General Discussion

[loupgarou]

Of course, from classical literature, it's possible to get some more varied inspiration...

ARIOSTO: ORLANDO FURIOSO St. John and Astolfo travel to the moon in Elijah's chariot in search of Orlando's lost reason. Wood engraving after Gustave Doré from a 19th century edition of Ludovico Ariosto's 'Orlando Furioso.'

https://www.bridgemanimages.com/fr/dore/ariosto-orlando-furioso-st-john-and-astolfo-travel-to-the-moon-in-elijah-s-chariot-in-search-of/engraving/asset/3127504

[Mossie]

A different concept for a moon landing, horizontal (more or less) and vertical combination capsule and lander designs, circa 1961.You cannot view this attachment.

You cannot view this attachment.


 

That's nice. There's a lot of scope for direct ascent vehicles.

[McColm]

I am wondering if a TARDIS would be applicable to this GB? That would, depending on its camellion circuit, be almost anything. The back story would have to do all the heavy lifting though.

Gondor

Remember that the TARDIS that you build is a whiff and not based on a police phone box used in the TV series and the films.
I've been inside the one that's kept at Shepperton Studios.

[kerick]

Then there is always this gem!

https://m.imdb.com/title/tt0000417/

I don't have any idea what they were smoking but the giant bullet that hits the man in the moon in the eye is classic!

[Weaver]

A different concept for a moon landing, horizontal (more or less) and vertical combination capsule and lander designs, circa 1961.

You cannot view this attachment.
 

Wow - notes to pilot:

1. Land facing east
2. Don't land in a crater deeper than the ship
3. Don't land immediately in front of a cliff or steep slope

 

I presume the idea was to almost land vertically then tip over the last minute using that scarily small downwards-facing rocket to break the fall?

You can get away with things like that in Kerbal Space Program, especially on Minmus (gravity = 0.05G), but even with it's unrealistically robust engine nozzles, you still risk smashing your decent engine when trying it on the Mun (gravity = 0.166G).

[jcf]

A different concept for a moon landing, horizontal (more or less) and vertical combination capsule and lander designs, circa 1961.

You cannot view this attachment.
 

Wow - notes to pilot:

1. Land facing east
2. Don't land in a crater deeper than the ship
3. Don't land immediately in front of a cliff or steep slope

 

I presume the idea was to almost land vertically then tip over the last minute using that scarily small downwards-facing rocket to break the fall?

You can get away with things like that in Kerbal Space Program, especially on Minmus (gravity = 0.05G), but even with it's unrealistically robust engine nozzles, you still risk smashing your decent engine when trying it on the Mun (gravity = 0.166G).

The "horizontal" lander concept(s)
were to have vertical lift thrusters of some sort mounted somewhere ...
None are visible on this particular example, but rough sketches of similar things show exhaust plumes pointing down, but the point of origin isn't clear.

[frank2056]

I forgot to post the build here, but this is a 1950s lunar cargo lander I 3D printed in 1/350:



It's from the October 1955 issue of "If: Worlds of Science Fiction":



build thread at BTS

The Japanese movie "Battle in Outer Space" (1959) is also a good inspiration.  The full movie : https://archive.org/details/BATTLEINOUTERSPACE_201905

[Weaver]

A different concept for a moon landing, horizontal (more or less) and vertical combination capsule and lander designs, circa 1961.

You cannot view this attachment.
 

Wow - notes to pilot:

1. Land facing east
2. Don't land in a crater deeper than the ship
3. Don't land immediately in front of a cliff or steep slope

 

I presume the idea was to almost land vertically then tip over the last minute using that scarily small downwards-facing rocket to break the fall?

You can get away with things like that in Kerbal Space Program, especially on Minmus (gravity = 0.05G), but even with it's unrealistically robust engine nozzles, you still risk smashing your decent engine when trying it on the Mun (gravity = 0.166G).

The "horizontal" lander concept(s)
were to have vertical lift thrusters of some sort mounted somewhere ...
None are visible on this particular example, but rough sketches of similar things show exhaust plumes pointing down, but the point of origin isn't clear.

The small sphere on the bottom of the ship just aft of the long undercarriage seems to have a very small nozzle and thrust structure on the bottom of it. It struck me that it might be a limited-run cold gas thruster: the sort of thing that you only need once, to brake the craft's fall after you deliberately topple it over a few feet from the surface.

[Mossie]

I forgot to post the build here, but this is a 1950s lunar cargo lander I 3D printed in 1/350:

Excellent!!!