The Sprinklers
- Mischa
- LUT model
The sprinklers evaporated tons of cooling water during the liftoff, mainly upon the service arms but also onto the deck of the MLP.
Sprinklers at Side 1
Here we see them, at least at level 100 to 140. Unfortunately, the figures in the plans are often completely illegible, and then have to be plausibly deduced from third measures. The height of the second sprinkler pipe from above is therefore not quite correct yet, and it ends in the middle of the suspension for Swing Arm #3 - a mistake that is only noticeable in the overall view, as the pipe has already closed Level 140, but the suspension is still Level 120. I wonder more and more how the good people from NASA managed the thing without a computer ...
Courtesy of NASA
... so here in direct comparison. Quite an effort for a few 0.5 mm wide paper strips and tubes - but you would certainly be very disappointed - not to say outraged - if I had simply omitted the sprinkler system. And don't worry, the sprinklers in the engine chamber, over which the Saturn usually rests and the martial engines of the first stage protrude and from where this picture was taken, will of course be modeled, too.
Sprinklers at Side 1
The sprinklers mainly cool the Swing Arms, which are the most exposed at take-off, hence the affinity to the Swing Arm mounts. At level 320 the system also turns to side 4, because the uppermost swing arm - the access to the Apollo capsule - is attached around the corner, since it swings outwards in contrast to the other arms to protect the sensitive White Room from the conflagration.
