Projects underway for NASM transformation project in Washington, DC

[davegee]

Hi Tab28682: thanks for your comments. I had a memorable 36-year career as an airline pilot, but my true passion is model building at the highest level. I have been working with the NASM for about 32 years, and had two projects, a 1/34 scale flyable (but never flown) Saturn V and Launch Umbilical Tower, and a 1/48 scale Soviet era N-1 moon racket, both being on display for about 25 years before going into storage with the museum transformation project over the past 8 years.

I was on the restoration team in 2009 and again in 2015-16 for their LM-2 lunar module, a real lander that was slated to fly in 1968 but whose mission was canceled in the rush to get to the moon before 1970, per President Kennedy's declaration in 1961.

I live far away from Washington, DC in Wyoming now, but do have plans to visit the NASM in November to inspect all the contract work I did for the NASM during this transformation mentioned earlier. The photo of me with the 1:15 scale space shuttle was a work done to overhaul a very old fiberglass model that was probably built in-house by modelers for the then-North American Rockwell in the early 1980s as a display model. It is now proudly on display again, hanging upside down in the new At Home in Space gallery of the NASM. It is now displayed upside down with the cargo bay doors opened, ready to release the TDRS communications satellite that Discovery released into space in the fall of 1988. This was the first shutlle misson after the Challenger disaster of 1986. I also built the 1:15 scale TDRS satellite model, probably the only one of its type in existence.

Stay tuned to this thread as I plan on taking good pictures of the shuttle on display and the other contract objects I did for the NASM for these new exhibits. I should have them posted by mid-November.

I appreciate your taking the time to comment on these things. Very cool you were able to make a career building exquisite display models for a large aviation and space company.

Best Regards,

Davegee

[tab28682]

My big project arrived by truck last Friday. It is an 8 foot long 1:15 scale fiberglass and carbon fiber model of the Space Shuttle Orbiter. I think it was probably built by professional model makers at North American Rockwell almost 50 years ago. Back then, these big aerospace companies had their own model makers to use at sales meetings and stuff like that. The Johnson Space Center in Houston has had this model for decades……

Cheers

Davegee

Dave, simple stunning and highly professional work on the refurbishment of the NASA Space Shuttle model. Zero doubt you are a professional at this!

I quoted the above comment about in house model builders at aerospace companies, as I was one of those folks at General Dynamics and Lockheed Martin in Fort Worth from 1986 until my retirement in 2022. Was fortunate to be able to work on a huge variety of aircraft and other model projects there.

There are still some in house model builders in the industry, but they are getting fairly rare. Lockheed Martin still has a small full time group in Fort Worth. It might be the last significant in house operation in the country. There is a scattering, one or two model building folks here and there, at the other big names, but they are not usually employed full time at this type of work these days.

[davegee]

Thanks, Dan. Good to see you back on HS!

I’m looking into possibly buying another P-51 cockpit And then buying that kit for a detailed cockpit interior. I still don’t know what size pilot that can accommodate. I don’t think you can fit a full body pilot in there, but possibly more than we used for my present cockpit for the P-51. Your thoughts?

I did a drop test today with the OEM tanks that worked perfectly. I’m working on bombs now that I printed to try dropping next week. Also, I ordered more bomb clips from MRC for installation in our 108 gal. tanks.

I’d like to test and photograph dropping all three of these tanks on one of the days you’re free to go to the field.

Cheers

davegee

[Grossman56]

Just waiting for you to say you need a pilot or a figure painted, WOW what a thrill to have something hanging in the Museum.

[davegee]

Among the other projects listed above that are in a queue to be installed in the revitalized NASM building in the next year or two, I have been working on modifying one of my models, a satellite called DMSP 1 (Defense Meteorological Satellite Program 1) full-size satellite model. This full size 10-sided replica, only about 24 inches tall and diameter, was launched in 1962 to spy on then-Soviet targets or at least give important satellite images of the weather around the world under its path. It actually had an important support role in the Cuban Missile Crisis in October 1962, where we almost went to nuclear war against the Soviets over the placement of missiles in Cuba aimed at the USA. I was in elementary school then and it was Scary!

The satellite was instrumental in giving the go-ahead for reconnaisance fighters to launch from bases in Florida and take super closeup pictures as they screamed low over the missile sites in Cuba, gathering photographic evidence. Once they returned safely, the films were developed and sent to Presidant Kennedy and then US ambassador Adlai Stevenson presented the UN body with the evidence. The Russians backed down, and a possible nuclear war was averted.

This model was an on-the-floor display that rotated on a stand (as it did in space) with other spy satellite artifacts for several years until they were all removed to make room for the total makeover of the whole museum. My model was retasked to be a hanging display in one of the new galleries, which will be installed in the next few months in its new location. I will probably fly out to see it put in place. It will be suspended from three points and hang sideways as it flew in space. Although you can't see the bottom of the satellite from the picture below, I built a scale-looking camera like they used to take pictures of targets and weather, and then were downloaded to the USA for development and distribution. This recent photo was taken in a part of the museum where they reconfigured it to a 3-point hanging display. Interestingly, this project in 1962 was of the highest classification of top secrecy until it was declassified in 1999. Up to that point, its very existence was denied to inquiring organizations or individuals.

The large shuttle model and TDRS satellite inside are scheduled to be installed in its new home in May 2026, just a couple months before the re-opening of the entire museum on July 4, 2026. That will mark the 50th anniversary of the opening of the NASM on the National Mall in 1976, and the 250th anniversary of our Country.

UPDATE: For anyone interested: My last update was almost 3 years ago regarding the DMSP spy satellite model. It is in a newly renovated exhibit hall called now "Living in the Space Age." My DMSP spy satellite is on display hanging from the ceiling along with a bunch of other cool exhibits in that vein. It is available to be seen now, along with everything from 18 of the 20 exhibit galleries in the museum. The other two galleries aren't quite done yet. One will open October 30, 2026, and the other the end of November 2026. That will complete the 8+ year transformation of the museum. I plan on visiting the museum at the end of October when the gallery "At Home in Space" opens. That has my 1:15 scale overhauled model of the Space Shuttle Discovery hanging upside down with a communications satellite TDRS (Tracking and Data Relay Satellite) is in the open cargo bay, simulating how it was released into space. It had a rocket stage on it that later blasted it to a geosynchonous orbit 22,000 miles above the earth that helped communications between ground controllers and the shuttle spacecraft in orbit.

[davegee]

Nice exhibit. Well done Dave, Something for generations to enjoy and hopefully realize how many fought and died so we can live a decent life today. My Hat is off to you for your talents.
Best Regards, Rex

Thanks, Rex. All these exhibits being put in over the past 8 years will probably be there for 50 more years. After that, they'll have to find someone Else to help do their exhibits! HA!

Cheers

Davegee

[jetfool]

Nice exhibit. Well done Dave, Something for generations to enjoy and hopefully realize how many fought and died so we can live a decent life today. My Hat is off to you for your talents.
Best Regards, Rex

[davegee]

[davegee]

I'm including a photo I scanned online of the new exhibit hall of WWII Aviation at the Smithsonian's National Air and Space Museum that just opened its transformed and renovated 20 galleries last July 1. I was contracted to do several projects for it as I've added updates on this thread over the past three years. My contribution in the WWII gallery is the combat box formation of fifteen 1/72 scale diecast steel B-17G, modified to hang from the ceiling from threaded rods that connected to each airplane on a flush-mounted threaded receptacle that I designed and installed. Not the best of pictures, but you can see the silver B-17 models hanging from the ceiling in the combat box formation.

The purpose of the display is to show how bomber formations flew in precise formations to allow for maximum defensive firepower from enemy fighters and also help deliver the strongest concentration of bombs on the targets for maximum destruction.

[davegee]

Among the other projects listed above that are in a queue to be installed in the revitalized NASM building in the next year or two, I have been working on modifying one of my models, a satellite called DMSP 1 (Defense Meteorological Satellite Program 1) full-size satellite model. This full size 10-sided replica, only about 24 inches tall and diameter, was launched in 1962 to spy on then-Soviet targets or at least give important satellite images of the weather around the world under its path. It actually had an important support role in the Cuban Missile Crisis in October 1962, where we almost went to nuclear war against the Soviets over the placement of missiles in Cuba aimed at the USA. I was in elementary school then and it was Scary!

The satellite was instrumental in giving the go-ahead for reconnaisance fighters to launch from bases in Florida and take super closeup pictures as they screamed low over the missile sites in Cuba, gathering photographic evidence. Once they returned safely, the films were developed and sent to Presidant Kennedy and then US ambassador Adlai Stevenson presented the UN body with the evidence. The Russians backed down, and a possible nuclear war was averted.

This model was an on-the-floor display that rotated on a stand (as it did in space) with other spy satellite artifacts for several years until they were all removed to make room for the total makeover of the whole museum. My model was retasked to be a hanging display in one of the new galleries, which will be installed in the next few months in its new location. I will probably fly out to see it put in place. It will be suspended from three points and hang sideways as it flew in space. Although you can't see the bottom of the satellite from the picture below, I built a scale-looking camera like they used to take pictures of targets and weather, and then were downloaded to the USA for development and distribution. This recent photo was taken in a part of the museum where they reconfigured it to a 3-point hanging display. Interestingly, this project in 1962 was of the highest classification of top secrecy until it was declassified in 1999. Up to that point, its very existence was denied to inquiring organizations or individuals.

The large shuttle model and TDRS satellite inside are scheduled to be installed in its new home in May 2026, just a couple months before the re-opening of the entire museum on July 4, 2026. That will mark the 50th anniversary of the opening of the NASM on the National Mall in 1976, and the 250th anniversary of our Country.

[Elbee]

davegee, as will I and per usual, nicely done, Sir. Best, LB

[davegee]

As an update to the conclusion of the "last piece of the puzzle", the TDRS/Booster model, we drove up to Billings for some shopping and dropped off the model at the FedEx facility at the Billings airport on Monday February 5. We had UPS pack it, but since I get a considerable airline employee discount with FedEx, it was well worth the time and expense of going to Billings and have FedEx overnight it to Washington, DC. They did their job fantastically, and it was in the hands of the proper people on Tuesday February 6. It was briefly inspected for any damage, and it looks like it arrived without incident or any damage.

So, all these projects I did for the NASM, the P-51 Mustang III, the Me-163 Komet, the 15 1/72nd scale B-17G models, the Discovery Space Shuttle, and now the TDRS/Booster model that will go inside the cargo bay of the shuttle, are now "staged" in place for when the time comes to install them in the various display galleries. I'm very much looking forward to that, it was a long year getting all these projects completed. Now, we wait. It probably will be at least a year before the physical galleries have been constructed and finished that we will be ready to install all these models. I'll report back on this thread as things progress to seeing them on display. I hope to get some pictures of all of them and post here, in time. Thanks to all who have visited this thread and especially to those who have commented or complimented the work I have been busy doing.

I'll be happy to respond to any comments in the meantime as we countdown the weeks and months to where these models will take the stage on display.

Cheers

Davegee

[davegee]

Beautiful Hope to see it in the museum someday.

Thanks. It will get installed in 2025 or 2026 and should be on display for the next 25 years after that. So, I hope you get a chance to see the museum again after this total museum redo that is about 8 years in the completion. I'll probably fly out there to help out with the installation of the models when the time comes.

Cheers

Dave

[jetfool]

Beautiful Hope to see it in the museum someday.

[davegee]

Thanks, Elbee!!

cheers,

davegee

[Elbee]

davegee

At the risk of repeating myself, simply OUTSTANDING.

Best. LB

[davegee]

Great pictures Davegee. I'm sure it will look just like the original when your done.

Best Regards, Rex

Hi All: I got into finishing the TDRS satellite over the weekend and can call it now "done." Big Relief! I sent pics to my "boss" back East and they will put together another "submittal" with pics and explanations to the NASM staff to arrive at a decision if they give this a thumbs up or thumbs down to ship it. I'm pretty happy with the way it turned out, especially since there was a dearth of any engineering drawings, reference photos, etc., to go by.

Special thanks to people like Patrick, owner of Moonshine Signs in Denver for making the six solar panels that you see. Also, special shout out to Chad Veich of Arizona who drew up the STL files and had them printed up to stunning results. This entire satellite, or the upper part of this model, is 3D printed, with the exception of the solar panels which had a different manner of fabrication.

This is really a one of a kind model, as far as I know. I'm not aware of another model of the TDRS/IUS existing in the world, at least at this level of detail. When the shuttle model goes up on display next year at the NASM, we will mount the TDRS inside the cargo bay, elevated up from the lie flat position about 30 degrees. The entire model will hang upside down from the ceiling, about 12 feet above the gallery floor, with the nose pointed slightly towards the ceiling, and the tail angled towards the floor. I'm sure they will have some mini spotlights to highlight things like the cargo bay and the TDRS satellite, ready to be released into space as it was on mission STS-26R in late September, 1988.

I might have a few updates and am happy to answer any questions or comments from those interested, but once this satellite model is approved and ship to Washington, it will remain in storage until next year sometime, when that area has been refurbished to accommodate this new space gallery. I might possibly fly out there to assist with the hanging and set up of the models.

Thanks to all who had an interest to look at this project's progress to completion. It has been a long year in coming, with several great people giving me a lot of help in critical areas.

Cheers

Davegee

[jetfool]

Great pictures Davegee. I'm sure it will look just like the original when your done.

Best Regards, Rex

[davegee]

Davegee,

Please keep posting your progress. I enjoy seeing how models are put together and before they are completed. I gain a lot of knowledge that's useful. Seems that there isn't a lot of builds going on this winter of airplanes but watching a lot of tank activity. I figured there would be a lot of B-25 modifications.but not much so far. I weathered my Tigercat slighty and put 4 coats of clear poly on. It really brought the dark blue out in a matte shiny way, just what I wanted. Its already to go this spring.
10 degrees F today but beautiful sky and no wind, some of us are going to brave the temp. and fly tomorrow. I'll probably be bundled up like my mom used to do before I went to play in the snow. Hope I'll be able to move. LOL

Best Regards, Rex

Hi Rex: Good deal on your Tigercat. A fabulous looking airplane in the air and on the ground. I think if you dress warmly you should do just fine. We went through a cold spell where the lows were -28 degrees~ But that has moved out and we're seeing some great days coming up for flying in the low to mid '40s, which up here is nothing to sneeze at!

I'll post a pic I just took of the beginnings of the TDRS satellite. This part is the base that attaches to the top of the booster section. I had to precisely line up three screws to go in from the booster side into this black satellite frame, but I think it went well. I bought four screws at Ace today, I'll probably sink that one in near the end point of attaching all the parts.

In the picture is one of the six panels that will form a hexagon that is the major part of the satellite seen before deployment in space. A friend of mine in Denver took the job to do these panels, and three spares just in case something happens to one of the others...

Also attached is a pic of the real TDRS satellite prior to installing in the space shuttle. I hope ours will be close to this look.

Cheers

Dave

[jetfool]

Davegee,

Please keep posting your progress. I enjoy seeing how models are put together and before they are completed. I gain a lot of knowledge that's useful. Seems that there isn't a lot of builds going on this winter of airplanes but watching a lot of tank activity. I figured there would be a lot of B-25 modifications.but not much so far. I weathered my Tigercat slighty and put 4 coats of clear poly on. It really brought the dark blue out in a matte shiny way, just what I wanted. Its already to go this spring.
10 degrees F today but beautiful sky and no wind, some of us are going to brave the temp. and fly tomorrow. I'll probably be bundled up like my mom used to do before I went to play in the snow. Hope I'll be able to move. LOL

Best Regards, Rex