I was able to participate at EAA's Kidventure during the Airventure Airshow. Kidventure was set up to give kids a hands on learning expirence of aircraft building and flying. There were all kinds of people from all over the world that came through. There were some notable highlights. There was a astronaut that was just passing through. He was looking at my booth, and I asked him if he was involved in NASA in some way. He said, "Yes, I have been to the International Space Station twice." His name is Scot Horowitz. He did climb into my Mercury capsule, so I can now say that a real astronaut has sat in my capsule. A 2nd highlight was when the Directors of the NTSB stopped by my booth and took a look at my capsule. Also, the director of the FAA stopped and looked at my capsule.

2011 EAA Spaceweek

I was able to participate in last May's space week at EAA where school field trips came to visit. The children were able to climb in and experience laying in the Mercury Capsule and get a feel of what it might have been like for the Mercury astronauts.

Blue and Gold Banquet - Boyscouts

I was able to take my Mercury Capsule to a boyscout blue and gold banquet. It was a get together of several boyscout groups in the Wisconsin area - the Bay City Council. The boyscouts enjoyed being able to climb in and sit in the Mercury Capsule.

Mercury space suit

This is my 2nd Mercury space suit. It was made from a sauna suit which had the same silver shine and texture as the real Mercury space suits. The sauna suit is 100% vinyl which is designed to make you sweat in a work out and traps heat and moisture. I definitely understand how the astronauts felt when they wore these space suits and how they needed to be cooled and filtered their moisture. I have a box that has a air mattress pump inside that pumps fresh air into my suit and cools me off. I don't have a moisture filtration system, but I don't put on the suit often enough to need it. I used peanut butter jars to lock the golves to the suit. I had to grind off some of the screw threads off the lid of the jars so it would only take on half turn to lock the glove on the suit.
In making the helmet, I started with a balloon that was the rough size of my head, then I covered it with strips of card board to make a pattern. I then took it all apart and labeled it. I then traced it onto 1/8in. aluminum and formed it by hand back into the shape of the helmet. There were 17 pieces that make up the helmet, but once welded, it became one piece. The visor is vacuum formed plastic where I heated a sheet of of plastic to a soft saggy state, then I stretched it over a bowling ball.

I was able to take the Mercury capsule to a school in Appleton, WI for part of a science lesson. The 5th graders were able to experience sitting in the capsule and have a hands on experience.

Was able to take the Mercury capsule to a boyscout meeting in Appleton, WI. The boys and their parents really enjoyed seeing and even getting to sit in the capsule.