Now ain't this a slap in the face?

[Mooseman]

[video=youtube;3weSO1I5hrE]http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=3weSO1I5hrE[/video]


Instead of an American vehicle, they pull the US Space Shuttle with a Tundra! WTF? Heck, I wouldn't have minded if it was even pulled by a Ford. I'm not normally pro-this or pro-that but this just looks bad even though it is built in the US.

 

[Denali n DOO]

I think I heard it was going to be used in a commercial. It's probably all about money....

 

[gmcman]

I agree Moose, save the Tundra to pull a Hayabusa.

I wouldn't have taken any money from Toyota and accepted a lower bid for a Chevy, Ford, or Dodge. Granted the Tundra is built here I still would have personally liked to have seen a Silverado 3500 make the pull.

Aside from that, the shuttle apparently is 165,000 lbs empty plus the elaborate trailer.

I remember back when Sears sold real garden tractors, they had a video of a FF24 pulling an airplane, not a cessna.

 

[The_Roadie]

I can't seem able to work up any outrage, because of the number of non-US parts/tires/components used in everything nowadays. But I think it's a testimony to the US marketing geniuses that we've managed to work up a froth in our northern neighbors when the US suffers a slight like this. Canada must surely be our 51st state.

 

[TangoBravo]

I can't seem able to work up any outrage, because of the number of non-US parts/tires/components used in everything nowadays. But I think it's a testimony to the US marketing geniuses that we've managed to work up a froth in our northern neighbors when the US suffers a slight like this. Canada must surely be our 51st state.

I agree, on most all of the new vehicles take a real good look at them. Look at the headlights, the rims, engine components, look at ALL the little details and I assure you, of every make and model you will be suprised just how much is made in mexico.

 

[TexazReece]

I woulda preferred any American brand but a Toyota??? It's all about money, that shuttle should've been stationed here @ our space center but I guess they saw $$$ in California so sent it there. Houston is a city that was involved with space travel & California nothing maybe just a backup for an alternate landing area. To make it worse they flew the damn thing over the city a couple weeks ago. Kinda like look at what your not getting Haha. In all it boils down to $$$. F**k Toyota

 

[The_Roadie]

...Houston is a city that was involved with space travel & California nothing maybe just a backup for an alternate landing area. ...

Ummmmm, it was designed and built here at Rockwell.

 

[Instrumental]

Heard a radio interview on this the other day, Toyota is a big sponsor of the museum, so there wasn't any bidding. Just a continuation of the existing partnership.

 

[TexazReece]

Darn u got me there Roadie lol forgot about that. It should be here tho, Houston more involved.

 

[The_Roadie]

I went to that museum here a couple of years ago, and it had some unique artifacts and aircraft to be sure, but it was not in my opinion in the top 10 air and space museums in the country. Perhaps the orbiter will get it into the top ten if it starts to attract more investment, but again, IMHO, it took some massive amount of wrangling to assign it here.

 

[meerschm]

this is BS, the transport uses a batch of electrically driven individual wheels, they used one near my office to move a pedestrian walkway from an assy area to it's place over a busy road.

"At points, the shuttle on its transporters was moving diagonally, backing up, and then nosing past trees. "

"The specialized carrier is used typically to haul oil rigs, bridges and heavy equipment."

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Self-propelled_modular_transporter:mad:

I don't see any pickup truck in this photo:

http://seattletimes.com/ABPub/2012/10/12/2019418266.jpg

In fact, plenty of nice photos not suitable for truck sales advertising.
http://seattletimes.com/html/photogalleries/nationworld2019418579/16.html

 

[jbones]

Instead of an American vehicle, they pull the US Space Shuttle with a Tundra! WTF? Heck, I wouldn't have minded if it was even pulled by a Ford. I'm not normally pro-this or pro-that but this just looks bad even though it is built in the US.

I may feel that way too, if I believed CA was somehow even remotely part of the U.S anymore.

 

[Wooluf1952]

That Tundra is like the person being pushed in a Little Red Wagon. They might be steering, but they're not doing much to make it go.

 

[The_Roadie]

Canada contributed the arm. So it's tangentially annoying, I guess.

 

[Mooseman]

Canada contributed the arm. So it's tangentially annoying, I guess.

I think jbones was talking about California

 

[The_Roadie]

Time lapse video shows the transporter moving on its own 95% of the time.

Time-lapse video: Space shuttle Endeavour’s trek across L.A. - Framework - Photos and Video - Visual Storytelling from the Los Angeles Times

 

[meerschm]

They must have lifted if off the Sarens SPMTs http://www.sarens.com/media/109394/flyer_spmtlowres.pdf

and onto a trailer just for the straight pull across the bridge. wonder how much that cost?

I like the way you can see the orbiter on the SPMTs make oblique turns, looks like a 4 wheel drift in the video. I want one.