News from the Intrepid

[Speedbird1]

I finally re-visited the Intrepid and must report that the Orbiter Enterprise is completely encased in a sort of canvas to protect it from the elements. This pavilion is way more attractive than its predecessor which was blown-down by Sandy. The Shuttle can no longer be seen by the public from the street of course. It was nice viewing, free-of-charge for almost a month with a bright sun shining on it and a blue background but contracts must be honored. The pavilion will re-open on July 10 and an additional charge will be added-on to a pass. The Museum also lost a bundle when it was forced to close for several months and also lost-out due to the cancellation of Fleet Week. Their wonderful gift shop was evidently destroyed by the salt water. I attended anyway and the small crowds were evident as the long waiting lines to enter were gone! Next year, they plan to re-paint the beautiful Concorde was does show some minor peeling especially on the delta wings. The Concorde guided tour aboard is always sold-out at about $26 a pop. The extra bonus I saw was the NCL Cruise Ship Breakaway; this is the ship that did NOT have a crippling fire, or other misshap.

[PhilDernerJr]

How many threads will you start for this topic? Please use the threads you have already been posting in about this.

[threeholerglory]

50 viewers are shaking their heads.

[Gerard]

How many threads will you start for this topic? Please use the threads you have already been posting in about this.

Actually from what I can see the last thread he started on this topic was in Dec of last year so i really dont see the big deal that he started a new thread!!
isnt really a bad thread either.
Oh well.......

[alberchico]

Airliners.net has a pic of the new tent that is now more weather proof than the last one. I wonder if the interior will be the same as before. They now are going to put some of the old flight deck instruments on display along with the Soyuz capsule

http://www.intrepidmuseum.org/LatestNews/June-2013/Soyuz-Capsule-Joins-Enterprise-in-Intrepid’s-Space.aspx

http://www.airliners.net/photo//2276199/L/&sid=b8ce2598b34dd3a358732fd4ddaab1fa

[Landing Lights]

At the end of the day, it is still a temporary structure and therefore still more prone to damage in bad weather than a permanent structure. Through my work in the entertainment industry, I have become painfully aware of how fragile temporary structures can be in severe weather such as a microburst. Hopefully they have invested in some high quality engineering to mitigate these risks. However the framed tent-like structure that they are now using is far and away better than the bubble canopy that they had previously. Those things are way too fragile to be protecting a priceless piece of space history. Not only are they at risk from things like the power loss that caused the failure on the Intrepid, they are also prone to collapse from heavy snowfall and other hazards.

[alberchico]

Today the Intrepid hosted a sneak peak for the shuttle exhibit which opens tomorrow and it looks a lot better. The original cockpit instruments are on display, coupled with some interesting artifacts of the shuttle program and its impact on pop culture. It has same lighting as before as well as a short feature film on the shuttle. The gift shop is vastly improved and features some genuinely interesting items, not just kids toys. The Soyuz capsule is also there and you can get a better look inside now. (That has actually flown in space btw). The only real drawback, and I'm nitpicking here, is there is nowhere to sit while visiting the exhibit. I guess this is to keep crowds moving.

[Speedbird1]

Yes, I agree the Shuttle exhibit has almost no seating. It is also quite contained. They definitely don't want visitors to linger. I found the lighting stunning; with a dark "sky" and bright lighting on Enterprise. Since it is supposed to also be temporary, it's nice. A pavilion across 12th Ave. is supposed to be built eventually. I also saw the Soyuz capsule on display. The film shown was not great; small screen and limited seating but well-worth a visit. I got a complimentary tour.