NASA Study Summary: "A Description of the Saturn C-3 and Nova Vehicles"

[luke strawwalker]

Here's another short study from July 1961. The title is "A Description of the Saturn C-3 and Nova Vehicles". It's a fairly short study, lots of stuff in there about vehicle dynamics and stuff that has little to do with modeling it, so this is a short summary and not too many pics, but they're interesting. This would make a neat model. There's lots of good info in there as well about the mysterious "S-II" stage as it existed in 1961, as a 260-360 inch (depending on which report you read) stage powered by FOUR J-2 engines. This is the 360 inch version (30 feet instead of 33). This stage has cropped up in several other studies, including the previously summarized study on Very Large Solid Rocket vehicles from the same time period.

Enjoy! OL JR

View attachment NASA STUDY SUMMARY-A DESCRIPTION OF A SATURN C-3 AND NOVA VEHICLE.txt

 

[luke strawwalker]

Ok, the first pic is a comparative diagram of the C-1, C-2, and C-3 vehicles side by side. Some dimensions are given and the rest can be derived if needed. The C-3 was to be powered by a pair of F-1's in the first stage, a cluster of 4 J-2's in the second stage "S-II", and a 6 RL-10 cluster in the third stage, to put 39,000 pounds on it's way to the moon.



The second pic is the C-1 and C-3 side by side. Relevant dimensions are given and the rest can be derived.



The third pic is a better breakdown of the C-3 with dimensions, in this case station numbers. The see-through is also nice...



The fourth pic is a closeup of the C-3 "S-II" stage, powered by 4 J-2 engines, with some dimensions...



The fifth pic is the C-3 on it's launchpad at SLC-37 with it's gantry.



More to come! OL JR

 

[cwbullet]

It is too bad the nova was cancelled. That would be one heck of a launch. Maybe a Nova full scale model could be a group project. Imagine that waiver.

 

[luke strawwalker]

Ok, the first pic is the general layout envisioned for SLC-37 to support the C-3 vehicle.



The last pic is the Nova vehicle as shown in this study... it's the same graphic that was used from an earlier study, but it IS the one that was reused in this study...



That's it for this one! Enjoy! OL JR

 

[luke strawwalker]

It is too bad the nova was cancelled. That would be one heck of a launch. Maybe a Nova full scale model could be a group project. Imagine that waiver.

Steve Eaves' next project?? LOL

Later! OL JR

 

[cwbullet]

Yep, but I think it might even be too big for Steve.