Posts: 243
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posted 07-28-2019 05:29 AM               

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Random question, but writing an article on checklists and their use in Apollo.

Does anyone know the total number of checklists and procedures flown during a lunar flight? Also for a bonus question, how about their all up total weight. Maybe we need a total for the lunar module and command module!

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posted 07-28-2019 06:10 PM               

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Perhaps Larry McGlynn can expand on the numbers provided in his post but an estimated 330 checklists on all Apollo missions are mentioned here.

There is also a good thread summarizing what books have been broken up for different missions.

Haven't seen any discussion on the total weight but looks like it might be something like 330 times some average weight per book (don't have a good scale to weigh mine accurately but maybe ~0.5-1lb each?).

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posted 07-29-2019 06:56 PM               

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There were an average of 21 checklists on each Apollo lunar mission.

There were 9 large (8.5" x 11") checklists of which 6 were for the LM and 3 were for the CSM.

There were 12 small (5"x 7") checklists of which 4 were for the LM and 8 were for the CSM.

The average weight of the large checklists is was about 1.75 to 2 lbs. The average of the small checklists was about 1 to 1.5 lbs.

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From: UK
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posted 07-30-2019 05:09 AM               

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Gents, many thanks for your feedback, really helpful.

I used the term checklist, does this include procedures as well or are all flight critical procedures called checklists?

They must have had a big typing pool. Anyone have an idea on the type of typewriter that was used?

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posted 07-30-2019 07:01 PM               

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Mark, the checklists were books of procedures. Also included in the Flight Data File were cue cards which held the important procedural information (usually duplicated from the checklist books). The FDF also included orbital monitor charts (2), an ascent chart, photographic target maps (5), star charts (4) rectangular (3) circular star charts. A photo wheel that gave exposure information, a color wheel that help give a description of the tonal quality of the lunar surface, a launr contingency chart and an Earth map with plastic overlay. The maps and charts ranged from fire proof paper to a photo quality plastic called Chronopague.

There were usually about 48 cue cards on each mission, but that varied based on the CDR's and mission's priority.

All these parts of the FDF were printed on fire proof card stock that ranged from 4 ply to 8 ply cardstock with the exception of the Flight Plan which used fireproofed standard paper.

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posted 08-03-2019 11:38 AM               

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Larry many thanks, really useful info.

I have been researching the development of the checklist, interesting to see that they were first introduced during the development and test flight of the B17 bomber in the 1930's. In fact they were introduced in response to a crash during an early test flight.

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From: Boston, MA
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posted 08-03-2019 08:36 PM               

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Mark, that is an old tale. The British invented checklists in WW1 because the pilots kept forgetting their parachutes and the RAF was running out of pilots. It was getting bad for the morale of the pilots in the squadron to keep hearing a crashing pilot screaming, "Oh Bollocks! I forgot my parachute!"

I heard this on the internet and I believe everything I hear on the net.

Tally Ho and Piece of Cake.

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posted 08-04-2019 04:11 AM               

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Larry, I heard that checklists were used in WW1 to make sure that the undercarriage was retracted only after takeoff as too many pilots were using afterburner to taxi...

Tootle pip old chap.

Sorry I won’t see you and all the other great cS folks at Spacefest this year.

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