I saw a Herc today

[Missileman]

I received my TLP Nike Hercules plan pack this morning from All Hobbies. I read through the plans getting all excited about building the mighty Herc.
Well time came to head to work. On my travel to work I pass by Selfridge Air National Gaurd base.
They have a display along the fence of about 20 or so vintage aircraft, fighters choopers transports ect..
Well today, there, right up front was a Nike Hercules not 10 feet from the fence.
I plan on bringing my camera tomorrow and leave a bit early (hope it is still there)
Does anyone have contacts at Selfridge that can get me in the gate for a close up?

 

[jetra2]

That's AWESOME! I'm glad you got to see it, and jealous that you got to see it! GRR...

Isn't it ironic that you saw it right after you had received your Plan Pak?

I WANT TO SEE PICTURES ASAP!!!

Jason

 

[loopy]

I grew up in New Baltimore, but I don't know anyone up there anymore. I could get you on Wright Patterson AFB in Dayton, though...lol

 

[Loki]

There's a Nike Herc' at the ordnance museum at the Aberdeen Proving Ground in Maryland. I think there was an Ajax too, if memory serves.

 

[Jersey Devil]

I've never actually had the pleasure of seeing an Ajax or Hercules but I have had the joy of visiting some of the old bases that used to defend the Philadelphia area because I live in south Jersey and there are 3 within a 20 minutes drive... may not necessarily be legal to visit, but I've been there non the less! lol Still pretty cool!

Jersey Devil

 

[GL-P]

Closest I cam to anything big was that I bumped my head on the nosecone of a little rocket (dunno what, I think it was S-A and had highly swept fins)

A cool thing I want to build is one of these:

3", 6ft long, square fins. There is one at the new war museum in Ottawa. Just no pics yet

 

[DynaSoar]

Originally posted by missileman
I received my TLP Nike Hercules plan pack this morning from All Hobbies. I read through the plans getting all excited about building the mighty Herc.
Well time came to head to work. On my travel to work I pass by Selfridge Air National Gaurd base.
They have a display along the fence of about 20 or so vintage aircraft, fighters choopers transports ect..
Well today, there, right up front was a Nike Hercules not 10 feet from the fence.
I plan on bringing my camera tomorrow and leave a bit early (hope it is still there)
Does anyone have contacts at Selfridge that can get me in the gate for a close up?

Unless things have really changed, Selfridge is not a very mission critical base, so security shouldn't be too terrible. You should be able to get a visitor pass to get on and up close to the display. To be correct about it, it'd be good to call the SP ops (their desk sergeant) and ask ahead of time if it's possible and what you need to do. In fact, even if what you plan to do is go up and take pictures through the fence, it'd be a good idea to call them and ask so they know you're not trying to hijack a static missile. Worst case, you might have to wait until they have an open house or something, like maybe Monday (Memorial Day).

 

[Rocketlady]

Beware that plan pak (unless it's been updated) has some of those type places in the instructions, particularly in rigging up the electronics to work. I'm still trying to get mine to stage properly.

About getting into SANG, there's a museum train that operates out of Mt Clemens onto the base during the summer months. Info can be found here: https://www.alexxi.com/mtm/index.html.

Also IIRC, there's an NH on display in Brown City at the VFW post that you can actually get up close and inspect.

 

[sandman]

there's an NH on display in Brown City at the VFW post

HA!

Been there done that!

Only about 18 miles from my house!

 

[wyldbill]

Next time you're in Denver, drop by Robert H. Goddard Jr. High in Littleton (my alma mater). They've got a Herc sitting out front you can walk up to and touch.

 

[CTimm]

The LP plan pak is sport-scale. The tube diameters are off just a bit.

Correct data and 2 color schemes are documented in the NARTS booklet "Fourteen US Army Missiles of the Cold War".

Short bio with 2 pictures on page 33.
Dimensioned drawing on page 34.
Two color/markings schemes on page 35.

Attached is a photo of the red, white, and blue Nike-Hercules displayed at a VFW in Brown City, MI.

 

[CTimm]

If you can get to El Paso, there is a factory new Nike-Hercules on display at the Ft Bliss Air Defense Artillery Museum parking lot.

 

[MetMan]

Originally posted by DynaSoar
To be correct about it, it'd be good to call the SP ops (their desk sergeant) and ask ahead of time if it's possible and what you need to do.

That's a good suggestion. You could also call the base public affairs office--they'd be able to grease the gate for you.

 

[Hospital_Rocket]

And to think, I actually saw a MIM-14C actually leave the rail under it's own power in 1973 at White Sands.

Actually I was about 2 miles away, but when you grow up in El Paso & spend your summers at WSMR, you see some neat things.