#171
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don't hold your breath waiting for Bob Craddock to help you with anything at the Smithsonian..... He is the person in charge of ANY model rocketry collection that they may have and he guards it like it is Ft. Knox.
The only things I ever got was a photo of the original estes astron spaceplane and a very poor photo of the carlisle mark -1 rock-a chute. Bob is also a collector of sorts of model rocketry stuff.... if you peruse RMR on the name Bob Craddock you will find a lot of pro and con about the man. Its my understanding that the STine collection was returned to Bill Stine some time ago., Because all the Smithsonian wanted to do with it was "store" it, never to see the light of day again. Thats one reason Bill did his mini-show at the seattle museum of flight. The people that I know of who have very large model rocketry collections, not just models, but anything that might have to do with it, is Randy Lieberman and Mark Mayfield. Randy sold a large portion of his collection to Mark. Randy also holds things pretty close to his vest too. Mark on the other hand, has been very open about his collection, at least to me. SInce there will never probbaly be any major model rocketry exhibit at the Smithsonian, I suggested to various people that perhaps they might consider creating a digital archive and then posting it to the web. To access it you would have to pay a membership fee, with the membership fees going to future perservaytion of model rocketry artifacts. This way everybody in the world could peruse the digital archive. The idea is that it would encompass the Stine archive, the Estes archive and any personal collectors stuff. Anybody would be able to donate items in the terms of a photograph,etc. I also thought that since you can now do 3-D on the web pretty easily, that certain artifacts be photographed(?) in 3D so people could get a feel for the real thing. terry dean nar 16158
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"Old Rocketeer's don't die; they just go OOP".....unless you 3D print them. |
#172
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Thanks for the info Terry, this might also be why Wright Patterson Air Force base has a a better Air Force and Space Museum then the Smithsonian even. A whole new space and missle building was finished a year ago, now I got to do drive down and see it.
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Art Upton I am an original AR; pronounce like a pirate says "R" An AR is an Always Rocketeer, in differance to BAR; although I like to visit BARs now and then. |
#173
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I have a couple of things I'd like to go to a "real" museum--I'd just as soon not have them get into the hands of a collector where they are bought and sold speculatively like tulip bulbs in 17th century Holland. Likewise, if they go to my "heirs and assigns" they're likely to eventually end up in a dumpster as "just some old model junk".
Unfortunately, museum directors come and go, and often a model rocketry-friendly individual is replaced by someone with an entirely different agenda. Soooooooooooooo I'd like to hear more thoughts on the subject of a trustworthy model rocket museum. Bill |
#174
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There is no "trustworthy" museum. Any significant one has tons of stuff not on display. We could go way OT here, but PC and politics prevents much important stuff from being displayed. Plus the reasons you mentioned. Never mind budgets for preservation and space for proper display etc.
For MR stuff, I think the best we can hope for is if somebody (the Estes??) leave a trust for something, in perpetuity. In some of my other hobbies, it is only due to the wealth of significant individuals that items are displayed at all, though the Smithsonian displays a few when ~200 years old and obviously of some "national historical significance". Bob Craddock...he sure could be a pretty crusty guy sometimes. Especially when people weren't offering enough for the (vintage) kits he was selling, LOL! Very knowledgable of course, but always seemed reticent about giving out the "rest of the story", you always knew he was holding stuff back. That is probably good in some ways, least for the bureaucratic mindset, makes you seem "indispensible". He helped me numerous times on projects, I miss the guy. |
#175
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So then a collection of say 2,000+ kits spanning late 1959 - ~1980, might be of some interest too the N.A.S.M. or they already have all that stuff? From Initiator001 and his picture, it sure seems to be the case.
Robert |
#176
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If you think about it, dispassionately, just what kind of interest would a display of kits have to the general public? Or even to us, if we couldn't pick them up and "rattle the bags" having a closer look? Since that's not likely due to their fragile nature, then access to detailed/good photographs would probably be the best we could expect, an online museum.
There are so many reasons why somebody with an extensive personal collection of rarities wouldn't want to advertise it. |
#177
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Nearly 30 years ago, the NASM had a rather nice display of significant model rocketry items.
Here's a slide I took in 1979 at the NASM when they had a good model rocketry display. A Mark 1, Estes/Schutz B/G prototype, etc. Now, they don't have anything on display at the Mall museum. They definately have a large collection of model rocketry items. Maybe the NAR should make some sort of $$$ contribution to the Smithsonian on the condition there is a model rocket display of some sort? Just a thought. Bob |
#178
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Just found this site while trying to find out the status of an Estes against an ex-VP lawsuit...
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Ain't that the truth!! I didn't get to do much rocket stuff, but add me on the designer list for: The lightning bolt style launch pad (forgot what it was called) Episode 1 Mini Queen's Ship, CodeName "Garrison" Episode 1 Quene's Ship, CodeName "Wendy" 2 of the plastic 1/4A Mini's (Now called Super Shot or something) Co-Designer of the Eagle Boost Glider Several rockets that never made it (including one that someone just had to be paint in pink latex... ) And a bunch of airplane stuff that doesn't apply here. |
#179
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I am trying to get a listing of all the model rockets that the Smithsonian have in storage, the list of kits on display are under the Smithsonain thread below (Rocket Doctor section)
Thjey are also trying to come up with a price of a display case for a display as well, still waiting for a reply. |
#180
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Found this info in another thread. I would like to add John Boren's (Jumpjet) works to this thread but don't know if the original poster is still around.
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