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Author
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Topic: Saturn V rocket assembly: LUT crane
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ozspace
Member Posts: 240
From: Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
Registered: May 2009
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posted 08-10-2009 10:13 AM
   
I have been watching a few films on the Saturn V assembly and can't see any evidence that the Colby crane on top of the launch umbilical tower (LUT) was used when stacking on the mobile launch platform (MLP). Anyone know if that is the case? Was it used only outside of the Vehicle Assembly Building (VAB) perhaps? |
mikej
Member Posts: 483
From: Germantown, WI USA
Registered: Jan 2004
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posted 08-10-2009 12:51 PM
Yes, the VAB cranes were using for erected the Saturn Vs.It looks like the LUT crane's capacity was 25 tons (e.g., AS-506 Technical Information Summary, p. 20 in the PDF). The VAB's big bridge cranes had capacities of 250 and 175 tons. The LUT crane wouldn't have been able to handle the S-IC or S-II, which weighed in at about 144 and 37.5 tons, respectively (reference Ground Support Equipment and Launch Installations at John F. Kennedy Space Center). Additionally, a VAB Fact Sheet contains a bit of information about the bridge cranes' capabilities and "close tolerances," which were "required for proper mating of Saturn V stages and the Apollo spacecraft." Now that you mention it, I can't immediately remember reading about or seeing the LUT crane being used for anything... |
LM-12
Member Posts: 3661
From: Ontario, Canada
Registered: Oct 2010
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posted 12-06-2014 11:10 AM
It looks like the LUT crane was used when the cracked fins were replaced on the Skylab 4 Saturn IB at pad 39B in November 1973.Perhaps the LUT crane on ML-1 was also used to build the milkstool. |
ozspace
Member Posts: 240
From: Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
Registered: May 2009
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posted 03-12-2017 02:19 PM
I finally stumbled upon an image showing the Apollo LUT hammerhead crane in use. Looks like it is lifting (or lowering) equipment from the ground to the platform(?). |
LM-12
Member Posts: 3661
From: Ontario, Canada
Registered: Oct 2010
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posted 07-28-2022 12:41 AM
This 1966 photo of SA-500F at Pad 39A seems to show the LUT crane cables lowered to about the level of the S-IC intertank section. |
LM-12
Member Posts: 3661
From: Ontario, Canada
Registered: Oct 2010
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posted 07-30-2022 12:21 AM
A photo seen here shows funnyman Don Knotts standing in front of the SA-500F vehicle at the pad. In the background, you can see that the LUT crane hook has been lowered about halfway down the tower.Knotts was filming a movie at KSC at the time.  |
Captain Apollo
Member Posts: 329
From: UK
Registered: Jun 2004
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posted 08-02-2022 05:41 AM
That's Alan Shepard surely?(I know it isn't, but there was a considerable resemblance.) You can find the entire film here.
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LM-12
Member Posts: 3661
From: Ontario, Canada
Registered: Oct 2010
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posted 08-04-2022 03:05 AM
Here is a photo of the interior of the hammerhead crane machine room of ML-1 at the 380-foot level. |
LM-12
Member Posts: 3661
From: Ontario, Canada
Registered: Oct 2010
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posted 08-11-2022 02:13 AM
In the background of this Apollo 8 crew photo, the LUT crane at the pad is pointing north. It looks like the crane cables have been lowered to (or almost to) the ground. Any high-res versions of the photo out there?  |
LM-12
Member Posts: 3661
From: Ontario, Canada
Registered: Oct 2010
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posted 09-11-2022 10:33 PM
Another view of the LUT crane in use at Pad 39A. That is the SA-500F in 1966. |
LM-12
Member Posts: 3661
From: Ontario, Canada
Registered: Oct 2010
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posted 09-13-2022 12:35 AM
And at Pad 39B: it certainly looks like the LUT crane was being used when the cracked fins were replaced on the Skylab 4 launch vehicle. |
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