1/14th scale Lunar Module

[SMR]

Well, this is more of a "payload" than a rocket, per se, but it will fly so I guess I can document the build. I am fortunate to be a member of the Wisconsin Organization of Spacemodeling Hobbyists, and we host a regional launch each August at the Richard Bong State Recreation in southeastern Wisconsin. This is a fun, family friendly event. Among several other launch competitions is the annual Kelly Engineering Challenge. The inaugural challenge event in 2009 was chronicled in the May/June 2010 issue of Sport Rocketry. 2011 will be the third year, and the challenge is to fly and recover a lander with legs folded for boost and deployed for landing. So, as a tribute to man's first (and last) sojourns to our moon, this will be my entry. The rules are here...

Let me start off by stating the obvious - the ascent stage of the full scale lunar module has a pretty complicated geometry, which is why this build thread is here (scratch-built) and not in the scale modeling section. My primary focus will be making sure the legs function properly and the whole thing survives the flight and landing, so I'll be focusing on the descent stage and taking quite a few artistic liberties with the ascent stage. Also, it is going to come in under parachute, not powered descent. Other than that, it should look reasonably accurate following deployment from the payload shroud of my modular booster thru landing somewhere in a field of tall grass, in a shallow lake, or hanging in a tree. (such are the hazards of Bong.)

I would also like to start out by thanking all who have unknowingly contributed to this project. Those who designed and built the original LEM, posted any of the tons of information available online, or have otherwise inspired those of us too young to have gone the first time and too old to go the next time. Cheers. Sather

 

[SMR]

The first steps were in making the octagonal frame of the descent stage. I started with 12" squares of Baltic Birch, which is what set the scale at 1/14th of the 13' 10" base of the prototype. I transferred my pattern to the plywood, clamped two of them together, and drilled 1/4" holes for alignment. After bolting the two sheets together, I cut the corners off and sanded the edges into the correct 11 7/8" octagons.

 

[georgegassaway]

Really challenging project.

Have you ever seen or heard of the old paper (thin cardboard) assemble-them-yourself Gulf Oil Lunar Module models? They gave them away at gas stations as promotional items during summer 1969, before and after Apollo 11.

Here is a link to a page for it, the high-res one at 1/48th scale:

https://jleslie48.com/gallery_models_real.html

The patterns might help you with the Ascent Stage. Of course as you say, scale is not the point of this particular project. But it's available if you wanted to make any use of it.

- George Gassaway

 

[SMR]

Have you ever seen or heard of the old paper (thin cardboard) assemble-them-yourself Gulf Oil paper Lunar Module models? They gave them away at gas stations as promotional items during summer 1969, before and after Apollo 11.

The patterns might help you with the Ascent Stage.

- George Gassaway

Wow, thank you a ton! I have accrued a lot of 2 dimensional plans, but just trying to visualize how it will go together pretty much maxes out my limited mental capacity. Great link, and those plans will be a HUGE help! Sather

 

[chadrog]

Looks very cool Sather. I've been wondering when you were going to get to your ECOF projects. This will certainly be one not to miss.

 

[dixontj93060]

Sather, wow, you've got a lot of projects going on at the same time!

 

[GregGleason]

Really challenging project.

Have you ever seen or heard of the old paper (thin cardboard) assemble-them-yourself Gulf Oil Lunar Module models? They gave them away at gas stations as promotional items during summer 1969, before and after Apollo 11...

I sure do, I built one when I was a kid!

I think Gulf Oil did a commemorative book on Apollo 11 (I have it somewhere) called "We Came in Peace".

Amazing how the Space Race affected large corporations.

I enjoyed reading Tom Kelly's book:

Moon Lander: How We Developed the Apollo Lunar Module




I am looking forward to this build thread SMR. :clap:

Greg

 

[Micromeister]

Well, this is more of a "payload" than a rocket, per se, but it will fly so I guess I can document the build. I am fortunate to be a member of the Wisconsin Organization of Spacemodeling Hobbyists, and we host a regional launch each August at the Richard Bong State Recreation in southeastern Wisconsin. This is a fun, family friendly event. Among several other launch competitions is the annual Kelly Engineering Challenge. The inaugural challenge event in 2009 was chronicled in the May/June 2010 issue of Sport Rocketry. 2011 will be the third year, and the challenge is to fly and recover a lander with legs folded for boost and deployed for landing. So, as a tribute to man's first (and last) sojourns to our moon, this will be my entry. The rules are here...

Let me start off by stating the obvious - the ascent stage of the full scale lunar module has a pretty complicated geometry, which is why this build thread is here (scratch-built) and not in the scale modeling section. My primary focus will be making sure the legs function properly and the whole thing survives the flight and landing, so I'll be focusing on the descent stage and taking quite a few artistic liberties with the ascent stage. Also, it is going to come in under parachute, not powered descent. Other than that, it should look reasonably accurate following deployment from the payload shroud of my modular booster thru landing somewhere in a field of tall grass, in a shallow lake, or hanging in a tree. (such are the hazards of Bong.)

I would also like to start out by thanking all who have unknowingly contributed to this project. Those who designed and built the original LEM, posted any of the tons of information available online, or have otherwise inspired those of us too young to have gone the first time and too old to go the next time. Cheers. Sather

SMR:
Just so your aware...Lots of folks have been building and converting for Mod-Roc flight Plastic and Paper Model kits of the LEM in scales from 1/144th to 1/48th.
At 1/14th Your Scratch build should be something to see!!! Keep up the great work.

 

[SMR]

Sather, wow, you've got a lot of projects going on at the same time!

Yeah, just realizing that now. But with the "setting goals instead of deadlines" mantra I learned from Dan K. during our Death Star builds, I am not (yet) feeling overwhelmed. This will be the first of my current projects to fly (at the end of Aug 2011). I got a pretty good start on the rest over the winter, so I should be able to pace everything properly.

This is the third year for the Kelly Engineering Challenge, and I have YET to even place in it. WOOSH has some really creative guys, so I needed to step up my effort this year.

Continuing work on the base, I cut the sides with 22.5° bevels, so they fit together at 45° angles around the perimeter. Also, narrowing down a few ideas in the folding gear, in ultra-low tech paper strips. Wishing there were 1/14th scale hydraulic actuators available on the market. In Titanium.

 

[SMR]

Most pictures of the LM are with the gear extended, but there are still quite a few out there showing how they were folded. Having worked with retractable landing gear for 30+ years, it is still an impressive bit of engineering.

This is also a good spot to plug Episode 5 of "From the Earth to the Moon".

 

[georgegassaway]

Wishing there were 1/14th scale hydraulic actuators available on the market. In Titanium.

Well..... lacking that, here’s an idea.

Springs, from cheap retractable pens. Such as retractable pens found in a Dollar Store (my best “score” of pen springs was when I found some cheap pens that had 4 different colors, 4 springs per pen. IIRC, I got a pack of three such pens for a dollar, for 12 springs).

The springs can fit inside of a 3/16” launch lug. Rigged to push on to a piece of music were. The more costly parts (a few bucks) would be to buy some styrene plastic tubing (Evergreen or Plastruct) to act as bushings and stops.

When done, you’d have some pretty nice hydraulic actuators.

Also, with a redesign, they can be built to work the other way, as shock absorbers. It might be useful for your leg system to be able to move some when the models lands, so the legs would not break (or more likely, something the legs mount to, or a hinge, would break).

The real LEM had a form of shock absorber. But internally, it was in the form of a crushable material that crunched and did not spring back (since it only had to absorb shock one time). I do not suggest that crushable method for this, but that is why/how the LEM did it.

Oh, if you truly make the legs to function scale-like, you could do the actuation internally (if you leave capability to open the descent stage to access it). Have part of the strut that is hinged to the lower part of the descent stage, to extend inside of it, like a lever inside, and attach a rubber band to pull on it. You might need to add a 45 degree bend to it (the internal lever portion) to get the proper leverage.

- George Gassaway

 

[Rocketman248]

Now this is a project you don't see every day. I like it! Can't wait to see this one progress.

 

[Bravo52]

Wishing there were 1/14th scale hydraulic actuators available on the market. In Titanium.

You may be surprised.... If you can find a HobbyShop with a large selection of RC car parts (Traxxas, Losi, etc) you can probably find what you need. Just go to Google shopping and type in "Losi 1/12 shocks"

 

[dlazarus6660]

I built a paper LM two years ago from UDON Factory from China or Japan.
I can't find the site right now but if I do I will post it.

https://www.rcgroups.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1110754&highlight=lunar+module

 

[BobH48]

I built a paper LM two years ago from UDON Factory from China or Japan.
I can't find the site right now but if I do I will post it.

https://www.rcgroups.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1110754&highlight=lunar+module

UDON Factory link is here

 

[C-57D]

Where can I get a copy of that "Haynes" manual for the LEM?

 

[SMR]

Lots of folks have been building and converting for Mod-Roc flight Plastic and Paper Model kits of the LEM in scales from 1/144th to 1/48th.

I built a paper LM two years ago from UDON Factory from China or Japan.

UDON Factory link is here

Sorry for the delay getting back with everyone. I've been in Belgium for a few days, without internet support. Thanks to all for the links to paper template models. Those will really come in handy. I do have a 1/48th plastic model, which I was going to try and extract flat plans from, but the paper templates will be SO much easier to scale and build from. Just get 'em to the right size, trace to 1/4" birch plywood, cut and glue together. I can still extract some of the angles from the plastic model, and then bevel the plywood appropriately for the joint. I will also use some backing plates / gussets for strength, as this does need to survive the landing, and "edge-to-edge" joints aren't optimum.

I finished the edges around the descent stage's perimeter, and have fit the top to them. I plan on leaving access to the interior, as I may need space for a battery and/or timer for deployment of the legs, or springs for landing shock absorption. (Haven't finalized those designs yet, either.) Next up is drilling for screws to hold the top platform in place, and then sanding the octagon's sides smooth.

 

[SMR]

Where can I get a copy of that "Haynes" manual for the LEM?

I got my copy from Amazon here

Meant to look similar to their auto service manuals, the full title is

NASA Mission AS-506
Apollo 11
1969 (including Saturn V, CM-107, SM-107, LM-5)
Owner's Workshop Manual
An insight into the hardware from the first manned mission to land on the moon.

It is in hardcover and well worth the 20-some dollar purchase price.

 

[SMR]

Springs, from cheap retractable pens.

The springs can fit inside of a 3/16” launch lug. Rigged to push on to a piece of music wire. The more costly parts (a few bucks) would be to buy some styrene plastic tubing (Evergreen or Plastruct) to act as bushings and stops.

When done, you’d have some pretty nice hydraulic actuators.

Also, with a redesign, they can be built to work the other way, as shock absorbers. It might be useful for your leg system to be able to move some when the models lands, so the legs would not break (or more likely, something the legs mount to, or a hinge, would break).

The real LEM had a form of shock absorber. But internally, it was in the form of a crushable material that crunched and did not spring back (since it only had to absorb shock one time). I do not suggest that crushable method for this, but that is why/how the LEM did it.

Oh, if you truly make the legs to function scale-like, you could do the actuation internally (if you leave capability to open the descent stage to access it). Have part of the strut that is hinged to the lower part of the descent stage, to extend inside of it, like a lever inside, and attach a rubber band to pull on it. You might need to add a 45 degree bend to it (the internal lever portion) to get the proper leverage.

- George Gassaway

You may be surprised.... If you can find a HobbyShop with a large selection of RC car parts (Traxxas, Losi, etc) you can probably find what you need.

Great ideas, thanks. I'll be over weight to use pen springs, but the upscale will be easy. Our local Ace Hardware has a whole section of springs (20+ divided drawers = hundreds of spring sizes). I should be able to select ones in the right size (internally and/or externally, and a function of what size tube I use for the legs), and in the right stiffness (a function of build weight, so as not to bottom out on landing).

I did look at RC car shocks, which in turn steered me back to West Systems. The pump sets for West epoxy come with three pumps for different size cans, and I use only the two for the gallon epoxy and the quart hardener. The pump section looks like and will work perfectly as a shock absorber. I did get a few sets of Losi rod ends with pivot balls, to use on the struts. I just need to get the proper all-thread to fit.

 

[Bravo52]

. I did get a few sets of Losi rod ends with pivot balls, to use on the struts. I just need to get the proper all-thread to fit.

Hey, that center picture almost looks like the back end of my Bloody Carpet Knife

 

[SMR]

I have added the bracing today for the upper pivot point of the main leg struts. I had to beef it up a bit more than the prototype, as the legs have to work against Earth's gravity, not the 1/6th gravity of the moon. 1/2" square hardwood beams attach to the upper deck of the descent stage, with an aluminum "C" channel overlay extending 0.8" past the ends to provide the pivot point. Side bracing, to be added later, will be RC car suspension linkage, as previously suggested by Bravo52. (thanks!) Once I get a good idea of the weight, I'll be setting the spring rates. The West Systems pump springs take 4 pounds 8 ounces to fully compress, so four of them would take 18 pounds (at 1 G) to bottom out. (9 pounds at 2 G's, etc.) My first guess on final weight is about 10 pounds, which would need a really soft landing OR stiffer springs. (My safety stop is the nozzle. The original descent nozzle sat only 18.5" off the ground when the LM was on the ground, so mine should hit before the springs bottom out, regardless.

 

[GregGleason]

I got my copy from Amazon here

Meant to look similar to their auto service manuals, the full title is

NASA Mission AS-506
Apollo 11
1969 (including Saturn V, CM-107, SM-107, LM-5)
Owner's Workshop Manual
An insight into the hardware from the first manned mission to land on the moon.

It is in hardcover and well worth the 20-some dollar purchase price.

I bought that book last October on a visit to Space Center Houston/JSC because it looked like it would be ok to add to my library. Since you brought up the book in the thread I began to look at it, and let me state that it's not just another "me too" Apollo book. There are several pictures that I had not seen published before, along with a NASA graphic on the abort modes of the LES. There is even a section on the "Missing 'A'" controversy (did N. Armstrong say or not say " ... one small step for [a] man ..."). It even has how many miles downrange the S-IC and S-II stages were when they impacted the Atlantic, along with the layout of MOCR. It's not a lengthy book, but there sure is a lot of material from cover to cover.

Greg

 

[spacecadet]

We met the writers at the Royal Aeronautical Society last year so pulled a signed copy. It's not your conventional Haynes manual- after all the LM was never going to be serviced- but entertaining in its own way.
I don't know what equivalent you have, but here if you buy a used car you buy the Haynes book on the way home. I don't think I'd even lift the bonnet of our car without one. You can chart how reliable our various cars were by looking at the page edges on the old Haynes books- the cleaner the better.

 

[SMR]

I don't know what equivalent you have, but here if you buy a used car you buy the Haynes book on the way home. I don't think I'd even lift the bonnet of our car without one. You can chart how reliable our various cars were by looking at the page edges on the old Haynes books- the cleaner the better.

Haynes (or Chilton) manuals are indispensable, the functional equivalent of Mark Canepa's "Modern High Power Rocketry" for autos. For a humorous take on Haynes, go here...

https://forums.finalgear.com/genera...get-it-if-you-wrench-on-stuff-yourself-33855/

teaser examples...

HAYNES' MANUAL - THE REAL MEANINGS

Haynes: Rotate anticlockwise.
Translation: Clamp with molegrips (adjustable wrench) then beat repeatedly with hammer anticlockwise. You do know which way is anticlockwise, don't you?

Haynes: Should remove easily.
Translation: Will be corroded into place ... clamp with adjustable wrench then beat repeatedly with a hammer.

and my personal favorite...

AIR COMPRESSOR: A machine that takes energy produced in a fossil-fuel burning power plant 200 miles away and transforms it into compressed air that travels by hose to a pneumatic impact wrench that grips rusty bolts last tightened 30 years ago by someone in Dagenham, and rounds them off.

:wink:

 

[georgegassaway]

SMR ,

Whatever happened with this project? No update since 2011.

 

[SMR]

SMR ,

Whatever happened with this project? No update since 2011.

Got involved in other projects, and increased work schedule has taken a toll. Haven't forgotten it, though... still on my to do list. Retire in 16 months, bunch of stuff to catch up on. This is one of them.

 

[georgegassaway]

Glad to see you do plan to get around to completing it.

There's a major project I was planning to do last year but did not have the time. This year I want to try to find the time to either do it, or get it pretty far along at least. Up to now it's been mostly in the planning stage. Plus a dash of trying a mock-up for a pretty critical sub-assembly that has to move and be strong and not fragile, which turned into a stumbling block that was one reason why I set it aside for awhile.