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Author
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Topic: Identifying lunar module components
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barnstormer
Member Posts: 105
From: South Boston VA
Registered: Mar 2000
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posted 05-05-2009 01:47 PM
   
I have had a lot of pieces of Apollo LM. This came with them. It was in an envelope marked "Original LM Cockpit Netting." Does anyone know where this piece would have been in the cockpit. It appears to be well-used and not some off-the-shelf item. Size is approx. 14 x 7.5 inches at the longest/widest.  |
LCDR Scott Schneeweis
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posted 05-05-2009 09:42 PM
If I were to hazard a guess (and thats only what it is at this point), this netting design never flew. Believe the mesh density on the actual LM storage netting was less dense to provide better conformance/stretch. ------------------
Scott Schneeweis
http://www.SPACEAHOLIC.com/ |
stsmithva
Member Posts: 1933
From: Fairfax, VA, USA
Registered: Feb 2007
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posted 05-05-2009 10:22 PM
I am happy that you have the pleasant problem of trying to identify pieces of lunar module hardware you own! That's some rare stuff. Would you mind telling us about other items you have, and have identified? Anything you know was flown? I think many cS members will be interested, since during an average moon landing, 99% (am I close?) of the LM never made it back to Earth. Steve |
barnstormer
Member Posts: 105
From: South Boston VA
Registered: Mar 2000
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posted 05-06-2009 10:20 AM
I made/make no claims of any of these pieces ever being flown. None of them were, as far as I know. But many were apparently used in LM training. Almost all of them came from the head of the Grumman Restoration Team, Art Romeo, who prepared several LMs for the major museums. I think you have already seen some of these on this forum, now being in other collector's hands. Some of the new owners like to post these items (for the first time to be seen) on their own websites, or here. I can empathize with that. Most of the (approx dozen) LM parts were private sales resulting from correspondence, after collectors bought documents or publications that I had on eBay. After 40-plus years of collecting (in which I did a LOT of trading with major museums), I have been disposing of most of the LM pieces in private. I felt that I did just as good, or better, than consigning to the major space auction houses (after an unsatisfactory experience...) with no premiums/commissions and instant payment and shipping. I have put many of the more rare Apollo publications/manuals, tech documents, up on eBay for past several months, and am well-satisfied with the results. Sold a bunch of the better stuff to help with my daughter's wedding last Christmas season (the new old stock helmet blank went to a very happy collector, which I enjoyed hearing about). I still have a large cylindrical honeycomb, landing leg shock absorber (?) and some decent publications, like the Apollo News Reference and other items left. Will probably be getting them onto eBay, eventually. Have various samples of coatings and other LM bits in boxes from my old Grumman friend, in the 1970s, but have sold 90% of them, which were all marked with their LDW part numbers/Grumman numbers, etc. I Have posted a few images of some items, quite some time ago, like the Apollo EVA suit #008, and the ground handling winch with all the LDW red part numbers and some others. Will follow with a post of the Apollo shock strut unit. |
space1
Member Posts: 853
From: Danville, Ohio
Registered: Dec 2002
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posted 05-06-2009 10:34 AM
I am going to throw out a guess that this netting pre-dates the Apollo 1 fire in January 1967. (In that sense it would be "original" netting.) That would explain the difference in the design from the netting used in flight. As to where it would go, I have no idea.------------------
John Fongheiser
President
Historic Space Systems, http://www.space1.com |
barnstormer
Member Posts: 105
From: South Boston VA
Registered: Mar 2000
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posted 05-06-2009 11:18 AM
Thanks for the interesting responses, Scott and John. I can now think of the "original" label on the envelope as meaning "original design." It seems to go with some other curious items that were not used, after design changes, such as an envelope marked "LM Black Foil-Incorrect". It is an 8.25 x 12 inch piece that is a much heavier foil than the gold. It is a dull black in color and comes with a graph sheet of "Spectral Reflectance of Black Pyromark Paint on Inconel 600 Substrate," dated 2/21/68 and with other information and sample, etc. Also comes with a full spec sheet, with spec descriptions, curing, purpose, test manufacture, etc., dated 1/15/69. Another item, eventually replaced... but interesting to see how thee designs developed. |
barnstormer
Member Posts: 105
From: South Boston VA
Registered: Mar 2000
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posted 05-06-2009 11:44 AM
Here is a photo of an interesting LM item. This would be integral to the (integral) assembly of the LM leg strut... the design was to facilitate compression of the strut on landing.It is a fairly large size at 21.5 inches long and 5 inches in diameter. Still won't collapse the shelf at only 2 lbs. 
 |
LCDR Scott Schneeweis
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posted 05-06-2009 12:08 PM
quote:
Originally posted by barnstormer:
It is a dull black in color and comes with a graph sheet of "Spectral Reflectance of Black Pyromark Paint on Inconel 600 Substrate,"
This alloy/paint combination (Inconel 600 Foil/Pyromark Paint) was in-fact applied to some of the exterior surfaces of the LM. Its possible in your example the specifications were deviated from during manufacture (by 1968 the majority of the pre-"J" Mission LM design attributes had been locked down.------------------
Scott Schneeweis
http://www.SPACEAHOLIC.com/ |
barnstormer
Member Posts: 105
From: South Boston VA
Registered: Mar 2000
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posted 05-06-2009 12:44 PM
Thanks Scott; Really interesting... and even better.This piece of foil/paint/coating is heavy enough that it can be put back in the long envelope, just by holding one end, without bending or breaking (so far...). There is another envelope, marked "LM Gold Foil" that has a couple of five inch diameter circular foil pieces taped together (gold on one side/silver on the reverse) that is a bit surprising, in that (at least he top sample) has stamped part numbers on it. Clearly reads; "LPC280-2-1 C (or 6) 6411851 in black/violet ink and "1010" in the little red oval inspection stamp. I've never seen Kapton foil stamped with a part number before. I have two more of those mylar/transparent overlay books of the Grumman Module, illustrating all the parts breakdown, that have nice size pieces of random shaped gold foil on the covers. As there were originally about eight of these in a stack, It seems that Grumman had them prepared to give as presentation gifts to some of the VIPs or people involved. |
LCDR Scott Schneeweis
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posted 05-06-2009 02:22 PM
quote:
Originally posted by barnstormer:
There is another envelope, marked "LM Gold Foil" that has a couple of five inch diameter circular foil pieces taped together (gold on one side/silver on the reverse) that is a bit surprising, in that (at least he top sample) has stamped part #s on it. Clearly reads; "LPC280-2-1 C (or 6)
Look something like this? (Click to enlarge image.) |
barnstormer
Member Posts: 105
From: South Boston VA
Registered: Mar 2000
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posted 05-06-2009 03:37 PM
Yes! Scott. They match, right down to the orange tint discoloration under some tape on the top. Any idea why these five inch circular patches would be taped on top in stacks? It is very clear that "things "I" have never seen before," and things YOU know all about, are many (grin). I have always greatly enjoyed your posts of all your magnificent finds. I'm guessing you are enjoying these little questions of mine, as fun puzzles. In hopes you can shed some MORE light on LM parts, here are two more. They definitely came in a box from Art that only had LM parts and almost all of those had the red LDW part stamps. The part number stamps on these seem to have been rubbed off from handling. They are there, but so light and faded that even light and magnification does not help me. The top piece is a large joint with bolt barrels at 90 degrees to each other. It is approximately 4 inches high. Each of the barrel sections is about 2 inch diameter, with 1.5 inch bolt hole and about 2 inches long. The shouldered bolt is 4" long. The second angular piece with a Heim-type end is approximately 4 inches long by 1.625 inches high barrel and 2.75 inches overall height. I used to know what these were 35 years ago, when he gave them o me, but never labeled them.    |
space1
Member Posts: 853
From: Danville, Ohio
Registered: Dec 2002
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posted 05-06-2009 04:12 PM
The new parts you posted are landing gear parts. The top one is a link between the primary strut and its mount on the LM. The other parts form the link of the landing gear deploy truss, where it attaches to the base of the LM.------------------
John Fongheiser
President
Historic Space Systems, http://www.space1.com |
barnstormer
Member Posts: 105
From: South Boston VA
Registered: Mar 2000
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posted 05-06-2009 06:16 PM
Thank you very much, John and Scott. You sure know your "stuff." I am grateful for the "fun facts." When acquired in the early 70's, these items were more "obsolete" than collectibles. My Dad and I operated a large aircraft salvage yard for decades. As "blue-collar" guys we could not afford to buy the modern wrecks and projects. We bought the older, less expensive, aircraft and projects. After a couple of decades, they became "antique." Who knows what all our collection items will mean to the collectors in decades to come? George Skurla (then Grumman President) during the height of the Apollo years, used to come and visit us. He would walk right past our extremely rare vintage aero engines and planes and preferred to talk about old race cars for hours. Something he did not see all day long, every day... "One man's junk..." |
LCDR Scott Schneeweis
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posted 05-06-2009 06:58 PM
quote:
Originally posted by barnstormer:
Any idea why these five inch circular patches would be taped on top in stacks?
These patches (primarily located on the Descent stage) facilitated service/closeout access to the Quads which otherwise would have required removal of an entire Kapton sheet for access (unlike the Ascent stage, the LM Descent stage incorporated no actual fixed outboard bulkheads - only thing between the internal contents of the Descent stage and Space was structural framework covered by a sandwich of Mylar and Kapton). The patches had to afford the same level of protection hence the multilayer construction. |
lou cariola
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posted 07-03-2009 12:23 PM
I hope I am not late in responding to barnstormer's posting of 5-06-09. I am new at these blogs. Your statements regarding the black pyromark painted inconel 600 panel got me going through my LM materials and files. I worked closely on all the LM materials and can tell you that black pyromark coated inconel 600 was used extensively on the Eagle and the other LMs. Your 8.25" x l2" piece may be significant in that it is of the types that were produced as test panels to corresponding flight parts used on the LMs. If I can be of further help regarding this panel or other materials, let me know. I'm new at this blog stuff and just signed up to respond. |
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