The Bat Missile Renovation Project (Room 3)

In the Beginning

In the summer of 2000, NIST Museum staff acted on a suggestion from the Standards Alumni Association and discovered a Bat Missile frame in a NIST storage warehouse in Gaithersburg, MD. The vehicle was tattered, timeworn, and in pieces after more than 50 years of storage. The overall structure, however, was solid.

Shortly after the discovery, Mike Coraggio, the Museum Director's spouse, learned of the interest in the Bat. An aerospace engineer certified by the FAA to repair aircraft, Coraggio suggested conducting a restoration project.

He also recommended the Frederick Community College Aviation Maintenance Program , where he had received his training for FAA certification, as the program with the right skills to perform the job. He contacted Ian McCloskey, Director of the Aviation Maintenance Program, and the partnership was launched.

From Pieces to Perfection

The program's project team, headed by McCloskey and Assistant Professor John Herrera, began working on the project in January of 2001. The team consisted of Coraggio, McCloskey, Herrera, Lab Assistant Carl Lichtinger, and various program students.

The missile pieces were transported to the FCC program's hangers near the Frederick, MD, airport. The team then inspected, cleaned, and repaired all of the damage. All the pieces were separated for sanding and repair work. The holes in the nose cone and body were filled with fiberglass. Then, several meticulous coats of paint were applied. The colors match actual Bat Missile test models. The display stand was designed by Mike Coraggio and built by the NIST Fabrication and Technology Division. The team performed a dry-run re-assembly in early March 2001.

The exhibit debuted during the NIST Museum's Grand Opening of the Jacob Rabinow Room on March 12, 2001. To accompany the display, ISD acquired actual movie footage of Bat Missile test flights from the Naval Air Warfare Center Weapons Division at China Lake, California. The footage shows two excerpts, taken in 1951 and 1953 respectively, of Navy training exercises using Bat Missiles.

Questions/Comments: webmaster
date created: May 21, 2001
date revised: October 29, 2004