Saturn V main engines.

Pretty much everyone that knows anything about me knows I like all things mechanical.  Even more so, I like mechanical things that are powerful!  You may remember this post, about the Saturn V rockets used in the Apollo program over 40 years ago.  Yesterday, Jeff Bezos (founder of Amazon.com) and his expedition team recoverd Saturn V main engine pieces!! from the ocean floor.  This is unreal!!  Yes, his money could have saved homeless alligators or fed starving children, but it's his money and he can do what he wants with it. :)

A preserved engine from the Smithsonian.  NASA used this one for study of it's gas generator.  Gas generator exhaust plumbing is above the man's head.

Some interesting tidbits on the main engines of the Saturn V.  The F-1 engines that powered the first stage of the Saturn V rockets burned 6,000 pounds of fuel EACH SECOND!!!! That's one ton of refined kerosene and 2 tons of liquid oxygen!!!  EACH ENGINE CONSUMED THE SAME AMOUNT OF FUEL!!  There are 5 main engines on that first stage.  That's 30,000 pounds!! of liquid being burned, per second.  These engines are rather simple, yet fascinating on how they operate.  Basically, there's a gas generator that uses rocket fuel to create an exhaust gas that in turn goes across a turbine, that in turn is connected to a turbo pump that pumps the fuel to the main engine injector plate.   The injector plate is at the narrowest point of the rocket nozzle.  NASA has also ressurected the gas generators from the F-1 engines to explore past rocket engine technology and help create new technology.  Oh, by the way, a gas generator used on the F-1 engine created 55,000 brake horsepower!!!  To put that much power into perspective, a turbo pump on the main engines could empty an Olympic sized swimming pool in 59 seconds!

Now, if you have 14 minutes to spare, I give you the Saturn V F-1 rocket engine.  Turn up the sound!!

One final note, the sound of the first stage being tested was heard 45 miles away!  It rattled windows 13 miles away!

Finally!

Lego Ideas announced early last year that they were going to produce the fan designed Lego Saturn V rocket kit.  I nearly fell out of my chair  when I read that.  Fast forward to this Spring and Lego announced the release date for the kit to be June 1st.  I was on their website May 31st at 10:00pm local time and managed to snag two sets!  One set for building, one will be an investment for later.  The sets arrived Wednesday evening after Skyler's school performance.  We started building Thursday afternoon after his last day of school.  The plan is to do one bag (there's 12 bags) of assembly a day.  So far, we're right on track and finished bag 2 yesterday afternoon.  The level of engineering and complexity of this kit is astounding, 1969 pieces (remember the US put men on the moon in 1969) and the finished model will be one meter (39inches(!)) tall!

Wednesday night right after we opened the shipping box.

Closeup.

We decided to build downstairs in the cool basement since it's plenty hot around here lately.  This also keeps the temptation of building down a bit.

Skyler is doing great even though this kit is for ages 14+.

Bag 1 nearly complete.

Time for bed, pose for a picture.

End of bag 2.  It's starting to look like a Saturn V!

The mighty Saturn V.

After 3 weeks, we finished the Lego Saturn V model yesterday.  Skyler probably built 90% of it on his own while I watched.  I can't believe how advanced his Lego building skills are.

The night of his performance for school when it arrived.

Note the number of pieces.

Assembling the first stage.

Bag #1.  We usually did one bag per day but there were many days that he forgot or we ran out of time.

Stage 1 fuel tanks.

Posing for a picture.

Skinning the first stage.

This is starting to look like a rocket!

First stage almost skinned.  The intertank ribbing is rather well done.

Stage 1 complete minus the 5 F1 engines. 

Stage 2 fuel tanks.

The lettering is printed on the pieces! No stickers used here.

Stage 2 complete.

Stages 1 & 2 joined together.

Stage 3.

Skyler skinning the outer panels of stage 3.

Stage 3 joined to the others.

DONE!

The model even came with the blue display stands.

LM actually fits on top!

Space craft adapter.  Note the RCS nozzles on the service module.

3rd stage with the LM on top.

Showing the separate stages.

Command module after splashdown.

The aft view of all 3 stages.  F1 engines on the 1st stage, J2 engines on the second and 3rd stage.

LM on the lunar surface.  The flag makes the entire model.

Scale of the rocket to a human.

Scale of the rocket to a Skyler!  It's one meter tall!

The mighty Saturn V.

Since Neil Armstrong passed, the History & Science channels have been playing a lot of the Apollo shows and one was about the Saturn V rocket.  Quite possibly mans greatest engineering achievement!  You have to leave the blog to view this video but it's 8 minutes well spent.  Skyler even managed to watch the entire video on the iPad without trying to destroy it!

Finally!!

 Today is the "hot fire" test of the SLS rocket in the Saturn V test stand!  The test is scheduled for 3:00 pm Mountain time.  It feels like a holiday!

Quite simply the best movie ever made!

"First Man" was incredible!

Skyler enjoyed the Saturn V launch sequence nearly as much as I did!

What a day!

Skyler had what he called "this is the bestest day" yesterday.  Grandpa and Grandma wowed everyone with an incredible homemade Saturn V rocket cake!

Amazing!

The cake even had his name on the side.

Looking at all the frosting stars.  Grandpa's hands must be tired!

Six years old(!).

Note the ice cream cone engines at the bottom.

Time for presents!

A Lego wrapped Lego Clayface kit!

Toy front loader garbage truck.

Another Lego kit, the much requested Scuttler from the Lego Batman movie.

Hotwheels!

And to complete the set, he also got the Batmobile.

What a haul!

Time to light the candles.

The excitement cannot be contained!

Pretending to liftoff!

In awe.

BLOW!

Almost got them all.

Grandpa cutting the masterpiece.

The 3rd stage was mini donuts.

The cross section.  25 layer cake!