In response to the post of dealing with the thrust of the Saturn V rocket on the launch pad. If you don't know this already you might find this interesting. Yes an F1 engine was rated at 1.5 million pounds of thrust and clustered in a group of 5 that would equal 7.5 Million pounds of thrust. There was great concern of "melting the concrete". The solution to this (which is still used to this day on shuttle launches)is a sound suppression system which is used to reduce the vibration created by the sound and to help prevent the launch pad from becomming to hot. About 15 seconds before launch they start pumping water onto the blast deflector. By the time of liftoff a couple million (not sure of the exact number)
gallons of water have ben dumped on the blast area. Most if not all of this water is turned to steam from the intense heat.
Intresting fact. The Space Shuttle produces just over 7.5 million pounds of thrust. 3.3 million from each SRB and each main engine is rated at 415,000 pounds of thrust. As for the people wondering if small engines were plased in the F1 on the Saturn, give me a break. Do you realize the engineering problems not to mention weight considerations of trying to do that. If they had wanted to use more smaller engines they would have used them. They would have not "hidden" them in a F1 engine bell. Believe me. I have a real Saturn V less than 5 miles from my house that I can get plenty of reference photos for anyone in question.

Just because some don't want to
believe the truth dosen't mean
it isn't the truth.

Prox