Ridiculous, WAY over the top, 1010 launch stand. 39A

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Gonzo

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Having recently ventured into mid power rocketry, I figured I’d get a 1010 launch stand for myself. When I saw the prices I thought, “For that price I could build a replica of Kennedy 39A!!!”...... That’s all I needed. No amount of rational thought was going to persuade me. So buckle up! Down the rabbit hole we go!

step1) resource materials
 

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So it begins....

step2) 144 feet of 1/4” square steel
 

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Start at the top and work your way down.

step3) The crane
 

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The base will have (2) 5” inflatable wheels on the back so the entire thing can be moved like a hand truck. The crane can swivel back to allow the whole thing to be laid back level for loading.
 
Between cutting, grinding and welding... sorting out some of the electronics.
A stupid huge launch pad needs a stupid huge countdown timer! 5” tall seven segment numbers!
 

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First of 9!..... dear lord why 9?!?! After all are in place, I’ll weld a 1” wide x 1/8” flat plate across all of them for securing the 1010 extrusion with T-nuts
 

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Today’s progress. Most of the propellant lines bent and a few floors installed with the elevator shaft cut out.
 

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This is fanatstic; you are quite the welder; nice neat work and you're keeping the distortion under control. Love the look, and the nice countdown timer, very much like what was visible for the Apollo launches (Shuttle, too, as I recall).

You put a working elevator in there and I'll really flip. ;) Howazbout flame trench and a working water deluge? Oh, yes, the thought has crossed my mind... my pad design, from when I was a kid, has a 45° blast shield and flame tunnel. Makes a nice effect. Pics, if you'd like.
 
Need a crawler to get your rocket from the truck to the pad! Awesome work! I'm impressed!

This is either a small brag or a "Cool story, bro": My company performed the repowering study for that crawler, to insure that there would be enough power, cable capacity (i.e are the power cables heavy enough), and ventilation to get the Space Launch System up to the pads. When our NASA contact called, I said, "Aw Mike you gotta get me on that thing! I had all the models when they went to the moon! Simulated each stage of the flight!" But my boss ended up doing it all; crawled all over that crawler! Still, it couldn't have happened to a better man. He's 85 and hasn't quit yet. He's given me a wonderful career and a good living. Bless him.

Here's a panorama I stiched together for him when he got back. It's all fisheyed, but hey... & not meaning to hijack, just giving our builder here a hand as askrob suggested! ;)Full_crawler(AJS).jpg
 
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