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Author
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Topic: Hugh Kelly, Lifting Body Program and flown covers
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idrvball
Member Posts: 150
From: Burke, VA USA
Registered: Mar 2009
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posted 03-07-2013 08:23 AM
   
I have a letter from a person named Hugh Kelly that goes with some flown Lifting Body covers I have acquired. Here is a link to the letter and photos of the covers. In the letter Kelly, writes to Hans Mueller, "From the comments Bill Dana made to me, I assume you are one of a select few who have been able to arrange to have covers actually carried on board lifting body flights." I was wondering if anyone knew who Hugh Kelly was. I can't find anything about him on the internet. Also, he mentions there were a select few who was able to acquire flown covers, any idea how many flown covers there might have been? |
micropooz
Member Posts: 1512
From: Washington, DC, USA
Registered: Apr 2003
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posted 03-07-2013 06:21 PM
Ellington-Zwisler Vol 2 lists 16 covers flown on the 8/25/71 flight. No quantities listed for the other 1970/71 flights. E-Z Vol 2 was published in 1972, so it does not list the 2/15/74 flight at all.I'm going to try to find Dennis Lally who serviced a lot of these covers. He may be able to shed some light on Hugh Kelly. |
idrvball
Member Posts: 150
From: Burke, VA USA
Registered: Mar 2009
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posted 03-08-2013 12:56 PM
Thanks. Any information is appreciated. Do you have any thoughts on the value of these? |
micropooz
Member Posts: 1512
From: Washington, DC, USA
Registered: Apr 2003
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posted 03-08-2013 06:27 PM
I was able to reach Dennis Lally, and here is what he told me: Don't know the name Hugh Kelly (at least it doesn't ring a bell). I do know that Bill Dana carried many covers and I even had some flown myself. Unfortunately I don't have any of them anymore as...they were lost in one of the earthquakes... There are two suspect Bill Dana covers on that page you sent a link to (the original cS post above). 8/25 and 11/15. His signature is way off and when he dated anything that I remember in the past he always named the month, not a number. He also lived in Tehachapi (still does as far as I know) and it being cancelled in Lancaster is a bit strange, though not impossible if someone from the office took it home to mail it. More likely his would have had the Mojave postmark if not the Edwards one. Dennis lost most of his collection in the Northridge earthquake back in the 1990's. He refers to plural earthquakes here, so maybe he's been through more.And idrvball, you asked about values. Unfortunately E-Z doesn't list values for the lifting body flown covers, even in 1972 dollars. All I can tell you is that I own three - one I got in a trade about 20 years ago, the second I paid $200 to another collector for about seven years ago, and the third I got on eBay for considerably less ($75 runs in my mind, but cannot remember for sure) three or four years ago. Sorry, not a consistent database, but maybe a data point or two for you... |
yeknom-ecaps
Member Posts: 660
From: Northville MI USA
Registered: Aug 2005
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posted 03-08-2013 09:16 PM
quote:
Originally posted by micropooz:
There are two suspect Bill Dana covers on that page you sent a link to (the original cS post above). 8/25 and 11/15. His signature is way off and when he dated anything that I remember in the past he always named the month, not a number.
I saw some M-2 and X-24B covers "signed" in this format being offered by a dealer who had a number of astronaut suspect autographs. These had the M-2 or X-24B RSC. Buyer beware if you see this type of Bill Dana signature! |
eurospace
Member Posts: 2610
From: Brussels, Belgium
Registered: Dec 2000
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posted 03-08-2013 11:42 PM
All these covers had been mailed to a German-born collector now living in Florida, Hans J. Mueller. I'm not sure whether he's still alive. In any case, he might shed some light on how the signature of Dana got onto the covers. |
spaceman1953
Member Posts: 953
From: South Bend, IN
Registered: Apr 2002
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posted 03-09-2013 05:28 PM
REALLY nice stuff on that link there! Boy, we truly have to thank Dennis Lally for all the work he did for us over the years. Those Lifting Body covers coming in the mail were ALWAYS spectacular to see. They were the shuttle precursors that I never had the chance to own from the pre-Apollo days!
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idrvball
Member Posts: 150
From: Burke, VA USA
Registered: Mar 2009
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posted 03-10-2013 10:46 AM
micropooz... Thanks for your information and reaching out to Dennis. And, thanks to the others for all their input. — Mike |
NAAmodel#240
Member Posts: 312
From: Boston, Mass.
Registered: Jun 2005
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posted 03-11-2013 11:35 AM
Hans and Vera Mueller were friends I met after a Mojave search for the X-15 in the mid 90's. Whenever we drove to Florida we would stop by and visit. Hans passed away (after many years of health issues) in the past year or so. Much of his extensive collection (including legitimate Lifting Body FLOWN covers)has been coming to market. |
Joe Frasketi
Member Posts: 191
From: Florida USA
Registered: Aug 2003
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posted 03-11-2013 02:38 PM
I remember trading autographed items with Hugh Kelly, back in the 1970s and possibly 1980s. I looked thru my old snail mail correspondence to see if I could come up with any info. on him, but unfortunately most of my older paperwork has been shredded. I do remember also trading autographed items other than space/aviation, with him. As he sent me a Joe DiMaggio signed photo. |
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