Hyperspectral Imaging

[Gloria Walker Burger]

Eager to hear the results. Thank you to all who donated to this.

[Ric Gillespie]

The technology and Jeff have arrived.  Jetlag notwithstanding, Jeff has begun setting up the hyperspectral imager and calibrating the computer.  He estimates it will take 4 to 6 hours to set up the system if things go smoothly. A full day if they don't.

The imager is the blue box on the tripod.

[Friend Weller]

I'm guessing closer to six if the the plug at the bottom of the photo remains unconnected.....  ;D   .....'cause that's the way my luck runs!

Best wishes!

[Tim Collins]

Doh!

[Bruce Thomas]

[Martin X. Moleski, SJ]

Thanks, Bruce!  I've been laughing steadily for three minutes.  I resemble that remark!  ;D

[Ric Gillespie]

The imager lens, it turns out, is not what you'd call wide angle.  To get the entire artifact in the frame we had to change the orientation from vertical to horizontal.  We're close to being able to acquire data but we need to talk to the technicians to sort out a couple of issues.  We should be able to do that later this morning.

[Ric Gillespie]

Now up and running.  First task: we're taking a close look at the "AD" and surrounding area.

[Monty Fowler]

And the other "A" found at Dayton.

This is going to be good, regardless of how it turns out. We will know more.

LTM,
Monty Fowler, TIGHAR No. 2189 ECSP

[Doug E Shaw]

I read the general forum every day and a few weeks back I recall some guy posting a link w/ pics of ALCOA markings. His point apparently being AD eliminated the Miami patch. Ric's response was swift and stern (trollism) I understand why now. I was searching the web to see what others were saying and stumbled upon Gary Lapooks site. Good Lord the vitriol on display is shocking. I bring this up because I believe a poster admitted to trolling us w/ that link. I had to post my pro TIGHAR thoughts for all the good that will do. I read Tom King trying to debate on the merits w/ these guys and wow. Anyway, I do have a question. On that site someone said ALCOA was asked and said no way blah blah blah but as proof offered a link to aviation forum and a guy named Bob. I assume we did ask ALCOA but relevant detail has been lost over the years? What acceptable evidence are we looking for? Dated pictures? Some sort of technical manual? I live in Austin so 1930s commercial aviation literature isn't in abundance I wouldn't think. That said I do get around and willing to look if someone had thoughts on what look for.

[Andrew M McKenna]

Doug

There seem to be a bunch of sites related to Gary, can you provide a link to the one you are referring to?

Thanks

Andrew

[Ric Gillespie]

On that site someone said ALCOA was asked and said no way blah blah blah but as proof offered a link to aviation forum and a guy named Bob.

Typical.  Who wouldn't believe Bob? 

I assume we did ask ALCOA but relevant detail has been lost over the years?

Not at all.  Yes, we did ask ALCOA.  We went to their Pittsburg research facility on December 3, 1996.  That's when they cut those big chunks out of the artifact for metallurgical testing (ugh).  We asked them about the AD and they told us that initially the company used the word Alclad on their sheet metal but later abbreviated it to Alc, so our piece of metal was definitely pre-war - but these guys were engineers, not historians.  Were they right?  Alclad was introduced in 1931.  Did the early sheet have labeling like we see on the artifact?  Was the patch made from sheet that had been around since before the word was abbreviated?  Or were they wrong?
We thought we had matched the font to labeling that included ANA 13.  They told us ANA 13 signified "reserve stock." That now appears to be incorrect.  Bottom line:  "Bob" is never an adequate source.  He may be right and he may be wrong.

What acceptable evidence are we looking for? Dated pictures? Some sort of technical manual?

We're looking for official documents that specify how labeling on 24ST Alclad evolved. We need specific dates for when changes were made.

[Doug E Shaw]

Mr. Gillespie -
"Official Documents" rules me out somewhat. I don't have anybody in my family that worked for ALCOA and/or in the commercial aviation industry.  I also live in Austin (but went to school in Tulsa where we did have a lot of aviation history). That said I am curious about this (AD) labeling issue and w/ all the recent publicity what are we looking for? In your opinion or others is this strictly esoteric material that a worker brought home and lost forever, or could it be in a shop book?

Andrew -

http://earharttruth.wordpress.com/2014/11/02/lapook-destroys-gillespies-latest-false-earhart-claim/comment-page-1/#comment-5077

I unfairly attributed to Lapook but to answer your ? May be in comments section (my bad).

[Doug E Shaw]

Is either in a ALCOA archive somewhere or may have been brought home by an employee is what l meant to say. If you could find it what would you be looking for?

[Andrew M McKenna]

Thanks for that Doug

Interesting that as soon as you voice a dissenting opinion, Mike Campbell attacks you personally, as in:

"Either you can't read and might be dyslexic, or you're simply one of the many haters out there."  Sheesh, talk about how to win friends and influence people, he definitely doesn't get it, and doesn't want to get it.  Either you are with him, or against him, with no room for making up your own mind about "The TRUTH" (!).

But I agree, it is amazing to see the vitriol that is out there, most of it extremely ill informed about TIGHAR's work and inner workings.

Don't expect to change Mike's mind about anything, he's one of the few who in the face of a smoking gun artifact will continue to deny that the mystery has been solved, he's too invested in his own solution.

As the saying goes, never try to teach a pig to sing, it only wastes your time and annoys the pig.

Andrew