Stargazer Gondola
B.R. Howard performed a condition assessment and conservation treatment of the high-altitude Stargazer Gondola that displayed at the National Museum of the US Air Force in Dayton Ohio.
In 1962, Air Force Captain, Joseph Kittinger and Navy Astronomer, William C. White ascended from Holloman AFB in New Mexico climbed to 82,000 ft. Their discoveries and observations would continue to pave the way for future advancements in our space program.
Air Force Museum Foundation Article:
Before & After Treatment of the Top
What we did
After extensively photo documenting the rare artifact, we performed cleaning tests and began to experiment with various adhesives and methods to flatten, re-adhere, repair, and replace missing areas of the aluminum skin.
The interior textiles, seats, and exterior battery bags were dirty and had collapsed as the original contents had long been removed. The textiles were cleaned and humidified. Blueboard and Ethafoam inserts were created to fill the void internal cavities of the pouches and visually recreate the original appearance. The interior instrument panels were cleaned, and areas of corrosion were stabilized. Letters were discovered during the conservation work that had been taped to the back of one of the seats. The curators had us carefully remove the small packages of letters so they could be examined and retained.
Some of the decal lettering on the exterior of the craft had lifted and suffered areas of loss. These were consolidated and inserts were replicated and integrated to provide better visual aesthetic.
After Treatment