Virtual LM: A Pictorial Essay of the Engineering and Construction of the Apollo Lunar Module: Apogee Books Space Series 47 [Paperback]

Scott P. Sullivan (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 1, 2004 | ISBN-10: 1894959140 | ISBN-13: 978-1894959148

The Apollo Lunar Module is revealed in this book to be both an engineering masterpiece and a work of art.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"The diagrams are very clear and well annotated. ... Another winning concept from Apogee." -- Spaceflight, April 2005. "The emphasis is on the wealth of illurtrative material rather than the text, and the book is for space enthusiasts...Highly recommended" -- Choice, April 2005. "...it's hard to think of a reason why anyone interested in the history of Mankind's greatest expedition should not want to own this book." -- International Space Review, online review from July 2005. Featured in the article '17 must read books for a cloudy night' -- Astronomy, Special Edition, January 2006.

About the Author

Scott P. Sullivan is a mechanical designer and writer who has worked for Honeywell, Intel, and McDonnell Douglas Helicopter Company.

Product Details

• Paperback: 256 pages
• Publisher: Collector's Guide Publishing, Inc. (October 1, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1894959140
• ISBN-13: 978-1894959148
• Product Dimensions: 9.9 x 6.8 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (20 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,309,923 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

44 of 45 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An Amazingly In-Depth Study Of Grumman's Spaceship, November 27, 2004

By 

Robert I. Hedges - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Virtual LM: A Pictorial Essay of the Engineering and Construction of the Apollo Lunar Module: Apogee Books Space Series 47 (Paperback)

This book on the Apollo Lunar Module is an absolute necessity for any space history collection. This is a companion to Sullivan's earlier book of the same format on the Apollo CSM. If you have read his CSM book, you know how detailed it is, and amazingly this volume is even more detailed.

The book has a general history of Apollo and the LM program, with particular emphasis on the flight mode quandary, and the ultimate decision to use Lunar Orbital Rendezvous (LOR) for expediency, a move that in retrospect seems obvious, but dramatically altered the Apollo program.

This book is a mostly a compendium of incredibly detailed drawings of all components of the LM in extreme detail. The book is so detailed that there is no way a person can absorb all the information in one reading. Both the H and J series spacecraft are detailed, as is the Lunar Roving Vehicle (LRV, which in my opinion is Boeing's single best piece of engineering work ever.) This volume also comes with a CD of numerous images and files of great interest to an Apollo historian, including Adobe files of the Apollo Operations Handbook for the Lunar Module (volumes one and two), which basically comprise the flight manual for the LM. Think twice before you start to print these two documents, by the way, as they are about 1,800 pages long in combination.

My only complaint about this book is that the entire book (including the text) is printed in landscape format, which makes it much more difficult to read as text is fairly close to the spine. I also sometimes disliked the use of false-color drawings (used to illustrate different materials or complex mechanisms), but Sullivan did an admirable of using color photographs to show the same areas on various Lunar Modules. This book is an Apollo treasure trove, and space program enthusiasts will love it.

14 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A terrific book about the lunar module., December 27, 2004

By 

David K. Stephens (PHOENIX, AZ United States) - See all my reviews
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Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Virtual LM: A Pictorial Essay of the Engineering and Construction of the Apollo Lunar Module: Apogee Books Space Series 47 (Paperback)

Great detailed photos of the ( incredibly small ) interior.

Plus, the bonus CD has more than 1,000 pages of LM checklists

and detailed pilot manuals. After you read them, you

wiill be able to train to fly a LM !!!!! The Lunar Module is one of the greatest machines ever built. All of the younger NASA and aerospace workers should know the detailed history of Apollo ( they don't ).

The trajectories, timelines, methods and mission rules were all decided upon only after tremendous study, that is, they were decided for a reason.

This is a lesson the younger generation should heed.

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Must-have for Apollo geeks, December 29, 2005

By 

Kevin W. Parker (Greenbelt, MD) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Virtual LM: A Pictorial Essay of the Engineering and Construction of the Apollo Lunar Module: Apogee Books Space Series 47 (Paperback)

Apollo geeks like me never tire of new information about the program to land men on the Moon, and this book certainly isn't going to make me start. Sullivan started out with Virtual Apollo, a marvelous guide to the command and service modules. This continues the coverage with what has been called the first true spaceship: the Apollo lunar module, the only manned spacecraft incapable of operating inside an atmosphere. As with the predecessor, there are pages upon pages of meticulously annotated images and diagrams showing every part of the lunar module, as well as the lunar roving vehicle and the astronauts' life support packs.

Those not interested in the subject won't see the point, those who are interested will be unable to imagine not having a copy.