As we begin to expand our exhibitions about Enterprise, we contacted NASA Langley to see if it would be possible to receive some relevant objects on loan. The extremely helpful and generous staff there recently lent us some wind tunnel models on our wish list. Some of these wind tunnel models, as well as Enterprise herself, were used in the investigation after the Columbia Disaster

Wind tunnel models are scale test models used to anticipate how a full scale version of a vehicle will react in a particular aerodynamic environment. The friction from the hypersonic wind simulates the heat experienced by a shuttle upon reentering the Earth’s atmosphere. Contained in and around the wind tunnel are sensors and other equipment that help researchers monitor the results of the test.

In the wake of the 2003 Columbia Disaster, NASA scientists created over 70 wind tunnel models to test the effects of heat on shuttles. One theory was that foam had struck the left wing causing fatal damage. By placing the model in a wind tunnel, NASA researchers could see how a damaged shuttle would react under reentry conditions and ultimately pin point the reason why Columbia broke up.

The models are coated with a special chemical layer that fluoresces under UV light. The warmer the model is, the more fluorescence it produces. Engineers developed a program specifically for these experiments called the Shuttle Image Management System (SIMS). The SIMS allowed researchers to know the temperature at different points and see the effects of the modified wind flow on the model. After running these small scale tests and ruling out the least likely scenarios, NASA staff conducted large scale tests on Enterprise herself. In fact, NASA installed heat shield tiles on Enterprise for these tests. When you visit, you can see the scarring on the leading edge of the left wing and on the left main landing gear door from these tests.

The Shuttle Image Management System (SIMS) that NASA staff created also had a practical application for the real space shuttles. It permitted astronauts in space and engineers on the ground to view the temperature of the shuttle throughout the mission so that any damage in the thermal protection system could be reviewed and fixed while in space. The direct effect of this program was evident on Discovery’s mission STS-114, the first flight after Columbia. Based on analysis from SIMS, Astronaut Stephen Robinson replaced two gap fillers in between thermal tiles which had become exposed during lift off. If the fillers were not replaced, a dangerous amount of heat could have presented problems for the shuttle upon reentry. Not only was this the first external shuttle repair made during orbit, it was also the first EVA (extravehicular activity) underneath a shuttle.

Click Here to See Astronaut Stephen Robinson Remove the Gap Filler!

Be sure to look for the wind tunnel models and other artifacts on display as we supplement our Enterprise related exhibitions throughout the coming year!

It has been a very exciting few months here at the Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum. We acquired a shuttle, voted for Growler, raised a pavilion and began celebrating our 30th anniversary as one of the finest museums in the best city in the world.

All this while, Exhibits has been hard at work caring for our valued collections. The Shuttle Pavilion’s opening afforded us an opportunity to speak with one of our heroes, Admiral Truly, about his personal collection, currently in Intrepid’s Collection Storage.

Admiral Truly is a retired Vice Admiral of the United States Navy, who began his career right here, aboard the USS Intrepid, flying F-8 Crusaders as a part of Fighter Squadron 33 (VF-33). After his prestigious naval career, Truly went on to work for NASA and in 1977, was chosen to be a part of the second crew of the Approach and Landing Tests (ALT’s) done by NASA to assess the functionality, design and stability of the shuttles. On September 13, 1977, Commander Joe Engle and Pilot Richard Truly were sitting in the cockpit of the Enterprise, ready to test her gliding capabilities. This was only the second time a free-flight had been tried and descending from an altitude of 26,000 feet was surely a terrifying and exhilarating experience.

Upon speaking to Admiral Truly, we discovered a helmet of his that we have in our collection is, in fact, the exact helmet he wore on those test flights of the Enterprise! This NASA-issued blue helmet seems like an unremarkable pilot’s helmet, bringing home the courageousness of the NASA ALT Pilots. Along with his helmet, we have Admiral Truly’s helmet liner and bag, together completing this unique set.

After testing out the Enterprise, Truly had the opportunity to make history again by acting as pilot aboard the Shuttle Columbia (OV-102) during the STS-2 mission, launched on November 12, 1981, marking the first time in history that a reusable spacecraft returned to space a second time. This was Truly’s first space flight and he would go on to fly one more mission, this time as Commander, of the STS-8 mission aboard the Shuttle Challenger (OV-099). In our collection is the very flight uniform Richard Truly wore aboard the Challenger during its flight in space, designed by NASA specifically for their mission.

Truly left NASA after the STS-8 mission to become the Navy’s first commander of the Naval Space Command yet returned in 1986 as NASA's Associate Administrator for Space Flight. His hard work, commitment and dedication endeared him those who flew all of NASA’s subsequent missions aboard the Atlantis (OV-104) and the Discovery (OV-103) and every crew from each mission presented him with posters from their missions, including photographs, the mission’s official patch, and a United States flag all flown in space.

Intrepid Museum Turns 30

Thirty years ago today – August 3, 1982 – the Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum opened to the public for the first time. Intrepid became only the second aircraft carrier museum in the United States. Since then, the Intrepid Museum has established itself as a leader in the preservation of history, an anchor of New York City’s West Side and the heart of major philanthropic organizations. Here’s a photo of Ed Koch, Mayor of New York City, on opening day.




The Museum recently opened two special exhibitions to celebrate this milestone. The first, “Thirty Years of Excellence: An Intrepid Museum Celebration,” explores the history and significance of the Intrepid Museum. One of my favorite items on display is a brochure produced by Odysseys in Flight, a predecessor to the Intrepid Museum Foundation and the organization that first envisioned bringing a retired aircraft carrier to New York. It’s fascinating to compare their original vision with the museum as it appears today. They probably never would have guessed that the Museum would have a missile submarine, a supersonic passenger jet, and a space shuttle!





The second exhibition, “Thirty Years of Collecting: Treasures from Intrepid’s Collections,” gave our Collections Manager, Rachel Herman, an opportunity to select objects from the collection that have never before been on display. As someone who works closely with the collections, I have trouble choosing a favorite among the many objects we have at the Museum. One standout is a duffel bag from a sailor who served aboard Intrepid during World War II. George Bertram DuBois, an Aviation Boatswain’s Mate, painted his duffel bag as a tribute to his service. DuBois’ painting of the ship in front of a rising sun shows his pride in his ship.




We hope that you will join us as we wish the Museum a very happy 30th anniversary. We’re looking forward to the next thirty years – and beyond! Jessica Williams Curator of History

For more information, click here.

We are thrilled to announce that in the coming months we will be featuring the Cold War submarine, Growler (SSG-577), in several exciting ways.  We invite you to join us as we celebrate this one of a kind historic vessel!  One of our most popular exhibits, Growler is a strategic missile submarine designed to carry, launch and guide Regulus I nuclear missiles.  Her mission was to patrol near Russian territory, thereby deterring them from launching an attack on the United States.  Growler was in commission from 1958–1964, and her interior survives largely unaltered from that time.  As a result, a walk through Growler offers a fascinating glimpse into the Cold War 1950s and 1960s.

Vote for Growler, April 26 - May 21
Growler has been selected to compete for a grant from Partners in Preservation (PiP).  There are forty New York historic sites competing to win three major grants between April 26 and May 21.  The sites with the most “popular votes” will win a grant to help preserve that site.  If awarded a PiP grant, the Intrepid Museum would restore Growler’s sail, the part of the submarine that rises from the deck and houses her periscopes and communication equipment.  We also would restore the Regulus I missile that is mounted on one of Growler’s missile launchers. 

Go to PartnersinPreservation.com and vote for Intrepid Museum Growler submarine today – and once every day – from April 26 through May 21!

USS Growler Open House Weekend, May 5-6
Also don’t miss out on our Growler celebration weekend, May 5 and 6th.  In addition to the regular self-guided tour of Growler,there are also opportunities to meet and greet former Growler crew members, explore submarine artifacts with Intrepid’s Education and Exhibits Teams, and get hands-on with family-friendly Growler inspired arts and crafts!

Thirty Years of Collecting: Treasures from Intrepid’s Collections, July 27 - December 2
Growler, along with the Intrepid, Concorde, and space shuttle Enterprise, will be featured in an exhibition, running from July 27 through December 2, celebrating some of the Exhibits staff’s favorite objects that are not currently on view.  One object that will be on view is this Thai presentation ship model (see below). 

In June 1960, the King of Thailand, His Majesty Bhumibol Adulyadej, was scheduled to make a state visit aboard the submarine USS Sargo for a day tour out to sea.  The day before the cruise was to take place, Sargo suffered a fire in her stern compartment.  Growler was called upon at the last minute to stand in for Sargo during the King’s visit.  During His Majesty’s visit, he presented the Growler crew with this model of a traditional Thai ship.

We hope that you will be able to join us in some (or all!) of our exciting Growler celebrations.

Rachel Herman
Collections Manager

Click image above to enlarge

Most of the log books in the Museum’s collections were recorded during the Second World War, three of them by members of fighter squadron VF-18. One of our more recent artifact donations consisted of William “Bill” Ziemer’s flight log book. His detailed log begins in 1942 with his flight training at the Naval Reserve Air Base in Norman, OK, where he primarily flew biplanes. Before VF-18 was attached to Intrepid, Bill and his fellow aviators completed more combat training exercises on F4F Wildcats and F6F Hellcats at Pearl Harbor. During Bill’s time off, he logged several hours of recreational flight as well. On one occasion he listed one of his younger brothers, “Ziemer, Jr.” as a passenger on an SBD-5. The brothers had enlisted in the Navy and both happened to be stationed at Pearl Harbor, so they attempted to visit one another when time allowed. Another interesting passenger of Bill’s during this period was “Cindy,” a local dog that members of the squadron had befriended.

Ziemer’s log book intensifies when VF-18 boarded Intrepid and made her way into the combat zone. Bill’s daily one- or two-hour flights stretched to three or four hours as he participated in “strikes” and “sweeps” over various islands of the Pacific throughout September and October 1944. On September 13, Ziemer noted in his log that he shot down a Japanese fighter plane known as an “Oscar.” Sadly, Ziemer’s final entry in the log book was dated October 10, 1944. On October 12, VF-18 participated in a strike at the Japanese airfields on Formosa (now Taiwan). His plane was shot down, forcing him to bail out over the airfield. According to one of Ziemer’s brothers, he was immediately captured and later died in a POW camp in August 1945.

Bill Ziemer (on left) and a fellow member of VF-18 at Pearl Harbor, c. 1944

Ziemer’s wingman, Egidio DiBatista, recorded in his log book on the same date in October that he shot down a Japanese bomber known as a “Lily.” He also included in his notes that he bailed out of his Hellcat after it had been shot down. Fortunately, unlike Bill, he was able to make it back to Intrepid. DiBatista’s flight log book is currently on display at the Museum, the page opened to his October 12, 1944 activities.

The final VF-18 log book in our collection was completed by Edward Ritter. One of the most interesting entries in his book is the note he wrote on the opening page: “Original log of flight hours flown from August 1942 to December 1944 was destroyed by explosion and fire due to enemy action – on the U.S.S. Intrepid – at 13:15 25 November 1944.” While Ritter was flying a Hellcat, he apparently left his flight log book in the Ready Room, which was destroyed during this kamikaze attack. Underneath Ritter’s note is a signature of approval from Cecil Harris, who was at that time already one of the Navy’s top aces of World War II.

The stories we can learn from the pages of aviator flight log books are numerous, and we encourage you to check out the one we have on exhibit. As our artifact collections continue to grow, we hope to acquire more log books that span the history of Intrepid’s service, allowing us to learn more about the evolution of flight over the decades.

Britta K. Arendt,
Collections Manager
 

Notice how the Luftwaffe pilot is created as an animated cartoon character, portraying the Luftwaffe to be inept and seem harmless.  With its lighter tone this film on the surface may not seem to have any motive except to entertain, but the topics the film touches upon try to inform and persuade the public about how air power could lead to victory.


Use It Up – Wear It Out – Make It Do!

A classic image or theme in World War II posters was that the American people should conserve and re-use goods in order to allow for as many supplies as possible to head to the armed forces in the Pacific and European theaters of war.  Often these posters depicted themes of patriotic housewives “doing their part” by rationing goods, re-using materials if possible, and fully cooperating with the set prices laid out by the government.



This particular poster focuses on an American household that is doing everything in their power to try to support the troops overseas.  A woman is seen sewing a patch on a man’s jeans while he is cleaning his lawn mower.  In the image we see a basket full of yarn and other materials used for sewing to emphasize the re-use of goods such as jeans.  In particular, the woman is working on the patch, while the man is cleaning or fixing the lawn mower, which serves as an image of always being efficient with time, a valuable necessity for the war effort.



China Carries On

When I first came across a poster urging the American people to contribute the United Relief Fund for China, it struck me as fascinating right away.  For most Americans, the focus of the war was solely on the American forces and how the country could provide the best and most effective assistance to the American military.  Their distrust of people of Asian descent, namely the Japanese, makes the call for aid for China an interesting message to send to the American people.

Click on image to enlarge