posted 03-10-2017 03:31 PM               

quote:

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Originally posted by OV-105:
Waiting on the big brown UPS truck to show.

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posted 03-14-2017 09:26 PM               

I placed my pre-order on December 21 and received a confirmatory email from Specialty Press that my order was for one of the signed edition sets.

Unfortunately, after receiving my set today and opening it this evening, the set that I received does not appear to be signed.

I sent an e-mail to Specialty Press this evening to inquire if there was an error for my order.

posted 03-14-2017 10:24 PM               

Echoing the sentiments of everyone above — this is a very impressive collection.

posted 03-15-2017 08:57 PM            

Additionally, the order receipt included in my order explicitly said "Signed Edition".

posted 03-16-2017 07:17 PM               

quote:

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Originally posted by Eric Rodenberg:
I sent an e-mail to Specialty Press this evening to inquire if there was an error for my order.

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The publisher contacted Mr. Jenkins today and he has graciously offered to ship me a signed edition at no additional cost to me. In doing so, he suggested that I donate the unsigned edition to a local library or Veterans' Home.

posted 04-17-2017 06:11 AM               

My hat goes off to Dennis Jenkins on a stunning piece of work. Superb production quality too. Most certainly THE go to book for the shuttle program. It is likely that I will splash out on a second copy as something tells me this copy will be well thumbed.

Even a quick scan of the book turned up fascinating insights and images: I love it. My only regret is that many of the images were not bigger but then I'd imagine the book set would run to 10 volumes instead of 3.

posted 04-22-2017 11:54 AM               

I only had time to leaf through it very superficially, but in that short time I spotted five clear errors (not mentioning several typos). I realise that a work of this magnitude is bound to have a few mistakes here and there and I don't want to be negative, but this was literally after leafing through volume 3 for 15 minutes.

posted 10-09-2017 09:13 AM               

Author Dennis R. Jenkins to Receive the 2017 Combs Gates Award

The National Aviation Hall of Fame (NAHF) proudly reports that Dennis R. Jenkins' three-volume work, "Space Shuttle: Developing an Icon 1972-2013," has earned its author the 15th Annual Combs Gates Award.

Jenkins will be presented the $20,000 cash prize on Tuesday, October 10th, at the National Business Aviation Association's (NBAA's) 70th annual Business Aviation Convention & Exhibition in Las Vegas, NV. NAHF Trustees making the presentation will be joined by 2001 Enshrinee M/Gen. Joe Engle, USAF (Ret), an original test pilot and later commander of NASA's shuttle program, and 2008 Enshrinee Mr. Sean D. Tucker.

Space Shuttle: Developing an Icon 1972-2013 recounts the shuttles' 30 years and 135 missions. Having carried more crew members to orbit than all other launch systems, from all other countries combined, as well as more than 4.5 million pounds of payload to orbit, the shuttle celebrated a staggering record of successes. Unfortunately, it was also accompanied by a tragic record of failure, with two accidents claiming the lives of 14 astronauts as well as other incidents claiming several ground personnel.

Author Dennis R. Jenkins served as an engineer and project manager on the space shuttle program for 33 years. Arriving just prior to STS-1, he worked in engineering and operations at the Kennedy Space Center and Vandenberg Launch Site. Jenkins was an investigator on the Columbia Accident Investigation Board, senior technical staff to the Return-to-Flight Task Group, and the project manager that planned the delivery of the remaining orbiters to their various display sites at the end of the flight campaign. He sat as the Verville Fellow at the Smithsonian's National Air and Space Museum and is currently the project director for the Endeavour display, as well as facility construction manager at the Samuel Oschin Air and Space Center in Los Angeles.

The Combs Award, its original title, grew out of a donation to the NAHF by the late Harry Combs, a 1996 Enshrinee of the NAHF. As part of a $1.3 million gift to help fund the creation of a NAHF research center, Combs stipulated that the Combs Award be established to encourage and support relevant aviation history research and preservation efforts. A panel of expert judges review each submission based upon criteria such as historical accuracy, creativity, potential for long-term impact and value to the NAHF's mission of honoring America's outstanding air and space pioneers.

Combs was instrumental to the growth and development of business aviation. Consequently the NAHF partnered with the NBAA to host the award presentation at its annual meeting and convention, the largest business aviation event in the world. The inaugural award was presented at the Opening General Session of the NBAA's 2003 convention, which was held in conjunction with 100th anniversary of the first powered flight.

John Gates and his sister, Diane G. Wallach, are co-trustees of the Gates Frontiers Fund, created by their late parents and philanthropists, Charles C. and June S. Gates. The late Mr. Gates, who passed away in 2005 at age 84, was a partner with Combs in several aviation businesses, including the Combs Gates FBO chain and Gates Learjet. This year marks the 15th year for the award and its 12th year with the name changed to reflect a multi-year commitment by the Gates Frontiers Fund to endow the award.

The award pays homage to Gates' belief in the benefit of historic preservation and study, and to Combs' own research efforts behind his acclaimed 1979 book, "Kill Devil Hill: Discovering the Secrets of the Wright Brothers."