Enterprise given some respect

[shuttle_man]

This is very long, but I enjoyed it a lot and the Fullerton comments brought back some cherished memories. I did a fair amount of work on her.<br /><br />“The instant we pushed the button to blow the bolts and hop off the 747,” he said years later, “the shock of that actually dislodged a little solder ball and a transistor on one of the computers and we had the caution tone go off and the red light. We had three [cathode-ray tube monitors] and one of those essentially went to halt. This is pretty fundamental. All your control of the airplane is through fly-by-wire and these computers.<br /><br />“I had a cue card with a procedure if that happened, that we’d practiced in the simulator, and I had to turn around and pull some circuit breakers and throw a couple of switches to reduce your susceptibility to the next failure. I did that and, by the time I looked around, I realised, hey, this is flying pretty good, because I was really distracted from the fundamental evaluation of the airplane at first”.<br /><br />http://www.nasaspaceflight.com/content/?id=3544

 

[vt_hokie]

I'd love to go down and see Enterprise one of these days. It's a shame that Columbia couldn't be preserved, given that it was the first orbiter to fly in space and was quite unique compared to the others. (I always recognized it immediately from a distance, with its larger portions of black surfaces on the wings and tail and the white tiles around the crew cabin where the other birds have thermal blankets.) But I'm glad that Enterprise is finally on display. Are they ever going to restore the RCC panels on the wing leading edges, though?

 

[dragon04]

I was still a teenager when they test flew the Enterprise. That was such a cool thing. I remember it as vividly as I do Neil Armstrong setting foot on the Moon. <img src="/images/icons/smile.gif" /> <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <em>"2012.. Year of the Dragon!! Get on the Dragon Wagon!".</em> </div>

 

[shuttle_rtf]

Ben's one of 12 new writers we've added. While it's rare we'll publish something that long - it was worth it. He did a great job.

 

[drwayne]

Congratulations and best wishes then Ben!<br /><br />Wayne <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p>"1) Give no quarter; 2) Take no prisoners; 3) Sink everything."  Admiral Jackie Fisher</p> </div>

 

[shuttle_man]

" Are they ever going to restore the RCC panels on the wing leading edges, though?"<br /><br />Yes, but I believe it won't be more than an immitation panel.

 

[contracommando]

<i>"Enterprise given some respect "</i><br /><br />I thought you meant the show, ewww.

 

[shuttle_rtf]

No, that's the follow-up.<br /><br />"Voyager given some respect - Janeway honoured"<br /><br />With the final installation "DS9 trashed - nothing new here" <img src="/images/icons/wink.gif" />

 

[davf]

Great article!