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Author
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Topic: Photo of the week 280 (March 13, 2010)
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heng44
Member Posts: 3387
From: Netherlands
Registered: Nov 2001
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posted 03-13-2010 05:51 AM
   
 Apollo 1 commander Gus Grissom talks by radio to his backup Wally Schirra, who is suited up for an altitude chamber test aboard the spacecraft in the vacuum chamber at the Kennedy Space Center. Ed Hengeveld |
Tom
Member Posts: 1597
From: New York
Registered: Nov 2000
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posted 03-13-2010 10:13 AM
Great shot, Ed.I believe Apollo 1 was the only flight in which the U.S. flag was incorrectly placed on the crew members right shoulder. |
nasamad
Member Posts: 2121
From: Essex, UK
Registered: Jul 2001
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posted 03-13-2010 11:28 AM
Great shot, just out of curiosity, is that "incorrectly placed" in terms of it was "meant" to be on the left, or in terms of ones before and after were on the left.I'm not sure if my terminology has made my question more clear or not! |
Tom
Member Posts: 1597
From: New York
Registered: Nov 2000
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posted 03-13-2010 06:04 PM
Incorrect in that the star portion of the flag should always be in the direction of travel with the bars flowing behind. |
Max Q
Member Posts: 399
From: Whyalla South Australia
Registered: Mar 2007
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posted 03-13-2010 07:26 PM
quote:
Originally posted by Tom:
Incorrect in that the star portion of the flag should always be in the direction of travel with the bars flowing behind.
Well I never knew that. |
ejectr
Member Posts: 1751
From: Killingly, CT
Registered: Mar 2002
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posted 03-13-2010 08:09 PM
quote:
Originally posted by Tom:
Incorrect in that the star portion of the flag should always be in the direction of travel with the bars flowing behind.
Actually, the flag is correct. It's just on the wrong shoulder. The star field of the flag is always supposed to be on the left when viewed. This flag being attached to the right shoulder appears to be wrong because it is traveling in the wrong direction, but it is correct with the star field viewed at the left. If it was on the left shoulder, the stripes would be trailing the field because the star field would be on the left as viewed. This suit Wally Schirra is wearing is undoubtedly a Block 1 suit manufactured by David Clark Company. So no doubt my cousin put that flag on the suit, as he was a suit tech for Apollo Block 1 for David Clark Company. I have log books he kept of the different tests at the time with who was wearing what serial numbers for everything from gloves to underwear. It even mentions Roger Chaffee's underwear being too small. There are several mentions of attaching flags to the suits. The log book abruptly ends with the data for a "plugs out test" on January 27, 1967. I think we all know the significance of that date. |
Tom
Member Posts: 1597
From: New York
Registered: Nov 2000
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posted 03-13-2010 09:13 PM
quote:
Originally posted by ejectr:
The star field of the flag is always supposed to be on the left when viewed.
Not sure about that... what about the US flag on the pilots (starboard) side of the shuttle orbiter? |
328KF
Member Posts: 1234
From:
Registered: Apr 2008
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posted 03-13-2010 09:44 PM
It is standard on U.S. civil aircraft to have the flag "reversed" on the starboard (right hand) side of the ship. The intent here is that the stripes are always "blowing" back in the relative wind as they would on a flagpole.So I think it follows that the American flag's correct position on the suit is the left arm. This was, as the crewmember is walking forward, it does the same. A flag on the right sleeve would have to be reversed. Now the flags on the Saturn V were painted on horizontally, which makes no sense at all. |
ejectr
Member Posts: 1751
From: Killingly, CT
Registered: Mar 2002
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posted 03-14-2010 07:05 AM
quote:
Originally posted by Tom:
Not sure about that... what about the US flag on the pilots (starboard) side of the shuttle orbiter?
I am positive of it. Star field always to the left when viewed. Even when it is displayed vertically. When the flag is displayed in a manner other than by being flown from a staff, it should be displayed flat, whether indoors or out. When displayed either horizontally or vertically, the union should be uppermost and to the flag's own right, that is, to the observer's left. When displayed in a window it should be displayed in the same way, that is with the union or blue field to the left of the observer in the street. Being a member of the VFW and charged with the responsibility of all sorts of flag displays for all sorts of events, I am well versed in US flag protocol."He know da stahs... he know da moon. He know!"(Aborigini in The Right Stuff)  |
micropooz
Member Posts: 1512
From: Washington, DC, USA
Registered: Apr 2003
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posted 03-14-2010 10:05 AM
Hey, back to the photo here! Anyone recognize any of the "suits" over on the left side of the picture? A couple of the faces look kind of familiar, but I just can't come up with names... |
Fra Mauro
Member Posts: 1587
From: Bethpage, N.Y.
Registered: Jul 2002
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posted 03-15-2010 11:35 PM
What a photo! Those block I suits don't look very durable but I suppose they were fine for in intravehicular suit. |
dss65
Member Posts: 1156
From: Sandpoint, ID, USA
Registered: Mar 2003
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posted 03-17-2010 10:00 PM
quote:
Originally posted by Tom:
Incorrect in that the star portion of the flag should always be in the direction of travel with the bars flowing behind.
I guess he'd have been OK during re-entry, then. |
Tom
Member Posts: 1597
From: New York
Registered: Nov 2000
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posted 03-18-2010 07:08 PM
quote:
Originally posted by dss65:
I guess he'd have been OK during re-entry, then.
LOL... very good! |
Apollo Redux
Member Posts: 346
From: Montreal, Quebec, Canada
Registered: Sep 2006
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posted 03-22-2010 10:43 PM
Nice find. |
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