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  Antiques Roadshow (UK): Apollo RCS engine

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Author Topic:   Antiques Roadshow (UK): Apollo RCS engine
Rick Mulheirn
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Posts: 4167
From: England
Registered: Feb 2001

posted 06-07-2012 11:35 AM     Click Here to See the Profile for Rick Mulheirn   Click Here to Email Rick Mulheirn     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
Just got back from a recording of the Antiques Roadshow, shot in the old village of Port Sunlight on The Wirral.

The producers chose to record a piece with me, the miscellaneous expert Clive Stewart Lockhart and my Apollo RCS engine which may be broadcast in the fall.

I thought I would take along something different and without exception everybody who commented said "Wow..." at some point in the conversation.

It would suggest the space program and Apollo in particular, still holds a fascination for the average guy in the street.

If it makes it to the screen the show will be broadcast, "sometime after September."

garymilgrom
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Posts: 1966
From: Atlanta, GA
Registered: Feb 2007

posted 06-07-2012 12:24 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for garymilgrom   Click Here to Email garymilgrom     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
Way to go Rick! Is that engine one of the "quads" mounted on the Service Module? It's beautiful.

Rick Mulheirn
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From: England
Registered: Feb 2001

posted 06-07-2012 12:28 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for Rick Mulheirn   Click Here to Email Rick Mulheirn     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
Yes Gary, a 100 pound thrust reaction control engine; I took along photos of the engines on the surface of the moon to place them in context and the photos really caught the expert's imagination.

SpaceAholic
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From: Sierra Vista, Arizona
Registered: Nov 1999

posted 06-07-2012 12:36 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for SpaceAholic   Click Here to Email SpaceAholic     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
Did the show's staff take a stab at appraising the engine?

Robert Pearlman
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From: Houston, TX
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posted 06-07-2012 12:38 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for Robert Pearlman   Click Here to Email Robert Pearlman     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
Congrats Rick! Glad to have another cS'er as a member of the Antiques Roadshow fraternity.

Looking forward to seeing your segment when it airs.

Rick Mulheirn
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From: England
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posted 06-07-2012 12:53 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for Rick Mulheirn   Click Here to Email Rick Mulheirn     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
quote:
Originally posted by SpaceAholic:
Did the show's staff take a stab at appraising the engine?
No Scott; the expert was most impressed, but admitted to having no idea as to its value.

He asked me what it was worth and I valued it at a very conservative $8000 or £6000.

The cameraman said this was the first space item he had seen on the show... in the UK at least, so we shall see what happens.

Tykeanaut
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From: Worcestershire, England, UK.
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posted 06-07-2012 12:54 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for Tykeanaut   Click Here to Email Tykeanaut     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
Impressive Rick. I look forward to seeing the show. Don't suppose you'd be willing to bring it along to Pontefract in October?

Blackarrow
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From: Belfast, United Kingdom
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posted 06-07-2012 03:02 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for Blackarrow     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
quote:
Originally posted by Rick Mulheirn:
The producers chose to record a piece with me, the miscellaneous expert Clive Stewart Lockhart and my Apollo RCS engine which may be broadcast in the fall.
"FALL??" A bad lapse of standards, Rick, particularly in the midst of the Jubilee celebrations. Hang your head in shame, sir!

Rick Mulheirn
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Posts: 4167
From: England
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posted 06-07-2012 04:19 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for Rick Mulheirn   Click Here to Email Rick Mulheirn     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
I stand corrected and suitably rebuked Geoff. Since the majority of members are American I thought "fall" more appropriate.

Chris, I will give it some thought re bringing the engine to Pontefract.

gliderpilotuk
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From: London, UK
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posted 06-08-2012 03:31 AM     Click Here to See the Profile for gliderpilotuk   Click Here to Email gliderpilotuk     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
HP said there's a cheque in the post! Nice one Rick, but more importantly, did you meet Fiona Bruce?

space1
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Posts: 853
From: Danville, Ohio
Registered: Dec 2002

posted 06-08-2012 05:59 AM     Click Here to See the Profile for space1   Click Here to Email space1     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
Congratulations, Rick.

May I suggest handling the thruster while wearing gloves? The metal surfaces (especially polished surfaces) can end up with permanent fingerprints otherwise.

Seeing the recent auction prices of these thrusters without the nozzle extensions (as in recent Heritage auctions), your estimate is very conservative indeed.

Rick Mulheirn
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Posts: 4167
From: England
Registered: Feb 2001

posted 06-08-2012 07:54 AM     Click Here to See the Profile for Rick Mulheirn   Click Here to Email Rick Mulheirn     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
I can only hope my "HP" fashion faux pas does not preclude my clip being broadcast. Only time will tell.

Brammers, I did not meet Fiona Bruce to speak to but we did momentarily pass one another while waiting in hospitality to be made up. Our eyes met over a cup of tea and an egg sandwich which I presume you paid for courtesy of your tv licence fee.

They had to take the shine off my head but you will be pleased to know John none was applied to the thruster.

Thank you for the advice. I usually use archivisits gloves to handle many of the items in my collection but the robust build quality of the engine lured me in to a misguided and false sense of security. I now know better.

I think you are correct John re my valuation too. But I deliberately err'd on the side of caution so as not to alert any potentially unscrupulous neighbours to the true value of the engine.

Blackarrow
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From: Belfast, United Kingdom
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posted 06-08-2012 01:00 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for Blackarrow     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
So long as no permanent fingerprints were left on Fiona...

moorouge
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From: U.K.
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posted 06-09-2012 02:17 AM     Click Here to See the Profile for moorouge   Click Here to Email moorouge     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
One up on you then Rick - met Fiona Bruce and had conversation with her. A charming lady.

A couple of years since I was on. It's quite an experience. The whole crew make you feel very special, though nattering in the queue was fun too. By the way - how much make-up did they need to cover the cracks?

Got talking to a chap who had a collection of astronaut autographs. He didn't make it to the broadcast as most looked to be autopens.

A word of caution though. I had my piece re-valued independently after the show. It came out about half the value placed on it by the 'Roadshow' expert.

crash
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From: West Sussex, England
Registered: Jan 2011

posted 06-09-2012 04:25 AM     Click Here to See the Profile for crash   Click Here to Email crash     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
Very handsome gent! Pity about the chap in the polo shirt. Still, I'm sure security moved him on sharpish.

Rick, very nice item. I look forward to the programme. A former work colleague of mine, Richard Price, is the watch/clock expert on AR but he never invited me to meet the lovely FB.

Philip
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From: Brussels, Belgium
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posted 06-09-2012 04:29 AM     Click Here to See the Profile for Philip   Click Here to Email Philip     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
Well done Rick! Looking forward to the show.

Rick Mulheirn
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From: England
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posted 06-10-2012 09:07 AM     Click Here to See the Profile for Rick Mulheirn   Click Here to Email Rick Mulheirn     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
quote:
Originally posted by moorouge:
A word of caution though. I had my piece re-valued independently after the show. It came out about half the value placed on it by the 'Roadshow' expert.
I need have no worries on that score Eddie. In part because I have no intention of selling it. And because my valuation was less than half its true value in any case.

Rick Mulheirn
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From: England
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posted 10-05-2012 05:14 AM     Click Here to See the Profile for Rick Mulheirn   Click Here to Email Rick Mulheirn     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
Just received written confirmation from the BBC that my recording for the Antiques Roadshow will be broadcast on BBC 1 on Sunday, October 21st.

moorouge
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posted 10-05-2012 06:43 AM     Click Here to See the Profile for moorouge   Click Here to Email moorouge     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
Date noted in diary. Day after Pontefract too. Rick's public appearances are getting to be like LT buses - a long wait, then several all at once.

Tykeanaut
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From: Worcestershire, England, UK.
Registered: Apr 2008

posted 10-05-2012 08:21 AM     Click Here to See the Profile for Tykeanaut   Click Here to Email Tykeanaut     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
Rick in person on Saturday then on "The Box" on Sunday! Can you get too much of a good thing?

Rick Mulheirn
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From: England
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posted 10-05-2012 03:20 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for Rick Mulheirn   Click Here to Email Rick Mulheirn     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
Dave at Autographica has asked me to be one of the guests; £100 per autograph. Form an orderly queue!

My apologies in advance to the hardware experts that frequent this site. After I told the expert about the ins and outs of the RCS engine I was advised to dumb it down for the recording; well that's my excuse anyway.

Steve Procter
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From: Leeds, Yorkshire, UK
Registered: Oct 2000

posted 10-06-2012 12:09 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for Steve Procter   Click Here to Email Steve Procter     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
Rick, with your new found fame can I interest you in a second hand autopen machine?

Rick Mulheirn
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From: England
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posted 10-06-2012 02:24 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for Rick Mulheirn   Click Here to Email Rick Mulheirn     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
Nice idea Steve but on reflection I will have to turn down your kind offer. I just realised, I stopped signing autographs in 1994!

space1
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From: Danville, Ohio
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posted 10-06-2012 07:41 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for space1   Click Here to Email space1     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
Lucky for me I've got a genuine rare Rick Mulheirn email, sure to skyrocket in value after his premiere Roadshow appearance!

moorouge
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posted 10-07-2012 06:44 AM     Click Here to See the Profile for moorouge   Click Here to Email moorouge     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
Are you sure that this is the 'real thing' and not an expertly crafted copy? As they say on the 'Roadshow', provenance is everything.

YankeeClipper
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From: Dublin, Ireland
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posted 10-21-2012 03:00 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for YankeeClipper   Click Here to Email YankeeClipper     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
Just seen this aired tonight on BBC1 a few mins ago - good piece! The segment is short and sweet, about 3 mins long, starting about 52 mins into the show.

I guess they leave the best to (almost) last!

moorouge
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posted 10-21-2012 03:16 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for moorouge   Click Here to Email moorouge     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
And to think that I shook the royal hand yesterday. Will not wash it to preserve the aura such is fame. Nice one Rick.

David Bryant
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posted 10-21-2012 11:46 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for David Bryant   Click Here to Email David Bryant     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
Fun to see Rick M on 'Antiques Roadshow' last night (Sunday).

Kite
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From: Northampton UK
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posted 10-22-2012 04:48 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for Kite     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
Just seen you on BBCiPlayer Rick. Very impressed and I certainly have no excuse to mistake your identity for a third time, even with Tom Cruise/George Clooney!

Blackarrow
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From: Belfast, United Kingdom
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posted 10-23-2012 05:57 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for Blackarrow     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
I don't believe a word of this. Rick's so-called appearance on "Antiques Roadshow" was clearly faked in a studio in Nevada. If you look carefully, you can see that his body has been rather clumsily superimposed on an existing programme.

YankeeClipper
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posted 10-23-2012 07:01 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for YankeeClipper   Click Here to Email YankeeClipper     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
I knew there was something dodgy about that RCS engine - no wonder Rick wouldn't let the expert examine it closely!

Rick Mulheirn
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From: England
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posted 10-24-2012 01:14 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for Rick Mulheirn   Click Here to Email Rick Mulheirn     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
quote:
Originally posted by Blackarrow:
If you look carefully, you can see that his body has been rather clumsily superimposed on an existing programme.
Blackarrow is partly correct. The body has unfortunately been clumsily superimposed.... on me!

mikepf
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From: San Jose, California, USA
Registered: Mar 2002

posted 10-24-2012 03:00 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for mikepf   Click Here to Email mikepf     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
Congrats on the Antiques Roadshow appearance. Sounds like great fun for you. But it does make me feel very old that something dating from my childhood can be considered an antique.

David Bryant
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posted 10-26-2012 01:24 AM     Click Here to See the Profile for David Bryant   Click Here to Email David Bryant     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
Ah no: the RCS thruster wasn't the antique: it was the person holding it! LOL!

Rick Mulheirn
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From: England
Registered: Feb 2001

posted 10-26-2012 03:44 AM     Click Here to See the Profile for Rick Mulheirn   Click Here to Email Rick Mulheirn     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
Well, I am older than the RCS engine I have to confess.

The Antiques Roadshow is not all about antiques. They regularly have collectibles and items of social interest from the 20th century.

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