Originally Posted by rocket.aero

...
I suspect that the MoF archives will be much the same, albeit slightly better organized and more voluminous.

James

Originally Posted by Gus

James,

I can't really recall what kind of cataloging has been done on Harry's paperwork at NASM. I know they have at least a partial catalog of his physical item donations.

MOF on the other hand has hired an archivist to begin cataloging Harry's collection, including the huge paperwork collection. She was hired with help of fundraising by the NAR. That has continued because they will spend years cataloging Harry's, then Vern's, then Lee's donations.

Photo below is of Emma standing in front of the beginnings of sorting of Harry's correspondence at MOF. And, yes, that entire rack is for Harry paperwork.

Steve

Originally Posted by Earl

Do you know (or does anyone else) whether all that will be (eventually) scanned and put on-line by chance?

Originally Posted by rocket.aero

That question was asked of Amy Heidrick, the MoF curator in charge of the Stine collection at NARCON a couple of year ago. Her response was no, as the cost would be prohibitive. OOTH, there *are* plans to scan many of the photographic elements of the Stine holdings, and many of these materials are already on the MoF Flickr account.

There is a finding aid that has been put together by the Museum of Flight that will serve as a guide to researchers, and the holdings have been assembled into a logical order as a result of this work:

https://archives.museumofflight.org...2/resources/268

I fear that we are getting way off topic from the original subject of this thread!

James

Originally Posted by Initiator001

I was present at the 'birth' of Quest but I did not know it at the time.

In 1988 I was in Phoenix working at Enertek. Bill Stine was my boss.

One day Bill mentioned to Scott Branche and myself that he and his father, G. Harry Stine, were trying to locate the MPC plastic molds from their rocket kit line along with the motor making machines.

Bill told Scott and I not to talk about it.

G.Harry flew back east to the National Archives in order to research the location of the MPC equipment and did plenty of old-fashion shoe-leather investigating.

Eventually, the MPC plastic molds were found in a climate controlled warehouse in either Wisconsin or Michigan, I forget which. The molds were in good shape and would only need some polishing to be usable again.

The MPC motor making machines were also located but Bill was too late as FSI had found them the week before and bought them. These machines were stored in a barn and would need work to become operational again.

By this time Enertek was in the midst of closing down and Bill ended up accepting a job with MRC to refresh their rocket line. This would become the Concept II products.

In 1990 or 1991, when I was working at AeroTech, the NFPA held their meeting in Las Vegas.

The group was having a demonstration out at EL Dorardo Dry Lake (Future site of NARAM-34).
The NFPA group carpooled out to the Dry Lake and I tagged along. I rode with Bill and Dane Boles. By then Bill's contract with MRC had ended.

As we drove out to the lakebed, Bill told Dane that he was working on 'something' but wanted to talk to him alone at some point, indicating that I was in the same car.

That 'something' turned out to be Quest Aerospace.

There's much more to the story but it will have to wait until I have time to post about it.

Originally Posted by Initiator001

[snip]
I try to write about the history of the hobby but I am not the wordsmith that G. Harry was.

Originally Posted by Rocketcrab

Bob, my old friend, have you ever considered writing a book? I cannot think of anyone that I have met and talked with that has more information about the history of our hobby.

Originally Posted by Rocketcrab

Bob, my old friend, have you ever considered writing a book? I cannot think of anyone that I have met and talked with that has more information about the history of our hobby.