Injector

Probably the most interesting F-1 component is the injector; for additional information, see my F-1 rocket engine injector page.

Of course, I have many photos of the aft face of the injector, but no photos and just one diagram of the forward face of the injector. And, of course, all of those photos of the aft face of the injector were taken from at least 10 or 18 feet away from the injector (depending on whether there was a nozzle extension mounted on the engine).

I knew that the injector was 44 inches in diameter, but that did not prepare me for just how physically massive it actually is (see these photos with people for some perspective). And even though I'd seen a diagram of the hypergol feed line, the actual hypergol feed lines were somehow not what I expected.

The engine from which the injector was taken had been fired but apparently not cleaned after its firing, so there is a heavy layer of soot on it. Among the tests performed during disassembly was a measurement of the depth of this soot layer.

The injector was mounted on a barbecue spit of sorts, allowing it to be easily rotated into the best position for photos, and our host was most gracious about rotating it "just a little more" until it was "just right."