Intrepid Sea, Air & Space: shuttle Enterprise

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Intrepid Sea, Air & Space: shuttle Enterprise (Page 4)

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Author	Topic: Intrepid Sea, Air & Space: shuttle Enterprise
Jay Chladek Member Posts: 2272 From: Bellevue, NE, USA Registered: Aug 2007	posted 06-12-2012 03:41 PM quote: Originally posted by MrSpace86: That would be like try to "restore" a flown Space Shuttle back to it's initial rollout appearance. Personally, I never have been crazy about Enterprise's 1984 and onward appearance. Okay, I guess it looked cool when the bird was stacked at Vandenberg's SLC-6 pad. But it just never looked quite right to me as the ALT paintjob and the repaint just looked like a minimalistic attempt to make Enterprise sort of look closer to the flight birds (Challenger through Atlantis). Plus, when that paintjob was applied, Enterprise pretty much had become a display bird except for some minor testing. The ALT paintjob harkened back to its days as a test bird. Now in the case of the flight orbiters, a repaint would be a bad idea because in the case of those vehicles, the exterior is NOT a paintjob, it is the surface of the TPS. The only things painted were stencils, the NASA logos, the names and the US flags. To paint over those would be to paint over history. But Enterprise was covered with fake TPS (for the most part). So its exterior is just a cosmetic treatment. In its case, I would consider repainting it to be no different than a museum having a famous airplane (such as a Mig killing F-4 from Vietnam) and opting to repaint it back into its paintjob from when it scored the kills (provided the exterior didn't get altered too much in the years since then).
MrSpace86 Member Posts: 1618 From: Gardner, KS Registered: Feb 2003	posted 06-12-2012 07:17 PM I just hope that a repaint and all that jazz doesn't hurt the actual orbiter. I haven't seen many photos of it as it was during the ALT days (except the obvious ones we have seen countless times). As long as we're allowed to see the orbiter and it's taken care of, do what's necessary.
alanh_7 Member Posts: 1259 From: Ajax, Ontario, Canada Registered: Apr 2008	posted 06-17-2012 07:45 PM I went past the Intrepid Museum last week on the MS Veendam on a cruise to Bermuda last week. The Veendam was docked two docks down from the Intrepid but I did not have the time to board the museum. I did see the Enterprise on board as we headed up the Hudson and managed to get a few photos as we passed. This morning I saw her as we docked on the way back from Bermuda. They seemed to have erected some of the cover but was surprised to see her still open to the weather.
Robert Pearlman Editor Posts: 48663 From: Houston, TX Registered: Nov 1999	posted 06-18-2012 10:19 AM The pavilion's fabric covering is being unfurled over Enterprise today:
Robert Pearlman Editor Posts: 48663 From: Houston, TX Registered: Nov 1999	posted 06-18-2012 01:02 PM It looks like something may have happened to the pavilion fabric between noon and 1 p.m. CDT. I have an inquiry into the Intrepid to clarify but Enterprise's front half is no longer covered.
Robert Pearlman Editor Posts: 48663 From: Houston, TX Registered: Nov 1999	posted 06-19-2012 08:10 AM Last night, a barge-mounted crane was positioned to assist in the process of deploying the pavilion over the shuttle. The fabric is now again draped over the front and back of Enterprise...
Aztecdoug Member Posts: 1405 From: Huntington Beach Registered: Feb 2000	posted 06-19-2012 12:52 PM It doesn't look too sturdy. I hope they remembered to chock the wheels. I would hate to see the Enterprise roll off of the deck and into the Hudson River next.
Robert Pearlman Editor Posts: 48663 From: Houston, TX Registered: Nov 1999	posted 06-19-2012 01:09 PM Perhaps we can wait until the pavilion is fully deployed before passing judgement. (For the record, Enterprise is not sitting on its wheels. The main gear is mounted to a platform and the nose gear is raised on a bipod.)
Hart Sastrowardoyo Member Posts: 3458 From: Toms River, NJ Registered: Aug 2000	posted 06-19-2012 01:35 PM If it's like the "bubbles" which they hold sports events in — NYC has one, just can't remember where — they're pretty sturdy. They have revolving doors to maintain air pressure because regular doors wouldn't work (although the bubble by where I used to live, as well as the college I attended, does have regular doors for fire emergencies.) When the bubble where I used to live was being proposed, there were fears from some that the structure would collapse and hundreds of schoolkids would die. Hasn't happened.
Jay Chladek Member Posts: 2272 From: Bellevue, NE, USA Registered: Aug 2007	posted 06-19-2012 04:36 PM I believe the reason for bracing Enterprise on the bipod attach point behind the nose strut has to do with a modification made to the nose gear strut by NASA. There were some concern about aero-pressure loads causing excess tire wear on the nose gear tires, so NASA if I recall correctly took the nose gear off of Enterprise and modified it with a telescoping strut to allow the nose to sit more level. They next tested the gear to see if it would work. It did, but it was decided to not modify the fleet as they found some other ways to manage the tire issues (such as changing tires after every shuttle landing). After the test, the gear strut was cosmetically altered back to its original appearance and reinstalled on OV-101.
Robert Pearlman Editor Posts: 48663 From: Houston, TX Registered: Nov 1999	posted 06-19-2012 06:00 PM According to Intrepid's aviation curator, they constructed the bipod for aesthetic reasons, so Enterprise's display would be level rather than nose down. Enterprise is now covered from wingtip to wingtip and from nose to tail — though there's still some work left to secure the fabric before the pavilion can begin being inflated.
Jay Chladek Member Posts: 2272 From: Bellevue, NE, USA Registered: Aug 2007	posted 06-20-2012 01:01 AM Question, do they plan to have this as a soft structure that will maintain its rigidity with constant inflation, or will some support braces be installed after it is first inflated?
Aztecdoug Member Posts: 1405 From: Huntington Beach Registered: Feb 2000	posted 06-20-2012 10:47 AM quote: Originally posted by Robert Pearlman: Perhaps we can wait until the pavilion is fully deployed before passing judgement. I am simply of the opinion that in an area prone to hurricanes and heavy snow fall that perhaps they might have opted for something a bit more rigid to protect a national treasure. Nature has shown us what snow can do to semi-rigid structures like the 2010 Minneapolis Metrodome roof collapse. I am certainly no expert, but it leaves the casual observer scratching their head and wondering if they thought it all of the way through.
Robert Pearlman Editor Posts: 48663 From: Houston, TX Registered: Nov 1999	posted 06-20-2012 08:02 PM The fabric is now fully deployed and looks to be partially inflated (they had it more fully inflated earlier this afternoon). In this still, you can see the revolving door entrance- and exit-ways as well.
Robert Pearlman Editor Posts: 48663 From: Houston, TX Registered: Nov 1999	posted 06-21-2012 08:05 AM The pavilion has been inflated:
Fra Mauro Member Posts: 1739 From: Bethpage, N.Y. Registered: Jul 2002	posted 06-21-2012 08:45 AM An unimpressive display for such a historic ship. Yes it is supposedly temporary, but the other three sites outclass this one.
fredtrav Member Posts: 1799 From: Birmingham AL Registered: Aug 2010	posted 06-21-2012 09:31 AM The display is what is on the inside. True compared to what the other have, the covering is not impressive, but it is temporary. And while the others have room and a more solid area to work with, they have only part of the deck of the ship, so it has to be somewhat more compact and "temporary". While not being a fan of sending the Enterprise to New York, I will withhold judgement on its home until permanent quarters have been built.
Robert Pearlman Editor Posts: 48663 From: Houston, TX Registered: Nov 1999	posted 06-21-2012 11:15 AM collectSPACE Encasing Enterprise: Space shuttle shelter inflated on Intrepid museum's deck Two weeks after landing on top of the Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum in New York City, the space shuttle Enterprise is now under an inflatable canopy that will house its public display. Hoisted by crane onto the Intrepid's flight deck on June 6, Enterprise was covered by the opaque-white fabric shelter on Tuesday (June 19) to protect it from exposure to the elements and to meet NASA's display requirements for a climate-controlled facility. The shelter was fully inflated Thursday morning (June 21), a spokesman for the Intrepid confirmed. Some final work configuring the canopy is still underway however, including the removal of scaffolding that supported the fabric being raised, which led to it being temporarily deflated again.
Constellation One Member Posts: 119 From: Lorain, Ohio, USA Registered: Aug 2008	posted 06-21-2012 01:47 PM Okay, full disclosure first... I live a couple hours from Dayton (enough said). This temporary structure has got to be about the ugliest thing every produced. I'm not only talking from a "Space Fan" prospective, but from "Warship Fan" eyes also. This "tent" disgraces not only the shuttle, but the Intrepid as well. The architect (I'll use that term loosely) should be ashamed. Intrepid deserves better than this aberration. T-3 years till this mistake is corrected?
Robert Pearlman Editor Posts: 48663 From: Houston, TX Registered: Nov 1999	posted 06-21-2012 02:31 PM Besides the fact that you're almost literally judging a book by its cover, you're doing so based on a low resolution webcam image. July 19 is not so far away that there's reason to pass judgement without seeing the finished product first.
Constellation One Member Posts: 119 From: Lorain, Ohio, USA Registered: Aug 2008	posted 06-21-2012 02:43 PM Okay, I'll wait till the big images come out. But... they're going to have to really come up with something special.
APG85 Member Posts: 310 From: Registered: Jan 2008	posted 06-21-2012 06:36 PM Ok, I've been trying to reserve judgement, but that looks pretty bad. As a fan of old warships, that really detracts from the appearance of the Intrepid. Also, if they didn't get the salt spray cleaned off of the Enterprise within a couple of hours, the damage has been done and time will show the effects of the exposure. We face that routinely with flying aircraft...
Robert Pearlman Editor Posts: 48663 From: Houston, TX Registered: Nov 1999	posted 06-22-2012 01:48 PM Now more fully pressurized, the pavilion has taken on a more rigid appearance.
Aztecdoug Member Posts: 1405 From: Huntington Beach Registered: Feb 2000	posted 06-22-2012 02:16 PM quote: Originally posted by Robert Pearlman: Now more fully pressurized, the pavilion has taken on a more rigid appearance. I am not sure if I want to touch that description.
SpaceAngel Member Posts: 397 From: Maryland Registered: May 2010	posted 06-22-2012 03:13 PM So is this inflatable pavilion temporary or is it permanent for sheltering "Enterprise"?
Robert Pearlman Editor Posts: 48663 From: Houston, TX Registered: Nov 1999	posted 06-22-2012 03:29 PM According to the Intrepid, the pavilion is a temporary display until its new education and exhibition building is built.
Robert Pearlman Editor Posts: 48663 From: Houston, TX Registered: Nov 1999	posted 07-04-2012 12:14 PM collectSPACE Space shuttle Enterprise exhibit opening on July 19 at New York City's Intrepid When NASA's space shuttle Enterprise goes on display later this month at the Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum in New York City, visitors will be able to view the original prototype orbiter from all angles, including from above and below. Enterprise, which flew atmospheric approach and landing tests in the late 1970s to prove the pathway home for its sister space-worthy shuttles, will make its debut inside the Intrepid's new "Space Shuttle Pavilion" on Thursday, July 19. The climate-controlled, pressurized fabric shelter was inflated over Enterprise on June 21, two weeks after the shuttle was delivered to the converted aircraft carrier. The pavilion sits on the rear of the Intrepid's flight deck. Inside the pavilion, museum-goers will discover Enterprise displayed 10 feet (3 meters) above the deck floor, allowing visitors to walk directly underneath the shuttle. Or, if they prefer, guests can ascend to a viewing platform positioned near Enterprise's nose to get an up-close overhead look at the iconic spacecraft.
Robert Pearlman Editor Posts: 48663 From: Houston, TX Registered: Nov 1999	posted 07-18-2012 08:53 PM collectSPACE First look: Space shuttle Enterprise exhibit opening in New York City The new exhibit for NASA's space shuttle Enterprise — opening in New York City Thursday afternoon (July 19) — starts off a bit like a spacewalk. Visitors to the Intrepid Sea, Air and Space Museum don't need to don spacesuits, but they do pass through an airlock into a darkened atmosphere — designed to keep the pressurized display pavilion inflated and to evoke the feeling of being in space.
Robert Pearlman Editor Posts: 48663 From: Houston, TX Registered: Nov 1999	posted 07-19-2012 04:29 PM collectSPACE Boldly go: Space shuttle Enterprise opens to public at NYC museum New York, meet space shuttle Enterprise. On Thursday (July 19), the Intrepid Sea, Air and Space Museum on Manhattan's west side opened its new "Space Shuttle Pavilion" to the public, giving tourists and the Big Apple's residents a chance to "up-close and personal" with NASA's first prototype orbiter on board the flight deck of the converted aircraft carrier.
Jay Chladek Member Posts: 2272 From: Bellevue, NE, USA Registered: Aug 2007	posted 07-19-2012 06:45 PM Well, I must say the display inside looks very nice. Granted I still have concerns about the long term wear and tear the inflatable structure will be exposed to in the coming years, but for now I like what I see. By the way, the walk around photos show the bird looking good. But did they patch the foam damage on the wing Robert?
Robert Pearlman Editor Posts: 48663 From: Houston, TX Registered: Nov 1999	posted 07-19-2012 09:12 PM The wing tip was mended to the point where you cannot discern where it was damaged. The pavilion was also thoroughly "weather tested" with the media inside (myself included). On Wednesday, the storm that flooded portions of New York, brought down lightning and hail onto the Intrepid (as well as a sustained torrential downpour), The pavilion lights swayed, the fabric rippled but otherwise it was unscathed. (We joked that it was a good thing that the exhibit allows people to walk under Enterprise, as we would take shelter under the shuttle were the pavilion to come down.)
Michael Ritter Member Posts: 48 From: Long Island, NY USA Registered: Dec 2007	posted 10-27-2012 10:04 AM Anyone know if the bubble for Enterprise is hurricane rated or will they just hope for the best? Is there any prep that Intrepid can do to lessen any problems, like deflating the bubble and strapping it down tight? Anyway, here's hoping for the best to Enterprise, Intrepid and any cS'ers out there in the path of Sandy.
Robert Pearlman Editor Posts: 48663 From: Houston, TX Registered: Nov 1999	posted 10-27-2012 10:26 AM During its opening, the pavilion was subjected to very heavy rain, hail and strong wind gusts without damage. Hurricane- or tropical-force winds could be a different situation, but the same could pose a risk to permanent structures, as well.
Jay Chladek Member Posts: 2272 From: Bellevue, NE, USA Registered: Aug 2007	posted 10-28-2012 03:22 AM By the time "frankenstorm" hits NYC, I don't think Hurricane winds are going to be the main problem. It will be all that moisture getting hit by a jet stream and a cold front which could result in A LOT of snow getting dumped in places. It remains to be seen how much will hit New York itself, or the Intrepid for that matter. One recent image I can recall though was a couple years ago when the Minnesota Vikings home field, Mall of America Stadium, got knocked out of action when the weight of all the snow tha accumulated from a blizzard ripped open the dome. Granted that "dome" had a bunch of flatter portions on top than what Intrepid's dome has. But I will be hoping the Enterprise goes through this potential weather crisis none the worse for ware. Just remember though, as much as we love our space heritage, lets make sure to say a few prayers for the people in the path of the storm and that any potential injuries or worse are kept to a minimum.
Ben Member Posts: 1917 From: United States Registered: May 2000	posted 10-29-2012 11:28 PM As of earlier tonight, a Twitter photo shows the housing has deflated at least.
Robert Pearlman Editor Posts: 48663 From: Houston, TX Registered: Nov 1999	posted 10-30-2012 12:52 AM This shot, by the Associated Press, shows the flooding at Pier 86, and that the entrance to the Intrepid is partially submerged. Another photo.
Robert Pearlman Editor Posts: 48663 From: Houston, TX Registered: Nov 1999	posted 10-30-2012 06:56 AM The storm has left space shuttle Enterprise partially exposed, as shown in these photos: 1 \| 2 \| 3 (In the first photo, what could appear to be a missing panel of the payload bay door is a light fixture in the foreground.)
Spaceguy5 Member Posts: 427 From: Pampa, TX, US Registered: May 2011	posted 10-30-2012 07:27 AM Oh boy.... I knew an inflatable bubble was going to be a bad idea. I'm afraid to see what damage has been done up close, and what harm the moisture causes in the long run.
Robert Pearlman Editor Posts: 48663 From: Houston, TX Registered: Nov 1999	posted 10-30-2012 07:34 AM The inflatable pavilion was not a bad idea; this was an unprecedented storm that has claimed lives and caused significant damage to even permanent structures. Had Enterprise been on the pier, for example, it very well could have sustained far more damage. Enterprise has spent considerable time stored in the outdoors over its nearly four decades in service, has been exposed the elements, and survived. Yes, it may need some repairs, but compared to some of the other damage left in Sandy's path, it came through the storm in good condition.
Robert Pearlman Editor Posts: 48663 From: Houston, TX Registered: Nov 1999	posted 10-30-2012 07:42 AM Here's the first close-up view of Enterprise, post-Sandy, shared via Twitter. It appears to show some damage to the top of the vertical stabilizer.

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