H-1 Engine Turbopump from Cold Calibration (Post Dismantling)

mikej: need to update h-1-heat-exchanger.html to have the turbine exhaust hood to point here

When the Cold Calibration Test Stand was demolished, it still had an H-1 rocket engine turbopump/bobtail thrust chamber installed in it from tests in the 1960s. This turbopump was removed prior to demolition and for a time was stored behind Building 4205 (other than the historical test stand areas, the storage area behind Building 4205 is my favorite place to visit, because they always have the best toys!).

I was disappointed to see that it had been removed between my September 2013 and September 2014 visits. About that time, an engineer arrived at work and parked near the former location of the turbopump, and I approached him and asked if he might know what had become of the turbopump. He kind of chuckled, pointed to another MSFC engineer who had also just arrived, and said that the two of them had disassembled it, with the remaining parts being stored inside one of the "garage" bays of Building 4205.

By sheer, dumb luck (and a total lack of inhibition regarding asking perfect strangers odd-ball questions), I found out where turbopump had gone and got to photograph it one more time (thanks Marty and David!).

After being dismantled, the wrap-around lines wraparound lines and the bobtail thrust chamber were discarded, but the turbopump itself, the turbine exhaust hood., and the <fuel additive blender unit (with its heater assembly) were retained.

The HABS/HAER Cold Calibration survey has two photos of this turbopump from happier times, still installed in the Cold Calibration Test Stand.