NASA Spacesuit fittings - High fidelity replicas

[lmgill]

I just came across this thread and ...

WOUAH !!!! What a wonderful job, what a rendering close to perfection

For your information, please tell me how much an A7L pressure suit connector would cost.

You write (and I quote) : "I have also been working on Apollo gas connectors, also modelled directly from real fittings."

- will the copy conform to the original in size and function?

Sorry for my poor english (I'm french)

Current offerings are on the Orbital Surplus eBay page. I will be have other pieces offered and am always open to suggestions from people, of what they may want.
Over the past 35 years, I have pretty much made every spacesuit that has been in space, and many of the high altitude suits as well.

Orbital surplus has also been selling surplus items from our storage, both space related, as well as old film projects. So it is a bit of a "wild card" of what you will find there.

 

[Apolloman]

Current offerings are on the Orbital Surplus eBay page. I will be have other pieces offered and am always open to suggestions from people, of what they may want.
Over the past 35 years, I have pretty much made every spacesuit that has been in space, and many of the high altitude suits as well.

Orbital surplus has also been selling surplus items from our storage, both space related, as well as old film projects. So it is a bit of a "wild card" of what you will find there.

Thank you for your prompt reply
Indeed, I would be interested in buying a Class I replica when they become available.

your 3D diagrams are very very very interesting. I've always tried to understand how connectors work. are they designed like the real thing?

 

[Apolloman]

Over the past 35 years, I have pretty much made every spacesuit that has been in space, and many of the high altitude suits as well.

Hello Imgill, I hope you're well
From what I understand from what you have written: you are a specialist in pressure suits. (or I may be wrong)

let's say you are, and that's good because I need a specialist's opinion.

while browsing the discussions about the mythical A7L pressure suit, I came across this photo



that you posted on April 03, 2020 on this thread : apollo-a7l-moon-suit

if you don't mind, I have a few questions about this equipment :

- Thought I recognized the incomplete ventilation system of an A7L pressure suit for EV A7L PGA or CMP A7LB PGA (they are more or less the same) ... YES/NO ??

I have a question that bothers me a lot... On this picture (sorry it's in French) in page 108
from the document "APOLLO OPERATIONS HANDBOOK EXTRA VEHICULAR MOBILITY UNIT VOLUME I: SYSTEM DESCRIPTION CSD-A-789-(1) APOLLO 14"



and from the writings of document "United States Patent 3 751 727 Aug. 14, 1973 space suit" where it says :

"Oxygen may enter through either one of the gas inlet connectors 56 or 58 since these connectors are in fluid communication with each other by way of an intermediate plenum 372. A similar plenum 374 joins the gas outlet connectors 60 and 62 so that the outlet may be taken from either of these connectors."

I'd like to know which part the engineers call the plenum chamber : is it only the machined metal lower housings (blue or red on your photo), is it the little part (ducts) that connects them together, or the complete assembly (lower housings + conduits between them)???

I'd also like to use your photo to illustrate my article, what do you say??
(Of course you would be noted as the rightful owner of this photo, and if you wish I could also link to your sites.)

Please help me

Thank in advance

 

[lmgill]

Hello Imgill, I hope you're well
From what I understand from what you have written: you are a specialist in pressure suits. (or I may be wrong)

let's say you are, and that's good because I need a specialist's opinion.

while browsing the discussions about the mythical A7L pressure suit, I came across this photo

View attachment 1811586

that you posted on April 03, 2020 on this thread : apollo-a7l-moon-suit

if you don't mind, I have a few questions about this equipment :

- Thought I recognized the incomplete ventilation system of an A7L pressure suit for EV A7L PGA or CMP A7LB PGA (they are more or less the same) ... YES/NO ??

I have a question that bothers me a lot... On this picture (sorry it's in French) in page 108
from the document "APOLLO OPERATIONS HANDBOOK EXTRA VEHICULAR MOBILITY UNIT VOLUME I: SYSTEM DESCRIPTION CSD-A-789-(1) APOLLO 14"

View attachment 1811587

and from the writings of document "United States Patent 3 751 727 Aug. 14, 1973 space suit" where it says :

"Oxygen may enter through either one of the gas inlet connectors 56 or 58 since these connectors are in fluid communication with each other by way of an intermediate plenum 372. A similar plenum 374 joins the gas outlet connectors 60 and 62 so that the outlet may be taken from either of these connectors."

I'd like to know which part the engineers call the plenum chamber : is it only the machined metal lower housings (blue or red on your photo), is it the little part (ducts) that connects them together, or the complete assembly (lower housings + conduits between them)???

I'd also like to use your photo to illustrate my article, what do you say??
(Of course you would be noted as the rightful owner of this photo, and if you wish I could also link to your sites.)

Please help me

Thank in advance

I am a bit of a specialist in pressure suits.
You may use my photo in your article. (One below as well, if desired)
I'm not sure if the "plenum chamber" is just the machined chamber or not. But the use of "chamber" in English, would make me think they are referring to the machine red and blue pieces only. I would consider the rest of the tubes, to be the plenum.
Here is a photo of the entire plenum system I had. I had the missing red fitting at one time, but I fear someone at my shop may have stolen it.

 

[Apolloman]

Hello Imgill and thank you for your reply.
If I have understood you correctly (sorry in advance if this is not the case), you consider the machined metal lower housings as the chamber and the tubes connecting them as the plenum and the whole as the plenum chamber assembly.

here's the diagram I'm having trouble with, taken from the document "United States Patent 3 751 727 Aug. 14, 1973 space suit" (I forgot to include it in my previous message) showing the numbered parts 372 and 374



As a reminder : "Oxygen may enter through either one of the gas inlet connectors 56 or 58 since these connectors are in fluid communication with each other by way of an intermediate plenum 372. A similar plenum 374 joins the gas outlet connectors 60 and 62 so that the outlet may be taken from either of these connectors."


and most importantly, thank you for your permission to use the photo (either one) it's really nice of you...

of course you'll be credited with the photo, and you'll be listed in the acknowledgements section of this page :

Présentation du site

alongside the people who have helped me in the past and still help me today with the development of my website.

... you'll soon be able to find the photo on this page in the pressurization section (pressurisation in French).

Scaphandre spatial a7l

Best regard

EDIT :
That's it, I've understood what you were trying to describe (it took me a while...) I think you are right.

thanks again