BP-6 returns to Downey

[collectSPACE]

Long time cS member, Aerospace Legacy Foundation board member and friend Jim Busby was kind to share photos of the recent return of Apollo Boilerplate-6 (BP-6) to Downey, California, where it was built by North American Aviation. BP-6 flew a test of the launch escape system on November 7, 1963 from White Sands.



The boilerplate will go on display, along with the first full-scale shuttle orbiter mock-up, at the Columbia Memorial Space Science Learning Center, to be opened on the site of the former aerospace facility in early 2008.

More pictures and details here.

[Chris Bergin]

Stunning image of the abort motors firing on the link.

[kevin-rf]

Bob, how does this relate to the boiler plate that is (or was in the mid 80's) at meteor crator arizona?

[collectSPACE]

kevin-rf - 9/3/2007  10:45 AM

Bob, how does this relate to the boiler plate that is (or was in the mid 80's) at meteor crator arizona?

According to A Field Guide To American Spacecraft (which unfortunately, is currently offline), the boilerplate at Meteor Crater is BP-29, which was used for ocean recovery tests. Waymarking has a page devoted to its display.

[mkirk]

collectSPACE - 10/3/2007  10:53 AM

According to A Field Guide To American Spacecraft (which unfortunately, is currently offline), the boilerplate at Meteor Crater is BP-29, which was used for ocean recovery tests. Waymarking has a page devoted to its display.

Hey Robert-

Many times I have driven by an Apollo Capsule of some sort at Patrick AFB.  If I remember correctly it was just sitting in a lot behind a building located next to the river. To me it looks like it was used for water egress training - I have never taken a close look at it - do you have any idea what it really is or what organization has ownership of it now?

Mark Kirkman

[Jim]

mkirk - 10/3/2007  12:08 PM

collectSPACE - 10/3/2007  10:53 AM

According to A Field Guide To American Spacecraft (which unfortunately, is currently offline), the boilerplate at Meteor Crater is BP-29, which was used for ocean recovery tests. Waymarking has a page devoted to its display.

Hey Robert-

Many times I have driven by an Apollo Capsule of some sort at Patrick AFB.  If I remember correctly it was just sitting in a lot behind a building located next to the river. To me it looks like it was used for water egress training - I have never taken a close look at it - do you have any idea what it really is or what organization has ownership of it now?

Mark Kirkman

It belongs either the Florida Air National Guard or the Rescue squadron

[mkirk]

Jim - 10/3/2007  11:20 AM

mkirk - 10/3/2007  12:08 PM

collectSPACE - 10/3/2007  10:53 AM

According to A Field Guide To American Spacecraft (which unfortunately, is currently offline), the boilerplate at Meteor Crater is BP-29, which was used for ocean recovery tests. Waymarking has a page devoted to its display.

Hey Robert-

Many times I have driven by an Apollo Capsule of some sort at Patrick AFB.  If I remember correctly it was just sitting in a lot behind a building located next to the river. To me it looks like it was used for water egress training - I have never taken a close look at it - do you have any idea what it really is or what organization has ownership of it now?

Mark Kirkman

It belongs either the Florida Air National Guard or the Rescue squadron

Thanks,

I was really curious if it is the same one as in this picture.  If it is, it is in bad shape from what I can tell while driving by it. I really need to go over and take a closer look - if it is still there.

Mark Kirkman

[simonbp]

The US Space and Rocket Center has a boilerplate Apollo in the back storage lot, complete with LES tower. It was recently discovered that the LES motors are actually still loaded, which may hamper restoration efforts (considering noone really wants to touch a 40-year-old active rocket)...

Simon

[spaceflight101]

Robert;
Thanks for the heads-up on this. I've forwarded your post to Richard Carpenter, whose mother once worked at that plant before he became famous.

[collectSPACE]

mkirk - 10/3/2007  11:08 AM

Many times I have driven by an Apollo Capsule of some sort at Patrick AFB.  If I remember correctly it was just sitting in a lot behind a building located next to the river. To me it looks like it was used for water egress training - I have never taken a close look at it - do you have any idea what it really is or what organization has ownership of it now?

The entry from A Field Guide to American Spacecraft (currently offline) is vague on its history:

This boilerplate is located near the Life Support Systems building and the Base Fire Department.  It is visible from the north end of the main runway, but not from State Route A1A.  Since the base is secure, the only times to view this BP is during the annual air show or any other open house times.  It is very similar to the BP at the nearby Air Force Space Museum at Cape Canaveral Air Station.

The BP at the Air Force Space Museum was used for water training.

[collectSPACE]

simonbp - 10/3/2007  2:37 PM

The US Space and Rocket Center has a boilerplate Apollo in the back storage lot, complete with LES tower. It was recently discovered that the LES motors are actually still loaded, which may hamper restoration efforts (considering noone really wants to touch a 40-year-old active rocket)...

The Field Guide identifies it as BP-23 and states that it was launched twice: first on Pad Abort Test-2 and then again on Little Joe II flight A-002.

Jim Gerard really did a great job with AFTAS, especially for looking up things like this, and hopefully it will return online soon.