Author Topic: Information about Rockwell's 'Ole Grey Back' Shuttle mockup  (Read 8003 times)

Offline Skylab

  • Member
  • Full Member
  • ****
  • Posts: 477
  • Liked: 71
  • Likes Given: 55
Does anyone have any info about this mock-up that Rockwell produced very early on? Just had a bit of a discussion elsewhere with people who were familiar with it to some extent, but have never seen any photos or other info.
« Last Edit: 10/02/2017 09:27 pm by Lar »

Offline Blackstar

  • Veteran
  • Senior Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 15286
  • Liked: 7822
  • Likes Given: 2
It would help if you actually explained what it was. Blind leading the blind and all that.

Offline Skylab

  • Member
  • Full Member
  • ****
  • Posts: 477
  • Liked: 71
  • Likes Given: 55
It would help if you actually explained what it was. Blind leading the blind and all that.
Of course, we had some new discoveries today. Attached is a photo of the Iron Bird rig and link to an article.
https://thelexicans.wordpress.com/2014/05/13/iron-birds/

Very early on in the STS development there was a mockup called 'Ole Grey Back' as well. And it wasn't the second picture attached. It's very hard to find references, I've only heard about it from former Rockwell employees.
« Last Edit: 10/02/2017 06:51 pm by Skylab »

Offline Jim

  • Night Gator
  • Senior Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 37440
  • Cape Canaveral Spaceport
  • Liked: 21450
  • Likes Given: 428

Very early on in the STS development there was a mockup called 'Ole Grey Back' as well. And it wasn't the second picture attached. It's very hard to find references, I've only heard about it from former Rockwell employees.

That is the only mockup. 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Space_Shuttle_Inspiration
« Last Edit: 10/02/2017 06:54 pm by Jim »

Offline Skylab

  • Member
  • Full Member
  • ****
  • Posts: 477
  • Liked: 71
  • Likes Given: 55
Not doubting your knowledge, Jim. It's just that a Rockwell veteran insists it wasn't that one. So that left me wondering.

Quote
I am afraid not. The mockup you referred to in your post was in large public like conference room in Building 1 and it was in a protective walled area away from the production floor.
Ole Greyback was literally out on the floor where it was used by production to use for harness fit checks before the flight harnesses were sent up to Palmdale. Give me a second I'll see if I can find picture....

Edit: It turns out it was the Iron Bird, as linked above.
« Last Edit: 10/02/2017 07:09 pm by Skylab »

Offline Blackstar

  • Veteran
  • Senior Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 15286
  • Liked: 7822
  • Likes Given: 2
Maybe the heading should mention that you're referring to a space shuttle program. You never mentioned shuttle at all.

Offline Lar

  • Fan boy at large
  • Global Moderator
  • Senior Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 13463
  • Saw Gemini live on TV
  • A large LEGO storage facility ... in Michigan
  • Liked: 11864
  • Likes Given: 11086
Maybe the heading should mention that you're referring to a space shuttle program. You never mentioned shuttle at all.

I fixed it. This is the sort of thing a mod can fix, so a report to mod would have been in order if you were so inclined.
« Last Edit: 10/02/2017 09:31 pm by Lar »
"I think it would be great to be born on Earth and to die on Mars. Just hopefully not at the point of impact." -Elon Musk
"We're a little bit like the dog who caught the bus" - Musk after CRS-8 S1 successfully landed on ASDS OCISLY

Offline Blackstar

  • Veteran
  • Senior Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 15286
  • Liked: 7822
  • Likes Given: 2
Maybe the heading should mention that you're referring to a space shuttle program. You never mentioned shuttle at all.

I fixed it. This is the sort of thing a mod can fix, so a report to mod would have been in order if you were so inclined.

I'd kinda like to encourage posters everywhere, throughout the galaxy, to provide enough info so that the rest of us uninformed people have an idea of what they're posting about.

Offline MrTim

  • Full Member
  • ****
  • Posts: 731
  • Liked: 21
  • Likes Given: 0
The mockup still exists and was briefly on display to the public several years ago. It's in Downey CA (not too many miles from the Endeavour is displayed). I have long thought it would have been an amazing setup to have the Exposition Park museum have both the pre-production mockup and the real orbiter so people could see the program from concept to reality in one place.

I think they are still planning a museum for the mockup in Downey and are slowly gathering the funding.

Here are a couple of links of possible interest:

Some pics: https://www.urbanghostsmedia.com/2016/01/space-shuttle-inspiration-mockup-downey-california/

A 2012 local story: http://www.thedowneypatriot.com/articles/downey-celebrates-relocation-of-space-shuttle-mock-up

With those as a start, use Google  ;)


Offline Lar

  • Fan boy at large
  • Global Moderator
  • Senior Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 13463
  • Saw Gemini live on TV
  • A large LEGO storage facility ... in Michigan
  • Liked: 11864
  • Likes Given: 11086
Re: Information about Rockwell's 'Ole Grey Back' Shuttle mockup
« Reply #10 on: 10/03/2017 12:27 am »
I'd kinda like to encourage posters everywhere, throughout the galaxy, to provide enough info so that the rest of us uninformed people have an idea of what they're posting about.

Fair enough. Good self moderation then!

On a tangential note, how many non Terran posters do you think we have here, at present? Asking for a friend.
"I think it would be great to be born on Earth and to die on Mars. Just hopefully not at the point of impact." -Elon Musk
"We're a little bit like the dog who caught the bus" - Musk after CRS-8 S1 successfully landed on ASDS OCISLY

Online zubenelgenubi

  • Global Moderator
  • Senior Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 11159
  • Arc to Arcturus, then Spike to Spica
  • Sometimes it feels like Trantor in the time of Hari Seldon
  • Liked: 7392
  • Likes Given: 72404
Re: Information about Rockwell's 'Ole Grey Back' Shuttle mockup
« Reply #11 on: 10/03/2017 03:22 am »
;D
I've allowed a certain studious, newly-winged alicorn to read the NSF forum via my IP/her magic portal.

Their equine culture is advancing by leaps and bounds, and she's gathering information and insights for their nascent space program.

On her behalf, I express her gratitude to the NSF community.
;D
Support your local planetarium! (COVID-panic and forward: Now more than ever.) My current avatar is saying "i wants to go uppies!" Yes, there are God-given rights. Do you wish to gainsay the Declaration of Independence?

Offline Blackstar

  • Veteran
  • Senior Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 15286
  • Liked: 7822
  • Likes Given: 2
Re: Information about Rockwell's 'Ole Grey Back' Shuttle mockup
« Reply #12 on: 10/03/2017 02:08 pm »
Fair enough. Good self moderation then!

You know, if you give a man a fish, he eats for a day, if you teach a man to fish, he will eat for the rest of his life.

(I just made that quote up myself, right now.)


On a tangential note, how many non Terran posters do you think we have here, at present? Asking for a friend.

There are plenty of posters here who use economics, politics, and physics that are not based on Earthly understanding of those terms. So I would guess that the answer is lots.

Offline Skylab

  • Member
  • Full Member
  • ****
  • Posts: 477
  • Liked: 71
  • Likes Given: 55
Re: Information about Rockwell's 'Ole Grey Back' Shuttle mockup
« Reply #13 on: 10/05/2017 04:24 pm »
Found a few more images of the 1975 "iron bird" in this Google books link:
[SNIP]
Thanks, I've fed that back to those who worked on it! And I'll make my next title more explicit, but in a good way! ;)

Tags:
 

Advertisement NovaTech
Advertisement Northrop Grumman
Advertisement
Advertisement Margaritaville Beach Resort South Padre Island
Advertisement Brady Kenniston
Advertisement NextSpaceflight
Advertisement Nathan Barker Photography
0