Post #498508 by SilverLine on Fri, Dec 11, 2009 6:47 AM

On 2009-12-10 12:55, 8FT Tiki wrote:
While we were standing there Silverline told me a really interesting story about the rocket and I will ask him to relate it here in this thread.

Well, I hate to admit it but it turns out the story I told you was incorrect; this is not the original rocket. I double-checked with a couple people and while I'm told the location of the original IS known, the building's owner could not, for one reason or another, obtain it for the restoration.

The story I heard was that in looking for someone to make them a replica they found the original in a public playground in or around Columbia, Missouri and bought it instead.

Now the story my wife remembers (and of course it differs from my recollection) is that they found the original in a field along the highway somewhere in mid-Missouri and while the owner didn't want to sell it back to them, he did allow them to use it to make the replica.

Here's what they say about it:

"Back in 1955, Howard Hughes built a 35-foot rocket and put it on the roof of the historic TWA building that we now call home. The rocket symbolized his dream to someday shoot passengers into space. The original rocket is long gone, but we've built a perfect replica. Because we like the idea of going where no one has gone before."

Oh well, it's a damn fine replica!

[ Edited by: SilverLine 2009-12-11 06:53 ]