Warbird Information Exchange

Interesting article from Collect Space...

http://www.collectspace.com/news/news-011510a.html

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"Everyone wants to live here (New Jersey), evidenced by the fact that it has the highest population per capita in the U.S..."

You don't say.

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Chris Henry
EAA Aviation Museum Director

Think they'd take a 2000 Ford Focus in trade? Gets better milage, easier to park......Hmmmmm I'll have to measure to see if the shuttle will fit in my back yard. Anyone know it that is delivered price or I'll have to drive it here from Titusville?!? At that price, they had better let me use one of the crawlers. Don't know if I-4 can take it though.

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Aviation Illustration Website
http://shepartstudio.com/illustration/

Only $28.8 million, plus the fee for the ferry flight from Florida ($1 million or so).
I'm surprised NASM gets 1 since they already have Enterprise at Udva-Hazy.

Enterprise will be sent out to another Museum (more than likely) and Discovery (probably) will be put on display.

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"Everyone wants to live here (New Jersey), evidenced by the fact that it has the highest population per capita in the U.S..."

They may have gotten a better deal if they traded them in early during the "Cash-for-Clunkers" program!

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"Always remember that, when you enter the ocean or the forest, you are no longer at the top of the food chain."

A Space Shuttle will be an enormous draw for any museum lucky enough to get one...

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"Everyone wants to live here (New Jersey), evidenced by the fact that it has the highest population per capita in the U.S..."

I agree that it will be a huge deal for any museum, but I also think that they are trying to make alot of cash on the deal as well. I hear that the NMUSAF is going to get there's last, and that there is a chance of them getting the shuttle hauler 747 as well. That was something discussed last week, not sure if it will come to light or not.

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Chris Henry
EAA Aviation Museum Director

My bet is that the NMUSAF will get Atlantis...

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"Everyone wants to live here (New Jersey), evidenced by the fact that it has the highest population per capita in the U.S..."

I think you are right. I hope that the Enterprise goes somewhere it will be well cared for. I think it is just as important as the shuttles that flew in space.

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Chris Henry
EAA Aviation Museum Director

I've heard that Evergreen has the best shot. Enterprise is already "safed" (having never flown in space and therefore not being the mobile superfund sites the other three orbiters are), and therefore the one Orbiter most likely to go to a private museum.

There are two SCAs. I've heard that Evergreen, if they get Enterprise, would take one of the SCAs as well and display E on top of it.

That would be cool. it would be well cared for there. I would think that if the NMUSAf doesn't get the other 747 that PIMA would stand a chance of getting it.

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Chris Henry
EAA Aviation Museum Director

Shame is that somehow* NASA lost Enterprise's instrumentation boom from the ALTs. Maybe a reproduction could be fabricated and stuck on the nose ...

(* not much of a surprise, really. NASA's asset management has had serious flaws over the years. IRRC they've lost all sorts of data tapes and photos from Apollo, and a couple years back they "found" a bunch of pressure suits from DynaSoar in a box shoved into a back corner of some building they were about to demolish).

Enterprise is controlled by the NASM and as such will be loaned to museum X. I'm sure there will be stipulations for it's care and display i.e. no outdoor display, etc. It will be neat to see how this all pans out. My uneducated guess is:
Discovery - NASM
Atlantis - NMUSAF
Endeavour - Kennedy
Enterprise - MoF or Evergreen. Possibly Johnson Space Center (but partial dismantling would be a factor for Johnson).

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"Everyone wants to live here (New Jersey), evidenced by the fact that it has the highest population per capita in the U.S..."