posted 06-20-2015 12:05 PM               

I see pages flying around here and there (which is rather sad in my honest opinion). But I would really love to know which ones are still intact!

I was also wondering if there were any checklists used during the Mercury missions (I've certainly never seen one enter the market!)

posted 06-20-2015 03:59 PM               

I have the LMP's heavily-annotated Apollo 9 LM Rendezvous Activation FDF (some snippets here). Novaspace / Astronaut Central sold this and perhaps half a dozen other complete FDFs from Jim McDivitt, including a second CDR copy of the above which appeared to have been largely unused given the lack of in-flight notes.

I'd think 10-20 others from Apollo and maybe the same number from Gemini might have appeared at auctions in the last 8-10 years but that's a guess based only on memory.

There are private holdings that would amaze, and significantly increase the checklist count, so tossing a dart perhaps 50-75 total intact FDFs that have been sold and/or are in private hands. I might have seen another 10-20 FDFs in various museums. The National Air and Space Museum appears to have about 10 in their holdings, none from Mercury interestingly.

Anyway, seems like something in the range of 100 complete Gemini and Apollo FDFs might still exist overall but I could be way off. I also don't know what else might still be held by astronauts or their heirs.

For context this thread raises the notion of some 330 total FDFs flown on all Apollo missions (11 missions, avg. 30 books per mission). If the ten Gemini missions used half the number of FDFs as Apollo, then ~500 total flown Gemini/Apollo FDFs ever existing is implied as the ceiling.

Curious about this myself so would love to hear some other opinions and estimates.

posted 07-04-2015 07:51 PM               

It is titled "Capsule Flight Operations Manual" with the words "Project Mercury, NASA" across the top, and is referenced as "SEDR 109." Across the bottom McDonnell Aircraft Corporation." It has a blue vinyl cover over a 3-ring binder.

The first page says it is for "Capsules 11 and 15" and "REDSTONE." For those familiar with Air Force aircraft manuals it is similar to a small Dash-1. Full of "Caution" and "Warning" scattered among the verbage.

It has "Normal Procedures" (34 pages), Emergency Procedures" (42 pages) and "Trouble Shooting" (22 pages) chapters. And behind that on yellow heavy stock it has what is titled as "Astronaut's Check List" (sic). "Mercury Redstone Capsules 11 and 15." That is divided into "Normal Procedures- "Pre-entrance" thru "Landing" then "Emergency Procedures" (E-1 thru E-14." Eleven and 15, according to a loose paper included in the manual, were MR-5 and MR-6, both "manned ballistic."

posted 07-09-2015 01:30 PM               

quote:

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Originally posted by Lou Chinal:
I have heard that Nancy Lowe typed the Mercury check list on long scroll. But I must add I have never seen one.

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posted 07-09-2015 01:37 PM               

The finally TEI page he's highlighted as that was the coming-home page. It also marks the moment that mankind left the moon for the last time.

posted 07-09-2015 08:55 PM               

In one case, the FDF had 10 that were LM flown and 12 that were CSM flown. There were 12 5x7 inch "small" checklists and 9 to 10 8.5x11 inch "large" checklists in the set.

This was a variable number and depended on the mission. Apollo 17 could possibly have had as many as 29 checklists.

One could figure the correct number by going through the Apollo Stowage Lists one by one.

If one were to take a sample history of one specific type of checklist, then a little interpolation might give a very limited idea of the percentage of complete checklists still out there. It's a stretch, but until someone looks through every auction catalog and every private sale that has taken place, it about as good as it is going to get for now.

To use the flight plans for example.

• Apollo 7 at the Saturn V center
  
• Apollo 8 Vol I at the Alder Planetarium
  
• Apollo 9 with private collector
  
• Apollo 10 unknown
  
• Apollo 11 broken up and sold by page
  
• Apollo 12 with private collector
  
• Apollo 13 unknown
  
• Apollo 14 at the Astronaut Hall of Fame
  
• Apollo 15 at a private institution
  
• Apollo 16 unknown
  
• Apollo 17 in separate private collections

posted 07-10-2015 11:16 AM               

And it has been there for a while, and part of the prior exhibit. It used to be out front, across from the Lovell statue in a case, and open to the reading of Genesis.

posted 07-10-2015 01:01 PM               

Apollo 7: LMP Flight Book
Apollo 8: CSM Updates Book
Apollo 9: CSM Systems Data Book
Apollo 10: Landmark Maps Book
Apollo 11: Flight Plan
Apollo 11: LM Map Book
Apollo 11: LM G&N Dictionary
Apollo 11: LM Activation Checklist
Apollo 12: CSM Launch Operations checklist
Apollo 12: CSM Systems Data Book
Apollo 12: CSM Lunar Landmarks Book
Apollo 13: LM Activation Book
Apollo 13: LM Malfunctions Procedures checklist
Apollo 13: CSM Systems Data Book
Apollo 16: LM G&N Dictionary
Apollo 16: Lunar Surface Checklist
Apollo 16: LM Systems Data Book
Apollo 16: LRV Map Book
Apollo 16: LM Timeline Book
Apollo 17: LM Malfunctions Procedures checklist
Apollo 17: LM G& N Dictionary
Apollo 17: LRV Map Book
Apollo 17: Lunar Surface Checklist
Apollo 17: LM Contingencies checklist
Apollo 17: LM Systems Data Book
Apollo 17: CSM Lunar Landmarks Book

posted 08-21-2016 09:40 AM               

quote:

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Originally posted by Larry McGlynn:
It appears that about 10% of the estimated number of checklists flown on all Apollo missions have been broken up.

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For instance, on Apollo 13, there appears to be two copies of the following checklists carried on board, according to the stow list and some photocopies of the flown LM Systems Activation checklists I have;

• CM Launch
  
• CM G&C
  
• CM Systems
  
• CM Entry
  
• LM Systems Activation