Did Convair in San Diego have an Atlas missile displayed on its side on their grounds in the late-1960s?
I am having a vague recollection of that, but for the life of me can’t seem to come up with a search result that mentions or shows it. Will keep working on it.
My memory is dim as well. My best friend’s grandfather worked there. Maybe it was General Dynamics? I remember being fascinated at seeing a real rocket, since I was a bit of a Space Cadet. (Right. ‘Was’.)
I am now getting what seems to be a pretty firm recollection of seeing the Atlas standing upright, at Missile Park, which was on the Convair/General Dynamics site. Best reference I’ve so far been able to find that ties it to that site is: http://www.signonsandiego.com/uniontrib/20080810/news_1m10rocket.html
As discussed on that page, when the site was closed for redevelopment, the Atlas was moved to the San Diego Air & Space Museum’s restoration annex in El Cajon (east San Diego county), and a movement is underway to move it from there to outside the museum itself. The page has an artist’s concept illustration of how it might look there.
I’ve been in that hangar. In fact, I’ve been in the F-4 and MiG-17 that are now on display.
I’m sure there was a missile on its side. Maybe it wasn’t an Atlas. But now that you mention it, I’m not sure I didn’t see an upright rocket.
Hmmm, now that I give it some more thought, the best I can say is I remember a missile being upright at that park. Whether it was the Atlas I’m somewhat uncertain about.
I didn’t work there until the 80’s, but I’d be hard pressed to know where they might have put such a thing. The fronting on PCH seems far too narrow, and I saw no evidence of new construction since the 60’s that might have taken over any real estate.
There’d be more room in the back, of course, but aside from the fact that I never saw the back parking lot anything less than full to over-full during working hours in those days (I always sneaked the Porsche into the executive lot across the bridge over PCH by coming in at 10 or so or even during the lunch hour (a beating-worthy act perhaps), there would be little point in putting any kind of display back there out of view.
Anyway, is that sprawling massive eyesore still there? Is anyone using it for anything? I haven’t been able to get back to San Diego in some time now, but I miss it greatly.
Apropos of nothing, it was a huge treat when one or another model Guppy landed at Lindbergh Field and backed up to the General Dynamics/Convair parking lot to take on or deliver some extra-large cargo. This happened at least three times during my employ there. Some of us would stake out and watch to see what was being transported, but we never found out. It was probably classified…
Oops. It seems you folks are talking about the GD/Convair office facility in Kearny Mesa rather than the main GD/Convair plant at Lindbergh Field. Sorry for the confusion.
Yes, the Kearny Mesa site. Missile Park was located just off Clairemont Mesa Blvd. on the north side of the site, and items that were on display in it were visible from that street.