be able to visualize the Space Shuttle as a "warbird," but be that as it may, it probably wouldn't be necessarily a bad idea to put a shuttle in the AF Museum someday - I think they have some other manned space items there??

But it would not seem like it would be cost effective to build a special hangar at the museum for the shuttle.

It seems to me that I heard they were going to construct the next major hangar/museum facility for the display of "X" aircraft like the XC-99 after it is restored and others currently in storage. I don't remember if the Presidential aircraft will be in that or another new building eventually or not.

I don't know if these is even feasible at this point, but I would recommend that any new aircraft display building built at the museum in the future be designed with the ability to let outside light in (like Udvar-Hazy in Virginia), even though new structures may not match the old.

Jim C.

[Shay]

In any case, what about Pensacola? A lot of our Astronauts wear Wings of Gold.

Some even wear "Gold Tridents" too.

Shay
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Semper Fortis

[APG85]

- I think they have some other manned space items there??

Jim C.

The Apollo 15 Command Module is on display at the NMUSAF among other things.
The Space Shuttle is one of those things that can't (IMO) be parked outside. I'm betting a hangar will be a requirement for it's display. We'll see.
Warbird...maybe not. But the USAF had a lot to do with it's design and if the Challenger accident hadn't happened, the USAF would have taken possession of Discovery in 1986 for exclusive use at Vandenberg. Also, the DoD flew numerous DoD only shuttle missions and most shuttle pilots are military...

[RMAllnutt]

The Shuttle deserves a special place in the NMUSAF. It was actually a joint NASA-Air Force project. It replaced the X-20 DynaSoar project which had been cancelled. The air force agreed to give funding to NASA for the Shuttle if they would increase the size of the orbiter to enable it to carry the largest Air Force satellites. This actually increased the size of the orbiter (and cost) well beyond what NASA had originally envisioned. The USAF has a big history in the space program, I hardly see why this should make it inappropriate to place one in the NMUSAF. Not to mention that it would be a very big draw for the public to the museum... a new building would be entirely logical, and could include all of the X-planes in the inventory currently held at the museum... freeing up space for other aircraft to move indoors.

Cheers,
Richard

[mustangdriver]

The new space hangar will house all of the space items, capsules, and the Discovery once it is retired. The C-119 will be in there as well, as it was the one used to catch satellites.

[APG85]

The new space hangar will house all of the space items, capsules, and the Discovery once it is retired. The C-119 will be in there as well, as it was the one used to catch satellites.

Any time-table for groundbreaking?

That's a great idea about a new building to house space items, etc. But I am wondering - is the actual plan to put all the "X-planes" (X-1, X-2, X-3, XF-92, etc. (research aircraft that were not space related) in with actual space type craft (X-15, Gemini, Apollo capsules, space shuttle, etc.)?

Putting the C-119 that was part of a satellite recovery program in there makes sense, too.

I don't think the Museum has any trouble drawing crowds but it seemed to have an easier more public friendly name when it was know as The Air Force Museum rather than the "The National Museum of the United States Air Force." I don't think there was ever any doubt what THE Air Force Museum meant - whoever the person or groups who spent time thinking up these new elaborate titles for the "National" museums need to find better things to spend their time on.

The Museum is a GREAT place to visit. I was there in 1975, 1991 and 2003. I look forward to another visit in the future.

Jim C.

[mustangdriver]

Ground brreaking should take place in the fall. THe new building is going to be a bit bigger than the Cold War Gallery, and will be sectioned off to house the Presidential aircraft, that will also include the Hanoi Taxi, the Space collection(such as the shuttle, Apollo 15, and a booster from a Saturn V, and the R&D or X series aircraft. I the X series aircraft such as all of the x planes will be in there but also the experimental C-135's, and early modles like the YC-125, YC-130, YC-82. The enite collection will be indoors. A C-5 is on it's way as well. Not for a little while, but we have a serial number picked out already. I am not sure which one, or it's history.
As far as teh name, it will always be the Air Force Museum for me.

[Shay]

Just heard on the news tonight that Atlantis will go to the NMUSAF not the Discovery

I was looking forward to the Discovery coming

Shay
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Semper Fortis

[mustangdriver]

Really? Everything I had heard so far was about Discovery. I wonder why the change?

[Karpis]

Gosh. Too bad they don't still have the Star Wars pod racer display in the Modern Flight Hangar. It would have looked so good next to a shuttle

[Shay]

Really? Everything I had heard so far was about Discovery. I wonder why the change?

Dunno, just relaying the information as I heard it on the TV.

Like I said I was hoping to welcome Discovery to the Dayton area. The first and so far only Space shuttle I've seen in person was Discovery. It was in Sept. of 1994 and I was in Tech School for the USAF. She had just returned from STS-64 and spent the night on top of the 747 at Kelly AFB.

Fast forward 3 years later, to August of 1997 now I'm in bootcamp for the US NAVY. Were standing in line at the galley (chow hall) and while waiting i'm watching the TV mounted on the wall that normally plays pro-NAVY videos and so on. Well that day they were playing someone's personal video from being on cruise. It was video of a shuttle launch just off shore of Cape Canaveral. I looked at the date in the bottom corner of the video and it was Sept. 9 1994. So it was pretty cool and wierd to see the launch of the same shuttle I saw returning.

Either way it will be cool to have a shuttle here. They should display the Wright flyer next to it. I wonder if they'll deliver it via the 747?

Shay
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Semper Fortis

[mustangdriver]

I would guess that they would bring it in on the 747. I think that it would be a great idea to display a Wright Flyer next to it, but I doubt that they will break up the gallery. Maybe they will get their hands on another replica.