Posts: 861
From: Virginia
Registered: Apr 2002

posted 06-16-2006 07:12 AM               

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I don't recall ever hearing or reading from anyone what it was like to have Neil Armstrong as a professor. He must have had hundreds, if not thousands of students during his time as a professor. That seems odd to me.

And not a single "Neil Armstrong graded testpaper" or "Chaulk used by Armstrong" has been listed on Ebay. Was Neil really careful not to generate memorabilia? Or were his students respectful... or clueless to who he was?

Posts: 628
From: Alexandria, VA USA
Registered: May 2006

posted 06-16-2006 07:48 AM               

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Alas, Armstrong's tenure as a professor was ultimately staged in a film studio and never really happened.

Actually, I have wondered this same thing and would be interested in hearing any theories as to why this material has apparently not entered the market place. I don't think his students were "clueless" but if they performed as well as I did during my college days, perhaps they have destroyed all evidence! That's my theory.

Posts: 2169
From: McKinney TX (USA)
Registered: Aug 2005

posted 06-16-2006 08:29 AM               

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I know a guy who is a flight test engineer at Edwards and who got an aerospace engineering degree at Univ of Cincinatti during Armstrong's tenure.

I asked him about whether he had any classes taught by Neil Armstrong:

He said that Armstrong did not teach very many classes... he never had an opportunity to be in one of his classes, and the folks he knew who had a class with him said that graduate assistants or stand-in professors taught many of the sessions.

Keep in mind that this is only one data point, however...

Posts: 628
From: Alexandria, VA USA
Registered: May 2006

posted 06-16-2006 08:55 AM               

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One more data point and we can draw a line, two more and we can do a best fit!

Seriously, what I wouldn't give to be able to say that I studied under Armstrong (even if it was for just one lecture).

Posts: 42988
From: Houston, TX
Registered: Nov 1999

Posts: 2476
From: Guyton, GA
Registered: Jan 2006

posted 06-20-2006 05:24 AM               

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Like those above, I had often wondered about those that attended one of Professor Armstrong's classes. Turns out that I work for one of those individuals.

He took a class on the subject of Flight Testing Aircraft with Neil as the professor. He stated that the material was dry but Professor Armstrong would explain the presented material by relating a test flight story and those were always interesting. Such as the time that Neil put an F-104 into a flat spin from 80, 000 feet, his words were to the effect that "after loosing 60,000 feet of altitude he became concerned!" Thus the equations became real that day.

As for any material from the class, well as it was told to me "I never thought to keep it" (and at that point he kicks himself). There may be a box in the attic somewhere and he said he would look for it, but he is a busy man and I am not holding my breath.