Post by brotherofthemoon on Apr 13, 2006 19:48:55 GMT -4
Just thought I'd tell everyone. Scott Sullivan's Virtual Apollo has been republished by Apogee Books, retail price $24.95. You can get it for cheaper, of course. No word if he's fixed some of the mistakes (the overly bulbous SPS nozzle extension, Block 1 thruster quads, incorrect SM radiators, etc.) or included a bonus CD-ROM. Virtual LM is still in print, and a better book overall, even if Scott Sullivan seemed a little obsessed with the descent stage's various Rube Goldberg Machines. Oh, here's the review I wrote for Virtual Apollo for epinions.com back in September 2004 (I write better reviews now. Honest!)
The Apollo Command Module was one of the most complex machines ever built. This book by Scott P Sullivan goes a long way towards making it easier to understand.
The illustrations in Virtual Apollo were created using a powerful 3D CAD program known as PTC Pro-Engineer. There are about 180 in total, showing the interior and exterior of the spacecraft. These are brightly-colored and very nicely detailed, and give a comprehensive overview of the spacecraft's workings. Let's take a look inside...
The book begins with a brief overview of the Apollo space program, and a forward by Tom Hanks (evidently, a chief authority in space technology!). The next section shows exterior views of the combined Command and Service modules from six sides.
The largest part of the book relates to the Command Module. Exterior views from six sides start off this section.
The next section describes the construction of the spacecraft's inner and outer hulls and heat shields. Exploded-view plans and cross-section views show the many layers of the central and aft heat shields.
The third section is 22 pages long and show the most important command module structures. These range from the obvious (the main hatch and docking probe) to the more esoteric (such as the spring-loaded breech that jettisons the forward heat shield, and the attenuation struts that support the crew couches).
The forth section is 16 pages and length and illustrates the CM interior. This is probably the best part of the book - you really get a feel for the interior, which has always been tricky with Apollo. Each page has a single view from a slightly different angle from the last. A few of these have the crew's couches removed for better clarity. Annotations describe the contents of the equipment storage bays. Running down the left side of the pages is a brief chronology of the Apollo program.
An overall view of the main control panel, along with close-ups of the left and right-hand panels, is included. Unfortunately, no close-ups of the main panel are shown, a serious omission. The CM controls and equipment bays themselves are also shown, sans crew couches.
CM From the Ground Up is 12 pages long, and details the construction of a typical CM in 23 illustrated steps. This section concludes the coverage of the Command Module.
Part 2 covers the Launch Escape System and it's (thankfully never necessary) use. Plan and isometric views are included, along with cutaways of the canard motor, Q-ball, and tower jettison and pitch motors. The installation of the tower legs to the boost protective cover, along with an exploded view of the BPC, is also shown.
Part 3 describes the Service Module. As with the CM, there are six exterior views before moving on to the interior. The forward fairing is shown, along with close-ups of the compression pads and tension ties that held the CM in place. Further illustrations describe the launch umbilical connectors, umbilical guillotine, reaction control thruster assemblies, and the service propulsion system.
Finally, we get cut-away views of the six SM sectors, the components of the Scientific Instrument Bay, and close-up views of the exterior lights. Rounding it out are four un-annotated cut-away views of the entire spacecraft.
This book is an obvious labor of love from a man fascinated in his subject. There are quite a few flaws, however.
The exterior views of the service module are riddled with major errors that lead me to question the accuracy of the rest of the book. The SPS engine is far too bulbous, and the radiator panels and S-band antennas are the wrong shape.
In many cases, the text and accompanying illustrations seems far too simplified; the view of the SIM bay looks like a last-minute addition. While four pages are taken up describing the main hatch, the docking probe only gets three, and the SM reaction control thrusters only two.
A recurring problem with almost every space book out now, this book is full of typos, which provide unintentional humor. The main engine was used to "break" the spacecraft; that must have really put the Apollo 13 crew at ease!
Still, since Sullivan does such a good job detailing the interior components (which match up very well with NASA blueprints I've seen), I have to give this four stars. It's inexpensive, and a must-have for those just beginning to study Apollo.
The illustrations in Virtual Apollo were created using a powerful 3D CAD program known as PTC Pro-Engineer. There are about 180 in total, showing the interior and exterior of the spacecraft. These are brightly-colored and very nicely detailed, and give a comprehensive overview of the spacecraft's workings. Let's take a look inside...
The book begins with a brief overview of the Apollo space program, and a forward by Tom Hanks (evidently, a chief authority in space technology!). The next section shows exterior views of the combined Command and Service modules from six sides.
The largest part of the book relates to the Command Module. Exterior views from six sides start off this section.
The next section describes the construction of the spacecraft's inner and outer hulls and heat shields. Exploded-view plans and cross-section views show the many layers of the central and aft heat shields.
The third section is 22 pages long and show the most important command module structures. These range from the obvious (the main hatch and docking probe) to the more esoteric (such as the spring-loaded breech that jettisons the forward heat shield, and the attenuation struts that support the crew couches).
The forth section is 16 pages and length and illustrates the CM interior. This is probably the best part of the book - you really get a feel for the interior, which has always been tricky with Apollo. Each page has a single view from a slightly different angle from the last. A few of these have the crew's couches removed for better clarity. Annotations describe the contents of the equipment storage bays. Running down the left side of the pages is a brief chronology of the Apollo program.
An overall view of the main control panel, along with close-ups of the left and right-hand panels, is included. Unfortunately, no close-ups of the main panel are shown, a serious omission. The CM controls and equipment bays themselves are also shown, sans crew couches.
CM From the Ground Up is 12 pages long, and details the construction of a typical CM in 23 illustrated steps. This section concludes the coverage of the Command Module.
Part 2 covers the Launch Escape System and it's (thankfully never necessary) use. Plan and isometric views are included, along with cutaways of the canard motor, Q-ball, and tower jettison and pitch motors. The installation of the tower legs to the boost protective cover, along with an exploded view of the BPC, is also shown.
Part 3 describes the Service Module. As with the CM, there are six exterior views before moving on to the interior. The forward fairing is shown, along with close-ups of the compression pads and tension ties that held the CM in place. Further illustrations describe the launch umbilical connectors, umbilical guillotine, reaction control thruster assemblies, and the service propulsion system.
Finally, we get cut-away views of the six SM sectors, the components of the Scientific Instrument Bay, and close-up views of the exterior lights. Rounding it out are four un-annotated cut-away views of the entire spacecraft.
This book is an obvious labor of love from a man fascinated in his subject. There are quite a few flaws, however.
The exterior views of the service module are riddled with major errors that lead me to question the accuracy of the rest of the book. The SPS engine is far too bulbous, and the radiator panels and S-band antennas are the wrong shape.
In many cases, the text and accompanying illustrations seems far too simplified; the view of the SIM bay looks like a last-minute addition. While four pages are taken up describing the main hatch, the docking probe only gets three, and the SM reaction control thrusters only two.
A recurring problem with almost every space book out now, this book is full of typos, which provide unintentional humor. The main engine was used to "break" the spacecraft; that must have really put the Apollo 13 crew at ease!
Still, since Sullivan does such a good job detailing the interior components (which match up very well with NASA blueprints I've seen), I have to give this four stars. It's inexpensive, and a must-have for those just beginning to study Apollo.
