1/24 Apollo/Saturn V (enlarged 1/48 Greelt et al version)

[jleslie48]

Originally Posted by Algebraist

Dear all

So the event at which I wanted to display the rocket has now been and gone. I thought you might like to see what happened.

I should explain that once I knew there was an opportunity to display the rocket the whole project changed for me. I felt a responsibility not to let the designers down. It also became more than just a "model rocket" on show. I really wanted people to appreciate the great achievements of the Apollo programme and the incredible period when mankind went to the moon.

I have tried to upload the photos to the gallery but currently am unsuccessful (which wont surprise you given my signature!). If I do manage it I will let you know.

So the morning of the set up day I did manage to add the LOX and LH2 inlets to the J2 engines and also add the magnetic connectors.

There was a heart stopping moment when the stand holding stage 2 collapsed and the stage fell 2 feet! I don't know how but there wasn't a single mark on it.

So here is the main display

Attachment 354798

Attachment 354799

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I had learned that many people only know the "we went to the moon" so I thought it good to have some simple explanations

Here is the LES

Attachment 354801

The BPC

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The CM

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The SM

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And the "stand in" pop-up LM

Attachment 354805

Next the LM adaptor (or more correctly SLA I should say)

Attachment 354806

The IU

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Stage 3

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Stage 2-3 interstage

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Stage 2

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"The" Interstage

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Stage 1

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Continued in next post

Regards

Kevin

Wow. that came out great.

[Knife]

That. Is. Awesome!

[rifleman]

I stand here and salute you

[elliott]

Fantastic talk Kevin. I'm beginning to think that you are a true Renaissance Man, with a wide variety of interests and who excels at whatever he puts his mind to. Really looking forward to the continuation of The Talk!

[Algebraist]

Originally Posted by jleslie48

Wow. that came out great.

Thanks for your kind comment. But really thank you for your terrific web site. Much appreciated not just by me but by many thousands of people around the world

Regards

Kevin

[Algebraist]

Originally Posted by Knife

That. Is. Awesome!

Originally Posted by rifleman

I stand here and salute you

Dear Knife and rifleman

Thank you for you support. Glad you are enjoying it

Regards

Kevin

[Algebraist]

Originally Posted by elliott

Fantastic talk Kevin. I'm beginning to think that you are a true Renaissance Man, with a wide variety of interests and who excels at whatever he puts his mind to. Really looking forward to the continuation of The Talk!

Thanks for the comment Elliott. Much valued. Hope the rest of the talk brings the memories and emotions of that time flooding back.

Regards

Kevin

[Algebraist]

Dear all

Sorry for the delay, been having to do work.

And so on with our story...


So after a total experience of 15 mins of manned space flight (sub orbital and only 5 mins above the earths atmosphere) The United States had announced it was going to land a man on the moon and return him safely before the end of the decade. That's a round trip of half a million miles and would take at least a week!

It is almost impossible to put across the enormity of the gap between what was possible at the time of this statement compared to what had to be done and in truth, for most of it, nobody had a clue how to do it.

So just how did people think you would get to the moon?

Well, this is Werhner von Braun



the foremost rocket scientist at the time in the United States, chief designer of the redstone rocket and one of the driving forces behind maned exploration of the moon. His, and most of the space rocket community of the time thought the best way to do the moon landing was to build a a single rocket which took off from earth, flew to the moon, landed on the moon, took off from the moon and then landed back on earth. Something like this



It was called the "direct descent method"

However one man realised that this was never work because of "weight". Mathematics tells you that for every kilogram you take to the moon (roughly) you will need to 60 kg of fuel in your rocket. This translates into an unbelievably big rocket for the direct descent method and there was no way they would be able to make such a thing.

This man was John Houbolt (a real unsung hero of the Apollo programme) and pressed for an alternative method, called "Lunar Orbit Rendezvous" (LOR)



In LOR a rocket "throws" a "mothership" to the moon which, when it gets there, goes into orbit around the moon. A small landing craft then detaches from the mothership and lands on the moon. The astronauts then go exploring on the lunar surface, return to the landing craft and a small portion of it then lifts off from the moon to meet up ("rendezvous") with the still orbiting mothership. The mothership then returns to earth.

The great advantage is the huge reduction in weight of what goes to the moon. The scary (also called "crazy" by opponents to the idea) part is having to "dock" with the mothership around the moon (a quarter of a million miles away from earth).

Multiple times his idea was rejected very forcably by people within NASA, including Werhner von Braun. However Houlbolt knew that his idea wasn't a better way or the best way out of those being suggested. He knew because of the maths it was the ONLY way the united States stood a chance of achieving the goal set by President Kennedy.

So, at the very great risk of probably loosing his job, he wrote to the very top of the NASA administration and told them this. Following his letter (which you can read on the NASA archives) an evaluation team looked at all the methods of landing on the moon, including LOR and in the end Wernher von Braun recommended LOR!

So now a rocket was needed to get to the moon. The result was the mighty Saturn V



We learn about the three stages on the Saturn V. But why 3 stages, why not just 1 stage or 4 stages? Well there is a mathematical equation called "The Rocket Equation" which basically tells you (depending on how "good" your engines are) when is it best to coast for a very short time in flight, dump a load of no longer needed empty fuel tanks and engines and light up another set of engines. The advantages are a smaller (and less fuel needed) rocket, however it is a more complicated rocket

So that is the rocket, so next is pointed out where the lunar landing craft is and the "mothership". We also learn all of this only carries 3 astronauts and the only place they can live for the journey to the moon is the Command module, the inside of which is about the size of the inside of a family car.



The Apollo/Saturn V saw one of the greatest and most rapid technological advances in human history. It went from an idea to actually flying in just 6 years. It is a truly staggering machine To give a feel here is a picture of one of the 5 engines that are on the bottom of a Saturn V, they are called the F-1 engines.



Now there is a pump on the engine to pump the fuel and liquid oxygen into the combustion chamber. A pumps power is measured in "horse power" and this pump is 56000 horse power. So what is that like? Well that pump is like having 56 formula one car engines strapped together revved up to their maximum! And there are 5 of these engines at the bottom of the Saturn V.


When President Kennedy made his announcement to go to the moon 58% of the United States public were actually against the idea. However just over a year later he makes a speech at Rice university. A lot of the 20 minute speech is the same message about the concern over the Soviet Union but in the middle there is a change of the primary reason of going to the moon

Now watch the video from 9.13



It was a turning point in United States public opinion. Just over a year later President Kennedy was assassinated and Lyndon Johnson became president. President Johnson had always thought that going into space was not just important politically but also important scientifically, militarily, economically, and educationally and was a real driving force behind space exploration. Now the inspiring "We choose go to the moon" speech was really embraced. Going to the moon now became an important venture for all mankind and it had fallen to the United States to make this happen. The country was going to ensure it would happen for the sake of their dead President, for the United States, for all mankind and everyone was invited watch and join the great adventure.

Now think of some music as you read the next bit, something like the first 48 seconds of



The Saturn V and Apollo programme was immense and the world watched as the nation of the Unites States brought the dream of landing on the moon into life. The Saturn V was on a scale like no other machine before or since. It needed to be made in parts all across the USA. Mega factories were built



Assembly lines on an unbelievable scale



There was an explosion in technological manufacturing for engines




spacecraft



electronics, controls and communication




Massive test facilities were built





Half a million americans were working directly on the programme and millions more supporting. New infrastructures were built as well as houses, shops, schools, restaurants and more.

It was the greatest single project being undertaken by any nation in the history of mankind

And when these gigantic parts were ready they were moved by special boats



Special planes



And special road vehicles



And everything was heading to just one place



Kennedy space station in Florida

To be continued

Kevin

[elliott]

Keep going Kevin, you're on a roll!!

[Algebraist]

Dear all

So to continue

So the Saturn V would be assembled and launched from here



But why here? Well it is because of the mathematics. On a merry-go-round (or carousel) the horses all take the same time to go once round. But the horses on the inside (nearer the centre) are going round a smaller circle than the horses on the outside so the outside horses are moving faster. The same is true on the surface of our spinning planet. The closer you are standing to the equator the faster you (and the ground you are standing on) are moving. Also to take advantage of this speed for a rocket you want to fly in the direction of turning. Florida is one of the nearest parts of the United States to the equator and you fly out over the Atlantic Ocean which means launching from there is not risking hitting anyone if anything goes wrong.

We learn there is the assembly section of the space station and then about 4 miles away the launch sites

Now listen to some "construction" type music whilst you read the next bit, like the first 30 secs of this



To assembly the Saturn V the world’s largest building was constructed (which today over 50 years later is still the 4th largest building in the world by volume).



We learn that inside it was possible to put 4 of the mobile launch platform with their lunch umbilical towers on top and then assemble a 38 storey high Saturn V on top of each one

(Now watch various bits of the video below)



Okay now the rocket is ready how do you get it to the launch site, which is 4 miles away up a man made concrete hill?

Meet " The Crawler"



We learn that this magnificent machine can basically pick up a 40 storey building and carry it up a hill, keeping it upright so it does not topple over. To understand just what an incredible feat this is, we learn that maths tells you something tips over when it's centre of mass leans outside the edge of the base of the object. So for a tube (which is basically what a rocket is) the centre of mass is half way up and the base is the circle of the bottom of the tube. If you want to get a feel for that the crawler does try putting the tube of the inside of some wrapping paper on its end (like a rocket) on a dinner tray and then try picking the tray up off the table carrying it to the other side of the room and back and putting the try back down WITHOUT the tube toppling over. Remember the crawler also goes up a hill but still keeps the “platform” the rocket is on level!

So now it is time to move the rocket to the launch pad, called "rollout"

So now choose some dramatic music, something like this from 1.48



and watch clips from this video from 0.48 onwards



We learn that the crawler used a neat bit of maths about fluids to maintain a level platform. The crawler had two glass tubes running diagonally across the platform half filled with mercury and at each end of the tubes was a wire 1/64th inch above the mercury. If the mercury touched the wire (which it would do if the platform was not level) there would be an electrical signal and that would cause the platform to be raised in that corner until the wire did not touch. The system was so good the most any rocket moved at the very top was 5 inches off dead centre.



So now our rocket is ready.

It is now late 1968 and Frank Borman, Jim Lovell and Bill Anders have been chosen to be the crew of Apollo 8, the first manned flight of the Apollo/Saturn V and will be only the third flight ever of an Apollo/Saturn V.

We learn that on 21st February 1967 Gus Grissom, Ed White and Roger Chaffee were training in an Apollo/Saturn V when a fire broke out in the crew cabin which quickly killed all three astronauts. It shocked the public and was a sobering reminder just how dangerous space exploration is.

The Apollo/Saturn V made its first flight (unmanned) on 9th November 1967 (called Apollo 4) which was 3 low earth orbits and all went exactly as planned. The second flight of an Apollo/Saturn V (also unmanned) was on 4th April 1968 (called Apollo 6). All three stages of this rocket had non trivial problems. The first stage’s engines uneven combustion caused the rocket to be squashed and stretched (like a pogo stick) with huge G forces. The second stage detected an unstable engine but shut down the wrong engine due to some crossed wires and the third stage’s engine would not reignite (which was essential to go to the moon).

It is with this background that Apollo 8 is planned to just orbit the earth. However shortly before the launch schedule is announced Frank Borman (commander of Apollo 8) attends a top secret meeting at which the CIA reveal their intelligence suggests the Soviet Union is soon to attempt a manned flight that will orbit the moon. Frank Borman is asked if he will command Apollo 8 to the moon and do 10 lunar orbits before returning to earth. He agrees. All the public is told is Apollo 8 is going to fly to the moon.

So I want you to now imagine you are about to get on an Apollo Saturn V as we now get ready to go to the moon for the very first time.

Now think of some tense music. Something like the first minute of the below



So you need to suit up, drive the 4 miles to the launch pad, go up 40 floors to the top of the rocket where you are helped into your seat. And then the hatch is locked shut and finally the outer protective cover hatch is closed. Then everyone leaves.


(See clips of the video below starting from 2.30. Do not listen to the sound with this video but rather the music chosen by you)



So now you and your fellow astronauts are strapped into your seats and 100 metres below you five of the most powerful engines every made by humans are about to be ignited and this Saturn V is about to launch and send you to the moon. You hear “T minus 15 seconds, guidance is internal, 12, 11, 10, 9, ignition sequence start, 6”

You are now about to see the last 5 seconds of countdown followed by the first 2 seconds after liftoff shown 22 times slower than real time
Now watch the first 2.40 of this video below




Whilst watching the video you should read the following paragraphs
These phenomenal F-1 engines have to be started up following a very exact chain of events. As those turbo pumps start spinning up to full speed the first of the RP-1 rocket fuel and liquid oxygen is mixed and ignited which produces the black and orange flames that we can see. As the pumps screech up to full speed more and more fuel and LOX is ignited and as the engines build up power the exhaust gases suck down all the surrounding air.
The LOX is at a temperature of -200 degrees c in the tanks which freezes the air surrounding the rocket forming a thick layer of ice. As the engines roar into life the shockwave shakes the rocket causing the ice to break off and fall onto the launch pad. They are so loud that the pressure wave would liquefy flesh and organs, shatter bones, concrete would melt and over a mile away grass catches fire.
The temperature has risen to over 3000 degrees c and the engines would simply melt except that LOX is pumped round tubes throughout the engines at unbelievable pressure. The engines are consuming 15 tonnes of fuel and LOX every second
At T minus 1 the engines have reach maximum thrust, 7.5 million pounds of thrust, enough to lift the 3000 tonne rocket of the ground but four massive hydraulic hold down arms, each over 3 metres high and weighing nearly 20 tonnes, clamp the rocket to the pad.
For 1 second the rocket is held to check the engine performance and then it is released. The rocket is now producing nearly 60 Giga Watts of power. That is more power than the combined output of all the power stations in the United Kingdom at peak usage. This machine is so powerful it can drive an entire country.
These 5 rocket engines, the most powerful engines every built, are bringing this magnificent rocket to life as it starts to accelerate us from 0 to 6000 mph in only 120 seconds and we are riding on top up it as it sends us to the moon, a quarter of a million miles away.
This IS the might Saturn V. The greatest machine every made by mankind.

Of course that is not what we saw at the time. Here is what we saw (this is the TV footage of Apollo 11, the first moon landing)

Now watch the video from 5.55 to 6.40



So now we are on our way. So as the rocket climbs it tilts over (“pitches”) as it flies closer and closer to horizontal to the earth (like a plane does). After 2 ½ mins the fuel of stage one is all gone so the rocket coasts for a little while during which the heavy dead weight if stage one is ditched (“jettisoned”) to fall down into the Atlantic Ocean and sink to the sea bed.

Now watch the video below from 1.40 to 2.00





Here is what it looked like from inside the rocket (slowed down a bit)
(Watch from 7.15 to 7.32)



Then after 30 seconds the stage 2 engines ignite as a protective “interstage ring” is also jettisoned (which burns up as it falls through the earths atmosphere).
Watch this video from 7.51 to 8.03



Stage two’s engines really get the (now much lighter) rocket moving. For the six mins the engines can burn it accelerates to 15500 mph. The stage is then jettisoned and falls into the Atlantic Ocean as stage three’s single engine ignites and takes us up to about 100 miles high into low earth orbit at 17500 mph. There are no films of this as it was too high for cameras.

Just like a ball being thrown, you can use maths to work out where in the ocean these stages would impact. So 50 years after they sank to the bottom of the ocean using a lot of maths and science, Jeff Bezos (owner of Amazon) pays for an expedition to find and retrieve what is left of the stages.
Here is a video of the retrieval




And a video of them being put on public display (watch from 0.49 to 1.05)



As for us on the rocket, the next step is to fire the engine again to take us to the moon!


To be continued

Regards

Kevin