1960's Tinker AFB Open House Mercury Capsule trinket.

[Snattlerake]

I was digging in my tool box today trying to organize it better and found this little lathe made Aluminum Mercury Capsule I remember getting at an open house in the 60's Tinker AFB had.

I also remember a pneumatic toy Redstone rocket that was made in two pieces that you could slide together creating air pressure to project a plastic capsule and parachute. I thought that was one of the neatest toys I ever had but I can't remember what happened to it.

The little Aluminum capsule has been with me all my life through several states and about 13 moves. I remember finding it several times in my perusal of my possessions. It really brought back a lot of memories today. The clothespin is there for size reference.

 

[surjimmy]

That is VERY COOL.

 

[dennishoddy]

Awesome!

 

[Snattlerake]

Correction about the other toy, I found a picture of one and I remember now it had a rubber nose cone instead of a parachute.

This is exactly what it was. You pushed the two rocket halves together and it shot the rubber nose about 50 ft into the air.

MERCURY ATLAS ROCKET BOOSTER FOIL TUBE ASTRONAUT TOY 1960S TOP FLITE VINTAGE NOS
https://www.worthpoint.com/worthopedia/mercury-atlas-rocket-booster-foil-1858602816

 

[TwoForFlinching]

Since you published your original post, I kept trying to think of 1, why would they keep mercury in an aluminum capsule, and 2, why would they hand out mercury to kids... Yep, I'm an idiot.

 

[Snattlerake]

Since you published your original post, I kept trying to think of 1, why would they keep mercury in an aluminum capsule, and 2, why would they hand out mercury to kids... Yep, I'm an idiot.

Yep, you're an idiot.

 

[chuter]

That's very cool! I have a drawer with some trinkets, don't know if I have anything from my young days though.

 

[TerryMiller]

Since you published your original post, I kept trying to think of 1, why would they keep mercury in an aluminum capsule, and 2, why would they hand out mercury to kids... Yep, I'm an idiot.

Perhaps "evidenced" by all the revival of old threads?

But, in all honesty, I'd imagine that might be a few members here that never even heard of the Mercury program.

 

[TwoForFlinching]

Yep, you're an idiot.

Perhaps "evidenced" by all the revival of old threads?

But, in all honesty, I'd imagine that might be a few members here that never even heard of the Mercury program.

I didn't recognize it until the context of the second post with pics. By the time we did rockets as youths, they had developed plastics.

 

[Snattlerake]

I didn't recognize it until the context of the second post with pics. By the time we did rockets as youths, they had developed plastics.

Yeah, I had always seen pictures in magazines what the city boys played with such as wire guided gas airplanes and tethered cars. Rocketry didn't happen until after the 50's.