proudly advertised the fact that their retracts were used in the test models. Retractable landing gear by Carl Goldberg and two K&B 0.40s with fuel pumps completed the model. To make the model easier to fly, the wing chord was increased an inch and the airfoil was changed to one that would provide better low-speed lift. The wings were made with two pieces of foam, sheeted with balsa and covered with MonoKote (a plastic film covering that shrinks when heated). The 747 fuselage consisted of a balsa box to which foam was added, carved to shape, and then covered with fiberglass. The photograph originally appeared in “Mini Orbiter,” Model Airplane News, April 1976, pg. Art Arro and Owen Morris release the Gazariator and Space Shuttle for another test flight. NASA workshops created another model Orbiter (based again on the floatation model), while Kiker and Morris built the 747 from drawings provided by Boeing. Kiker and Morris agreed, and work began on creating the model. A Scale 747 would provide more accurate aerodynamic information and be more attractive for press releases. ![]() The completed model weighed nearly 4 pounds, and with 242 square inches of wing area, it yielded a wing loading of 38.09 ounces per square foot.Īfter several successful in-flight releases from a Sterling Gazariator, NASA asked if the Gazariator could be replaced with a scale model of a Boeing 747. 89, by Luther Hux.Ī 1/40-scale Orbiter model, originally designed for floatation tests by NASA, was modified so it could be flown by Radio Control and was ballasted to simulate the weight and center of gravity of the full-scale Orbiter. The photograph originally appeared in “AMA’s Space Shuttle Exhibit,” Model Aviation, May 1986, pg. Owen Morris and John Kiker with their 747 and shuttle models. He did this because, he “believe Radio Control scale models are a good means of providing an initial indication of Orbiter control characteristics and separation dynamics before you start flying the real thing with live pilots.” He enlisted the help of fellow NASA engineer and modeler, Owen Morris. ![]() To prove that it was possible, John Kiker, an engineer at the NASA Johnson Space Center Spacecraft Design Division, and a model aviation enthusiast, decided to investigate the possibility of releasing a shuttle in-flight using model aircraft. The 1/40-scale Radio-Controlled Boeing 747 and Space Shuttle combination on exhibit in the National Model Aviation Museum’s Models at Work Gallery. In the mid-1970s, during the development of the Space Shuttle program, National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) decided to transport the shuttle piggyback on a Boeing 747, but it was unclear if the shuttle could be successfully launched in-flight from atop the 747. ![]() Hear him discuss about the models’ history in this video. Astronaut Robert “Hoot” Gibson, who serves as AMA Ambassador, was a friend of John.
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