The Shuttlecraft Galileo

Well, while I do admit this is probably going to resemble more the Tom Hanks film "The Money Pit" than a set piece for awhile, I am glad somebody is getting it. So congratulations. As for the money spent $61 doesn't seem like much (or was that supposed to be a comma rather than a period Tymer?).

The biggest key as I see it is making sure this bird has a fully paid for restoration home for at least the next couple of years, so it doesn't have to get pulled out with the work half done. Secondly, it does need a first class restoration team (and no, I don't have the wood working skills to volunteer for this). I would say in addition to enlisting the aid of Okuda and/or Drexler, it would not be a bad idea to also enlist the aid of a set designer/builder (a tradesman who works on Broadway doing sets might be a good score) to make sure that the wood and construction materials selected for this project will last under wear and tear. As a sideways suggestion, Bethpage on Long Island might also have some old tradesman who are experienced with building plywood engineering mockups for Grumman of aircraft and spacecraft (such as the Lunar Modules) during the old days who could also provide some input. Homebuilt aircraft builders with experience in working with wood, laminates and fiberglass might also not be a bad idea to consult. Although weight here might not be much of a factor, except in regards to transportation. And well, there have been nearly 50 years of advances in wood construction since the shuttle was first built.

I would also say too that if you guys are soliciting donations, don't stop with that. Reason being is "restoring" this bird I think is going to be a bit more costly than you realize and the final restoration bill could potentially dwarf the auction bid. But doing it right and making it as durable as possible (which could mean weatherproofing it if you guys are considering perhaps having Intrepid display it near Space Shuttle Enterprise on the deck of the carrier) is probably going to be more of a priority here than trying to keep things all original in regards to the materials used.

TymerDC said:

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$61.000 for this albatross? I can see an awful lot more uses for this kind of money myself.

Actually that is cheaper then I thought she would go for.

It's not an albatross, it's an important piece of Hollywood AND Sci Fi history. (and a great tool for the writers.. shuttlecrafts get their characters into trouble and drama!)
It's one for the ages as much as the works of of H.G. Wells or Jules Verne. It's not it's fault that it was never able to be cared for by museum standards nor could people in the early days know that it would be important.

Why important?


I quote this too much perhaps... "Dreams are maps". -Carl Sagan

Galileo is part of an important dream.

GeorgeC said:

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SNIP
Far more is going to be spent restoring this prop than its actual scrap value...

TymerDC said:

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$61.000 for this albatross? I can see an awful lot more uses for this kind of money myself.

Man! The internet is an amazing place.
Scrap value? More uses for this kind of money?
There are people paying MILLIONS for brush strokes on a piece of canvas.
(That I assume would have NO scrap value at all.)
The Galileo is art, it is nostalgia, it is entertainment history, and it is the only one in the world.
I have nothing but the best hopes and wishes for the folks who acquired it,
and appreciation for those who attempted to preserve it over the years.
As a small contributor to another effort to preserve a large prop ship from a sci-fi property
Ariel Ambulance
I appreciate what a daunting challenge that is.

I hope it ends up some place that I might see it, some day.

Congrats and Cheers,
Mike
My Firefly/Serenity Collection:
SerenityMovie.net :: View topic - Firefly/Serenity Weapons Collection

Thank you pennausamike. There are some people who will never get it. They prefer to spout off about something they cannot begin to understand. The Internet allows them to do this with anonymity. Some of us do not have that luxury.

As for those who chose to undertake this preservation and restoration of a 47 year old icon, it is their choice. There are those who were inspired by the story and the presentation of Star Trek. They had dreams. So, for those who would say the money could have been more wisely spent I say do you have no passion in your life? Do you do nothing that is beyond the ordinary? Then I feel sorry for you.

Well said Lyndie, and thank you for your efforts over the years. I see that the new owner of the Shuttlecraft appears to be on the east coast. I would love to be involved in the project, even to volunteer to carry supplies, prime wood, I live in the New York area. best of luck.

^^^^What Lynne said.

Very cool. Can't wait to come see it in person sometime. Always wished there was a "full-size set museum" somewhere in the world filled with shuttlecraft, x-wings, vipers, dropships, speeders...

Lyndie said:

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Thank you pennausamike. There are some people who will never get it. They prefer to spout off about something they cannot begin to understand. The Internet allows them to do this with anonymity. Some of us do not have that luxury.

As for those who chose to undertake this preservation and restoration of a 47 year old icon, it is their choice. There are those who were inspired by the story and the presentation of Star Trek. They had dreams. So, for those who would say the money could have been more wisely spent I say do you have no passion in your life? Do you do nothing that is beyond the ordinary? Then I feel sorry for you.

While I thank you for hanging onto the shuttlecraft all these years. I'm curious as to why you waited until now to find a new owner. Seems like there're plenty of Star Trek fans out there that would've helped out. Probably at their own expense. The problem on our end was, we didn't know where it had gone.

Lyndie said:

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GeorgeC, if that is your real name, come face me in person and say that. You are a misinformed idiot. I spent double on this thing than I got back. I am about to retire and have kept this shuttle for 23 years in various hangars in Ohio. The last restorer who was a total crook allowed it to sit under a tarp when it was to be inside, and I found it one day without the tarp. Yes, I must be loopy to even care what you say or to have tried to keep this thing alive, and to have lost all that money through the years. You are a dolt and a back seat driver.

Lyndie,

You're not a lady and you don't know me...

I'm a straight-shooter. You don't like that I'm opinionated, well then @#$ you.
I could talk you off a hell of a lot more than you have me but I'm going to be the adult and just get to the point --

You kept the damn thing for outdoors 20+ years and didn't do anything with it but let it deterioriate...

IF you had really cared, you would have taken care of the prop far earlier and gotten it to someone who could have kept a heck of a lot more of the original material.

Right now, we're talking not restoration but a practical rebuild top-to-bottom unless the weather in Ohio is much better than what I've experienced living here.

You got lucky that someone paid you well over what this thing is worth NOW.

Hey, it's somebody else's money in the end so they can do whatever they want with it...

One thing's for sure -- you'll take better care of that 60G's than you ever did the prop!

GeorgeC said:

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Lyndie,

You're not a lady and you don't know me...

I'm a straight-shooter. You don't like that I'm opinionated, well then @#$ you.
I could talk you off a hell of a lot more than you have me but I'm going to be the adult and just get to the point --

You kept the damn thing for outdoors 20+ years and didn't do anything with it but let it deterioriate...

IF you had really cared, you would have taken care of the prop far earlier and gotten it to someone who could have kept a heck of a lot more of the original material.

Right now, we're talking not restoration but a practical rebuild top-to-bottom unless the weather in Ohio is much better than what I've experienced living here.

You got lucky that someone paid you well over what this thing is worth NOW.

Hey, it's somebody else's money in the end so they can do whatever they want with it...

One thing's for sure -- you'll take better care of that 60G's than you ever did the prop!

I am not sure that is fair GeorgeC. I do not know Lyndie (or had ever heard of her before now) but she sounds like she is a Trek fan from way back. The ship was likely bought because the person really had the best of intentions to restore and take care of it (and I think it even appeared at a couple of events for other fans to enjoy). I have 71 Stage 1 Buick GS that is sitting outside right now because I can not afford a storage shed to keep it out of the elements for it anymore (like it deserves). That does not mean that I no longer care about the care or am ready to sell it.

It sounds to me like Lyndie's story is more about someone who held out hope that she could do the ship justice one day but finally reached a point where she gave up on it.

A mid-grade Phaser 1 just sold at profiles in history for over 60,000 so I don't think anyone really screwed anyone else over in the auction. I am not trying to get in the middle and stir up a battle, I am just saying, if that was your ship and one of your dreams was to someday fix it up at what point would you call it quits? For a lot of fans who would like to have seen it in a museum maybe it was to long, but for the owner it was now and really that is all that count's.

She's been sold: 70,000 USD

Collector sells 'Star Trek' TV prop ship - Local News - Cleveland, OH - msnbc.com

Lyndie said:

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There are some people who will never get it. They prefer to spout off about something they cannot begin to understand. The Internet allows them to do this with anonymity. Some of us do not have that luxury.
As for those who chose to undertake this preservation and restoration of a 47 year old icon, it is their choice. There are those who were inspired by the story and the presentation of Star Trek. They had dreams. So, for those who would say the money could have been more wisely spent I say do you have no passion in your life? Do you do nothing that is beyond the ordinary? Then I feel sorry for you.

Actually I do get it and I am speaking from experiance from dealing with this "Albatross" back in the 80's when a Trek obsessed friend of mine was caring for it for its then curent owner and had it parked in a storage yard not more than a few miles from my home.
Most I feel think with their emotions rather common sense when it comes to this prop. If I were to take....say for example....the basic skeleton housing of an original Trek Tricorder, Replace all its outer shells, tv screen, buttons, speaker, leather strap and restore it to its original look can I still call this an original prop? Well thats just whats beng done with this since there's nothing original left of this prop except the metal framework and nacells that supported it.
First of all lets clarfy something...........I'm not knocking the guys who bought it and want to work on "restoring" it. If they want to throw away a ton of money on this then more power to them...and I wish them all well and good luck. I just hope they clearly thought this all out of what they are getting into before they took on this because they are in for a long haul...money-wise and work-wise. Lets also not forget that it will continue to cost money just to keep this stored somewhere during restoration and after even if they ever find a museum to house it and will continue to cost money way beyond all our years. Especially since it does take up A LOT of real estate. It also costs alot of money and work everytime you need to move it somewhere too.

This is by far not a simple prop to own.

Frankly its just my opinion and if I had $61,000 + the buyers premium to spend then I just feel I could put that kind of money to better use. I do wish you guys well but another reason I feel this is a money-pit is I'm thinking way into the future when its current own passes away and its exchanged a few more hands.....my guess it will eventually end up right back sitting outside in some storage lot deteriorating once again because of the costs to keep this thing.
....again its just my opinion, common sense and how I feel about it but good luck and well wishes.....I'm sure it will look great once you have finished it....for now that is.

GeorgeC said:

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Lyndie,

You're not a lady and you don't know me...

I'm a straight-shooter. You don't like that I'm opinionated, well then @#$ you.
I could talk you off a hell of a lot more than you have me but I'm going to be the adult and just get to the point --

You kept the damn thing for outdoors 20+ years and didn't do anything with it but let it deterioriate...

IF you had really cared, you would have taken care of the prop far earlier and gotten it to someone who could have kept a heck of a lot more of the original material.

Right now, we're talking not restoration but a practical rebuild top-to-bottom unless the weather in Ohio is much better than what I've experienced living here.

You got lucky that someone paid you well over what this thing is worth NOW.

Hey, it's somebody else's money in the end so they can do whatever they want with it...

One thing's for sure -- you'll take better care of that 60G's than you ever did the prop!

Again GerogeC you do not know what you are talking about. You have not seen it. I stored the shuttle in hangars for many years, probably 15 of those years first at the Akron Fulton Airport and later at the Akron Canton Airport. This is well known by anyone who can conduct a search. And the last restoration team was to store it inside, but left it outside under a tarp. Their intension was to finish the hull. At that time I lived far away and trusted them.

There was little interest from anyone in buying the shuttle, and no internet for communcation for many years. I only recently became aware that anyone was even interested in it. I stored it and had hope that someday it would be completed.

You say I do not know you, then why the vitriol? Then identify yourself coward. Everyone who is even mildly interested in this knows my name thanks to certain posters. I have no anonimity.

Get this straight shooter, it is only a TV prop, and has nothing what-so-ever to do with you. It is only a prop, a momento. It is not a human being. I am. To say the things you have said are uncalled for, but frankly who cares what you think? From your crude comments I would not want to know you. As for the final price, I have spent double that over the past years so to quote you "@#$ you!" And, what I do with the sale price is my business

Lyndie,

There are plenty of people who appreciate all you have been through with the Galileo.

Most people are utterly clueless about what it really takes to take care of something of this magnitude.

I've followed it's history since the start and even tried to buy it from Roger back in the day. I would have gladly pitched in to help. It really just fell out of the world for us.

Glad it's back. I've seen many other such artifacts not be so lucky.

Try and ignore the ignorant.

Thanks again.

You think the SD Aerospace museum would still be interested?
I tried a little pitch over at Hobbytalk for that result someday.

It's sort of halfway between where it was built and where it went to work.
Yeah, that's the ticket.

Thank you micdavis. Anyone knowing the full story wouldn't post like he did. Certainly it is difficult to believe that he is a fan of the show. I guess I shouldn't be so sensitive.

After the guys left me with an unfinished prop, I felt pretty alone, and back then there was no Internet, at least not like it is today. I never heard from anyone after that about the shuttle, or anyone from the local fan club though many people knew about it and knew where I lived. I think it was a matter of not wanting to chance being saddled with any of the responsibility that they sort of fled from my side.

It came so close to being restored that it was a huge disappointment to me. It was only by accident that I happened across a posting at Hobby Talk last November then posted there, and the auction is the result of that. I always felt that it had to be restored before selling it. But, due to my health I have had no choice but to sell it as is. The money will go to paying my medical bills, and I am grateful to get back some of what I spent.

And, CessnaDriver I think Steve H. tried for years to get it into the SD Aerospace museum without success. It is pretty big and would take up a lot of room in a museum. But, I am sure the new owners will find a good home for it unlike another post indicates here.

Lyndie said:

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And, CessnaDriver I think Steve H. tried for years to get it into the SD Aerospace museum without success. It is pretty big and would take up a lot of room in a museum. But, I am sure the new owners will find a good home for it unlike another post indicates here.

Here in Virginia we have The Virginia Air and Space Center in Hampton and they have a large display area. Perhaps it could be put on display there as I think that it would look great next to Apollo 12. They also have a space flight simulator there that is modeled after Galileo in size, shape and paint scheme.The NASA Langley Research Center is not far from the museum and that is where the astronauts trained back then.The city logo contains the wording "From The Sea To The Stars". Perhaps it could go there.

The only Museum that would have it would be one that I would not trust

The Smithsonian was ridiculed privately when it first displayed The Enterprise by other Museum personell as some felt a Model from a sci-fi show which had been cancelled for years should not be displayed with other "Real" ships

Guys, this is not how I would wish we could communicate. An iconic piece is now getting the treatment she deserves. How it came to be is now mute.

Some of the earlier posts were filled with outrageous accusations of 'phony' and 'scam'. Some of us saw it for what it was; simply a person who owned a piece of property reaching out to sell it to a target audience.....prop collectors. She did the best she could with what resources she had at the time. Life happens and you deal with it. 99% of the population would have scrapped this piece the day production wrapped. Us 1% want to protect, preserve and display pieces.

This lyndie person sounds like an average gal that did the best she could with what resources she had. To sit back and mock her for not getting a second mortgage to 'properly' restore the Galileo is despicable. Her initial hopes were to get her investment back. She was mocked, but most here would have tried the same, I included. In the end, the market dictated what was fair value. The Galileo is now on track to be properly restored, and Lyndie has the 'Albatross' off her back and can move on with life.

We as movie fans should all be thankful of her past efforts to store this iconc piece.

Lear60man said:

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Guys, this is not how I would wish we could communicate. An iconic piece is now getting the treatment she deserves. How it came to be is now mute.

Some of the earlier posts were filled with outrageous accusations of 'phony' and 'scam'. Some of us saw it for what it was; simply a person who owned a piece of property reaching out to sell it to a target audience.....prop collectors. She did the best she could with what resources she had at the time. Life happens and you deal with it. 99% of the population would have scrapped this piece the day production wrapped. Us 1% want to protect, preserve and display pieces.

This lyndie person sounds like an average gal that did the best she could with what resources she had. To sit back and mock her for not getting a second mortgage to 'properly' restore the Galileo is despicable. Her initial hopes were to get her investment back. She was mocked, but most here would have tried the same, I included. In the end, the market dictated what was fair value. The Galileo is now on track to be properly restored, and Lyndie has the 'Albatross' off her back and can move on with life.

We as movie fans should all be thankful of her past efforts to store this iconc piece.

Agreed. I had stayed out of this, as I didn't want to get caught up in an argument that I didn't know much about. But I know all too well that when life issues come up (such as health), priorities need to be set. And when it comes down to it, even the world's most valuable prop cannot equal the value of one's health. It's all too easy to look down at someone in a pit; its' another altogether to be in that same pit yourself trying to get out.

That said: Lyndie, I wish you the best and will keep you in my prayers.

Well I'm ready to contribute to restoration efforts when they are ready.

CessnaDriver said:

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Well I'm ready to contribute to restoration efforts when they are ready.

Me Too!

The shuttle exists and the restoration will be completed. I am sure they will do a wonderful job, and they will see the challenges we faced. True fans will rejoice and not nit pick. Please when they start a kickstarter donate what you can, and it will be around and looking awesome for the 50th anniversary of Star Trek.