Airstream As Mobile Quarantine Facility for Apollo Flights
Does anyone know what year and model the four Airstreams purchased by the Apollo program would have been? Any guesses?
If four were purchased, and there is one a the Huntsville Space Camp, one at the Hornet Museum, and one at the Udvar-Hazy Air & Space museum, does anyone know where the fourth is?
My wife and I have a dream of an airstream someday, and we've just purchased a 2004 Chevy Express 1500 van. Tow capacity is around 7000 lbs. What size of Airstreams could I safely pull, once we decide to go for one?
My wife and I have a dream of an airstream someday, and we've just purchased a 2004 Chevy Express 1500 van. Tow capacity is around 7000 lbs. What size of Airstreams could I safely pull, once we decide to go for one?
Thanks,
Bill
A 19' would be a good limit in recent models. The newer models are heavier than older models of the same length. The earlier 22' Internationals grossed at 5000# and would also be appropriate. You could go to 22' or 23' in older models. but I wouldn't go longer than that. Figure on a gross trailer weight of no more than 75% of your 7000# (5250#) to allow for higher altitudes, loading in the truck, and uphill performance.
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Does anyone know what year and model the four Airstreams purchased by the Apollo program would have been? Any guesses?
If four were purchased, and there is one a the Huntsville Space Camp, one at the Hornet Museum, and one at the Udvar-Hazy Air & Space museum, does anyone know where the fourth is?
My wife and I have a dream of an airstream someday, and we've just purchased a 2004 Chevy Express 1500 van. Tow capacity is around 7000 lbs. What size of Airstreams could I safely pull, once we decide to go for one?
Hi Bill - Welcome - and hope your search goes well.
The link below will give you the dry trailer weights (keep in mind these are dry weights) meaning no liquids additional options or cargo.
So if you stick to the 75% of towing capacity margin you will get a good idea of what you can look at.
http://www.airstream.com/product_lin...#trailerweight
note you have to click on the "trailer weights" typed in red - as well it states only from 1996 and newer but it is the really early model years too - in fact there are 15 pages of models and their weights - fun reading.
And then you can check out this link to see what the different models looked like from 1936 to 1979 - great photo library!!!
__________________ Streaming in the spirit of Exploration... "To go places and do things that have never
been done before-that's what living is all about." - M. Collins
Thanks Stefrobrts for the trip down memory lane~!~
If you hit the "previous" button at the upper left hand side of the page, you can scan thru a whole slew of pictures taken of that event as well..
ciao
53FC
Welcome as well to forum.. Though we live in San Francisco Bay area, we used to have beach house in South County RI, and I used to race and teach in Beetle Cats, which haven't made it to Calif yet...
I believe the NASA MQF's were based on 1966 or 1967 Sovereign 30' trailers, mounted on metal frame/skid, with external power and roof air systems to maintain positive air pressure through filters... Moon "bugs" were very serious risk for a while prior to Apollo 11 and 12, and the MQF's did their job.. Also not sure where #4 ended up, but I suspect back lot at JSC in Houston under a tarp...
Towing recommendations above are reasonable. It might be possible to tow up to a 25' trailer from pre-1995 (they got 6" wider in 1995 and heavier) but a 22 or 23 foot trailer is probably best bet for your van... Depends on how many people (live cargo load) and how much stuff they bring, which will add to gross weight of trailer in load on truck... A Suburban 1500 from mid 90's with 7800# tow capacity can pull a pre '95 25' trailer relatively well, with gross weight of around 5700#... If you're actively shopping, try looking at www.airstream.net for classifieds on Vintage Airstream web site, where there are usually over 100 trailers for sale, many from '90's or newer...
John McG
__________________
Condoluminum
In Theory, there's no difference between Theory and Practice, but in Practice, there is usually a difference...
The Airstream will be on display at the NEW Air and Space Museum hanger at Dulles Airport which opened Dec 15th 03. There will be a space wing which will open sometime soon and will have the trailer as well as the space shuttle prototype.
Not trying to start a trivia thread here, but does anybody remember the name of the prototype? That's right, ENTEPRISE.
Actually there is a much more exact parallel. The Rutan Rocket operates in amost exactly the same manner as the X-15 program - even to the altitute acheived. I'm guessing that sucker was more than $20 million even in 1962, counting the B52 mother ship and all.
Mark
Further, did you know that immediatly following the maiden flight of Dick "Rutan's Rocket" that Richard Branson of Virgin Atlantic fam bought one to the tune of approx. $250 million? His name for the first non-gov'mint ride to space? The V.S.S. Enterprise (Virgin Space Ship Enterprise). He claims to have over 70,000 people already lined up to pay around $120,000 for a ride to low earth orbit. Do the math. Virgin will add a bunch to the bottom line.
.. following the maiden flight of Dick "Rutan's Rocket" that Richard Branson of Virgin Atlantic fam bought one to the tune of approx. $250 million?
Jim & Susan-
I have misgivings, but as aircraft owner and pilot, and member of EAA, I figured I needed to jump in and correct some postings on Burt (not Dick..) Rutan''s SpaceShip One.. For credibility, I was at Oshkosh and listened to Mike Melville and Burt explain and show videos of June flight for 2 hours in July, and my membership credentials were selected to be part of both record flights in Sept and Oct as part of cargo carried up, so I got debriefings from those as well...
1. Early reference to similarity to X-15 flights should hav enoted that only 2 attempts to get to 100km were made, and when Neil Armstrong (of Apollo 11) lost control during descent on flight #2 and nearly landed in San Diego he refused to fly X-15 high again.. X-15 re-enters like bullet, and angle tolerance is +/- 2 degrees, or it melts or bounces into ocean.. SpaceshipOne with foldup wings glides back like Shuttlecock in badminton, re-entry angle +/- 30 degrees and less than 50 knots indicated on airspeed indicator.
2. Burt and Paul Allen (Microsoft co-founder) spent $25M to win $10M Prize, but Branson has agreed to buy small fleet of similar ships for some numbers of $$ Millions. Plan is to do more up and down flights, not orbital yet.. Ship is launched under Mother Ship (White Knight powered by engines from T-38 trainer..) and burns rocket while blasting UP from 50,000' to 110,000', and then "coasts" up to 340,000' going about Mach 6.. After float over the top of arc, it descends with wings folded to about 80,000' and then unfolds wing to glide back to runway, all within an hour.
3. Burt has suggested he'd come back to Oshkosh Air Show in late July next summer and sell or auction space ride from main runway there, and returning there, since his design does not require spaceport or Edwards AFB.. Ship uses exchange rocket tube lined with burning rubber mix (made from old tires) and liquid Nitrous Oxygen (dentist laughing gas..) as oxydizer from pressure tank... Big issues are noise and alignment of tube, as 1/2 degree off caused rolling on first flight into space in June...
Discovery Channel has exclusive rights to on-board camera videos, and did special which will be repeated.. Very worrisome watching rolls and tumbles while plastic structure creaking in silence... Technology to build engine, manage re-entry and multiple control systems, and re-launch (only wooden block on nose gear plus rocket nozzle are designed to need replacement every flight...) are astoundingly innovative, and will someday make civilian paid space flights do-able..
Burt is truly a character, and has designed some of most innovative air and spacecraft this century.. Stay tuned for another of his planes to soon fly solo around the world using single jet engine, with some more Branson funding...
John McGowan
>> And the final link, remember William H. Bowlus, who actually designed Airstream Aluminum Clipper first sold by Wally in 1936, was designer and production supervisor of Charles Lindbergh's plane while employed at Ryan in San Diego...
__________________
Condoluminum
In Theory, there's no difference between Theory and Practice, but in Practice, there is usually a difference...
Our family just visted the USS Hornet Museum in Alameda Ca. this past weekend. On board the hanger deck, there is a Airstream, closer in length to 30', that was utilized as a debriefing area. Configuration was a front central table with 6 aircraft type chairs, and small concession area to the left of the entry, followed by bunks and 1/2 rear bath. The interesting thing about the trailer, is it look mounted to a rolling skid platform ( I guess easer to move around the hanger deck), rather the tires and axles. If your in the bay area, its worth the trip the USS Hornet Museum, with a bonus attraction. Jeff http://www.uss-hornet.org/
P.S. You can view a photo of the Airstream in my Photos
Coastalview: I wonder if you were looking at the Mobile Quaratine Facility that originally was on the Hornet to receive the Apollo 11 crew?? The Hornet announced that they are putting their MQF on exhibition soon. As quoted below http://www.nasm.si.edu/research/dsh/...cts/HS-MQF.htm
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