Hawk Disk Drive

[jwsmobile]

On 5/26/2015 7:54 PM, Billy Pettit wrote:
> Jim wrote:
>
> From: jwsmobile <jws at jwsss.com>
> Subject: GE disk drives on ebay, one badged Datacraft
>
> GE-14-Hawk-Drive-23991-47d266933G3
>
>
> http://www.ebay.com/itm/261895292646
>
> One of these systems really appears to be a CDC drive, but the other one
> is badged Datacraft 5208, and doesn't look familiar.
>
> Any idea on what it is?  Looks like something that would fit a
> collection of storage devices as a unique item, given that it is 14"
> removable.
>
> This page implies it is a CDC drive, but I've not seen one with the
> front this one has.
>
> http://www.mfarris.com/pack/datacraft.html
>
> thanks
> Jim
>
> ---------------------------------------------------------------------
>
> Couldn't view the item on eBay - got the message that it was removed.  However the page you sent for Datacraft 4441 shows it to be a CDC Hawk drive.  The 9425 was first made by NCR.  It moved from California to Oklahoma when CPI and MPI were formed.
>
> The early version 9425 Cartridge Disk Drive was not a good product.  It was re-engineered into the 9427H, code named Hawk.  Both were 5MB fixed, 5MB removeable cartridge.  Available as a rack mount or stand alone cabinet.  There were 4 different types of plug in interfaces available.  As near as I can remember, there were around 350 different configurations in production.  Most were variations on the color(s) of the skins.  But there were also options for sector count, power supplies, front name plate, terminators, cables, etc.
>
> Without the original configuration data, it is hard to look at a Hawk and tell what was in it and who was the OEM customer.  Customer base was like a who's who of 1970s - minicomputers to early microcomputers.  There were even a few S-100 controllers for it
>
> There was a 2 disk fixed only version called the Falcon.
>
> Really brings back the memories.
>
> Billy
>
>
Billy,
many thanks for your reply.

The auction photos have been altered now to just have the hawk.  I 
should have saved off the Datacraft drive photos.

Another lurking list member found the federal contract information for 
these drives:

 From the GE part number on the GE Philly nameplate, I think these came 
from Re-entry Systems.
      There is a government contract number on the nameplate. Google 
found this contract info: 
http://aad.archives.gov/aad/record-detail.jsp?dt=249&mtch=17&cat=all&tf=F&q=Pennsylvania+Comm+Dept+Of+General&bc=&rpp=20&pg=1&rid=329759&rlst=331822,331823,331824,329759,327693,331208,332223,327976,327977,327978
  GE Aerospace's headquarters was in King of Prussia. These drives must 
have been part of a system made for the Army. I think these drives are 
destined for the scrapper as I can't imagine they are even worth the 
gasoline to haul them anywhere.

Thanks to Lou for the info.  I'll let him chime in if he wants something 
on the public list.

I sent back to him that I know that printers and tape drives were in 
Valley Forge at the combined operation of Centronix and MPI in 82. I 
went there when MPI was trying to break into the market with the 
Sentinel.  They also made half inch drives there for the broad market.  
I had bought a couple of Sun systems and had very nice specimens of 
that.  Their main market at the time were the vertical reel-reel drives 
for DEC in that category.

I think Minneapolis and Ok City were the main disk operations in the 
fold at the time.  This drive was sold by GE, and that division was in 
King of Prussia by coincidence.

Were you still with CDC at the time?  (If you don't mind telling the 
list).  You were with CDC thru most of its history, and can probably 
correct some things I have here.

thanks
Jim