Warbird Information Exchange

They did have a pod racer from Star Wars on display back in 2002!
Funny you should ask, or were you being sarcastic?
Jerry

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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."

It was there for the kids. We had it on display in the Modern flight hangar in the are where the conventions are held.

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Chris Henry
EAA Aviation Museum Manager

The 747 is the only way to transport it to a museum. Atlantis is the first shuttle slated to be retired. It will stay at Kennedy as a "cann" bird until the end of the program before it is released for display (from what I've read). The NASM has first choise on which bird they want (and a lot of say on which museums will get a shuttle). It looks like one will go to the NASM, one will go to Dayton, one will stay at Kennedy, and Enterprise will go to Seattle...subject to change. Stay tuned...

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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..."

Jerry, I WAS being sarcastic about the pod racer. I felt it never should have been there and it was one of the reasons I gave up volunteering. But that's another story for another forum.
I'm indifferent about them getting a shuttle. Yes, it will be nice to look at, just not so sure I'm ready for the Air Force Museum to become such an overall aviation museum. Simply my opinion

I can think of no better place than the Air Force Museum for the Shuttle. It was, after all, heavily funded by the DoD and it's final design was a result of Air Force requirements. A majority of astronauts are military or former military pilots as well. It's the ultimate flying machine and flew numerous DoD missions...

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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..."

Not to start anything ... but last Friday as I was volunteering in the Modern Flight Gallery, one of the questions asked of me was did the Museum have or going to get a space shuttle. Same as posted here before, a new building will be needed first. No date has been set for breaking ground on the new gallery (hangar).

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Jerry
S/Sgt. - USAF Radio Operator '52-'56
C-119 "Flying Boxcar" - Korea & Japan

Volunteer: National Museum of the US Air Force (2007-2016)
LTM 381st Bomb Group Memorial Association

That's cool. I surely wasn't wanting to start anything, either. If they do indeed get a shuttle, I know it will be a big deal for them and will bring in a lot more visitors (as if they need it ).

Last I heard we are getting the Space Shuttle Discovery because it has been the only shuttle thats been flown several times by an all Air Force crew. Therefore, technically, it does belong in our museum. I think the media may have made a mistake in saying Atlantis would be coming to our museum. Someone was telling me General Metcalf was on the news the other day talking about it. All the space exhibits in our museum actually belong to the Smithsonian and these exibits have to be on display at all times or else we will loose them forever. When the Space Shuttle arrives, its most likely will be placed inside the Cold War Gallery temporarily until the new Space Gallery building is completed. They have been moving a lot of aircraft in the Cold War Gallery this week. The MiG 23 is now in Restoration and they brought over the XF-85 Gobblin and placed it under the wing of the B-36. The D-21 drone has been moved from Cold War to the R&D hanger.

I think the General is good friends with George Lucas and George loaned the Star Wars Pod to our museum so it could draw in more visitors and please the kids. They even had two Nintendo consoles set up so the kids could drive the pod in a simulator game. Only problem was the controllers kept breaking. They finally removed the Nintendo consoles because they kept breaking down too often.

Jim