Saturn V Blog Posts - Book Form!

Estes has re-released the Saturn V kit - CLICK HERE

The build book PDF is only available to Patreon subscribers.
This new version has injection molded two-piece plastic fins, a big improvement over the two-sided vacuform fins. There are probably other updates in the kit but many of my build posts still apply.

Here's my original blog post from a few months back:  
I received an email from Andy Stobie. He was getting back into rocketry and was interested in buying an Estes Saturn V on Ebay.
I told him to wait, as Estes is coming out with a new version of the 1/100th scale Saturn V kit in late June.
EDIT: After delays it was just released in September, 2016.

Andy had found my Saturn V build posts. The problem has always been that the posts are retained in the dated order, from finish to start. The Saturn V build was LONG, leading to a lot of backtracking to get to the first post.

Andy took the time to put the entire build into a WordPad format, from start to finish!

The blog goes into detail on many steps. There are lots of tips and kit enhancements along with a timeline showing how long each step took.

If you request this "book form" build, please be a serious builder. It takes a few minutes to send the files via DropBox. As explained earlier, this build document goes from start to finish. The original blog posts go from finished build to the beginning requiring some backtracking.

This document is available to Patreon members, email me at oddlrockets@bellsouth.net
and request the Saturn V blog build in DropBox formats.

Many thanks go out to Andy for taking the time to put the build in an easier format!

Lego Saturn V?

This one goes back to 2012 -
CLICK HERE

And you thought your rockets were tall -
At least ours fly!

Estes Saturn V Decal Fix

On the left, look at the "I" in "UNITED".
It's not centered! The type was set with the I a little to the left. It should be in line with the center line of the T.
I spent a few years setting headlines at a print shop. This sort of thing drives me nuts. The fix was touchy, just one chance to get it right on four long vertical decals.
I've built two of the recent run of the Estes Saturn V kits. This is the first time I've tried to fix the "I".

The long decal was set down, centered and allowed to dry for a few minutes. It was about half adhered, I could still move it with more water if I wanted to.
From the side a razor blade was "rocked" just above the top and bottom of the I. Don't slice or cut into the white paint underneath, just rock the blade in an arc to cut through the decal skin.
Being careful not to move the "UN" above it, the "I" was nudged over with the side of my thumb.

This looks better! It's a moot point, but I wanted it correct.
In the end it wasn't that hard to do. I was more nervous about screwing up the only set of decals I had. The horizontal cut lines helped guide the "I" in a straight line when slid to the right.

Only three more I's to move!
There were other wrong decals on the larger sheet - 
The low positioned A, B, C, D and I, II, III, IV decals were reprinted on a smaller decal sheet, correct with white backgrounds.

Estes Saturn V Fin Fix, Part 2

Immediately after the wedge piece was glued on, I ran the edge down a rut in my corrugated cardboard cutting board.
This straight dip in the cardboard helped raise the sides of the glued piece up against the corners of the trailing edge.

After sanding down the overhanging plastic you can see a slight edge seam.
This will be easily filled with some primer filler.








Here's a fin before (on left)
and the reinforced trailing edge on the right.

The reinforced fins feel twice as strong as before!

Estes Saturn V Fin Fix, Part 1

I'm doing a build of the Estes reissued Saturn V kit for a client.
Here's a fin reinforcement I wish I'd done on my first build of the Saturn V with the vacuform fins.

The hollow, vacuform fins are the weak point in the Estes Saturn V kit.
You cut them from the sheet and sand the overhanging edges to about half the thickness of the plastic. Glue both sides together and sand off the glued ridge, right?
These fins aren't strong and prone to splitting with a hard landing.
If you've built this Saturn V, it's not you! These fins don't have a enough edge to glue down the seams.

The leading and outside edges aren't too much of a problem, the wider trailing and root edges are the most likely to split open.
I did reinforce the trailing edge but didn't do any extra work on the root edge. That will be inside the fairing and epoxied to the main body.
(The instructions say to use plastic glue of the root edges of the fin. Trust me, use epoxy!)

In the lower half of the picture is the sanded trailing edge. I'd be afraid to sand any more off without going through the thin plastic. This wavy trailing edge won't look good on the finished model.

Above the fin is some extra plastic cut from the edges of the fin sheet.
This wedge shaped piece will be glued over the uneven trailing edge.

To make the piece, trace around the fin on the leftover scrap plastic.
Trace wide around the trailing edge, the excess will be sanded off after the glue dries.

Dr. Zooch Saturn V Build Step 10B Part 1 Heat Exchanger Spoofs

Today we'll go back to Step 10B and finish up the nozzles:

You’ll need five 3/8" long pieces of dowel for the heat exchangers, four for the build and one extra.
The dowel is cut longer than needed and will be trimmed to size before gluing to the engine bells.
5 dowel pieces, each 3/8" long equals 1 7/8" dowel needed.
You won’t see much of the dowel end once the finished heat exchanger is glued in place.
The "spoof" patter was traced from the instructions onto 20 lb. copy paper. Five were cut out.


Just like the string hat bands on the lower shroud, glue down the tab edge and let dry before wrapping.




Be sure all the wraps face the same way.

Lay a small drop of glue on the inside of the spoof surface near the glued end. Spread that drop down the inside surface with a toothpick making a thin coat all the way to the end.
 

Roll the spoof in place making sure the top edge is even with the top of the dowel end.

 

Long Cruise Project

If you can read the small print you know what I'll be working on while on the next cruise.
I'll be gone for 30 days, four cruises on three different ships.

One of the first Dr. Zooch kits I tried was the Saturn V.
Back then I didn't scan the wrap sheet. Now I do just in case I screw something up.
I can always print another shroud on some WalMart 110 lb. card stock.

This page isn't included in the Dr. Zooch kit. It is made up of many crops and re-pasting of the supplied cardstock art.
I'll be making all the small details while on the ship.

On the nozzle shrouds, I removed the words "UPPER' and 'LOWER". The wording was printed right on the shroud surface. I was concerned it could show through the paint. Years ago I made an Estes Mars Snooper and the printing on the tail shrouds showed through the finish color!

I made four of everything else. That small LES Skirt is hard to get right on the first try.
Extras are a good thing!

A Tale Of Two Saturns Part 2

Part 2:
On a recent trip back home to California I found my old Estes Saturn V. The pictures of the unfinished Estes Saturn were taken in the attic of my Grandparents ranch house in Moss Landing, California.

On the forums, there were questions about the differences between the two versions of the Saturn V kits, the older Estes version and the newer re-issue.
While both the Estes and Centuri Saturn Vs were 1/100th "scale" kits, they were two different models when released in 1969.














The Estes third stage foundation wrap on the left, the new Estes (older vacuform Centuri Wrap) on the right.



On the older Estes version:
Check out the fit of the three embossed wraps from the flip side.

This build goes back to 1973.
I remember being disappointed that the wraps didn't quite meet.

A Tale of Two Saturns Part 1

On a recent trip back home to California I found my old Estes Saturn V. The pictures of the unfinished Estes Saturn were taken in the attic of my Grandparents ranch house in Moss Landing, California.

On the forums, there were questions about the differences between the two versions of the Saturn V kits, the older Estes version and the newer re-issue.
While both the Estes and Centuri Saturn Vs were 1/100th "scale" kits, they were two different models when released in 1969.

The Estes kit (on the left, #691-K-36) had embossed cardstock wraps, the Centuri kit (#KS-10 on the right) had thin plastic vacu-form wraps. The pictures on the right side are from the new Estes Saturn. It uses the old Centuri vacu-form wraps.
















Many "true-scale" enthusiasts complained that the Estes embossed wraps weren't as deep or detailed as they should be on a scale model.

On the other hand, on the Centuri wraps, the vacuform ribs were too thick.

Estes Saturn V Specs and Pics

Andrew B. emailed me about my build and asked for some Saturn V finished specs.
Here's my stock build measures up next to the Estes numbers from the box spec card:

Estes finished weight: 11.0 oz. (empty, no engine or wadding)

My build finish weight: 11.53 oz. (empty, no engine or wadding)
My build flying weight: 13.21 (D12-3 engine and eight squares of Estes wadding installed)

My center of gravity (loaded for flight balance point) is 15 1/8" from the rear.

The height of my Saturn V build is the same as the Estes kit spec. at 43.25" tall.


Remember, I added a Monokote trim piece around the service module tube. This shouldn't be much heavier than a coat of silver paint. I probably build heavier and use a little more spray paint than the average builder would.
In the 1974 Centuri Catalog, their Saturn V (close to this reissue) weighed in at 9.2 oz.
In the 1974 Estes Catalog, their Saturn V weighed in at 9.9 oz.
In the same 1974 Estes catalog, the maximum lift-off weight for a D12-3 engine is 14 oz. So my Saturn, weighing in at 11.53 oz., should be fine with a D12-3 engine.
That is - if I ever get the nerve to fly it!

Parting shots:

High end and low end!

Saturn Towers

I've built a lot of towers over the years.
For comparison, here's the Saturn towers from various kits.

On the upper left is the BT-20 based Dr. Zooch Saturn V tower. It's really a silhouette tower, made of four sided card stock. Still, very strong and effective at this size.
In the middle is another Dr. Zooch tower make of dowel and wire from the Saturn 1B series of kits.
To the right is the Estes 1/100 scale capsule and tower from the recent, reissued Saturn V kit.















The silver capsule to the left is the Semroc Little Joe II kit. 1/70th scale, it's constructed from dowels.
And finally, the Apogee Saturn V tower. This picture was taken while the model was still under construction.
Both the final two builds are 1/70th scale. Compare the two towers. The Apogee Saturn is closer to the truth in strut diameters!

Estes Saturn V Build FINISHED!

Oy! Its finished!
Definitely one of the longest builds and build blogs I've ever done.

Lessons learned along the way:

Take extra time sanding the fin fairings to the body contour, otherwise they won't fit high enough on the lower wrap.

Use a better grade of masking tape for masking the tricky corrugations.

That Centuri Saturn V you always wanted as a kid was harder than you'd thought it'd be at middle age.

When painting something this big, start with NEW cans of spray paint.

You'll get a LOT more hits on your rocket blog when you tackle a build like this.

Slow down, take your time. Repeat.

Take a year off before masking another Saturn V.

Estes Saturn V Build Part 70 'Chute Tie In

Step 21 has you loop the shroud lines over a double knot tied in the shock cord.I had concerns that this loop could loosen.
I upgraded to snap swivels.



It did take a little time to get all the eight shroud lines through the small eye, but I felt much more confident in this connection.

This was repeated on the other 24" main body parachute.

Time spent on build: :30
Total time on build so far: 61:15

Estes Saturn V Build Part 69 'Chute Tie In

Tie a long length of shroud line string to the snap swivel. Connect the snap swivel to the U shaped hook.
Lay this string down the upper section and below the coupler.

Mark this point on the line below the coupler.

While holding the model like the first picture in Part 68, find a point where the shroud line should tie to the shock cord. Be sure the model is hanging with the tower up a little.
Give yourself a little "leeway" and tie this length to the shock cord and parachute.

The illustration in Step E of the instructions would require two thicknesses of the shock cord between the coupler and main body tube. It would be tough to pack and hard to eject!

This single shroud line seems a little weak, but should be okay.

Time spent on build: :15
Total time on build so far: 60:45

Estes Saturn V Build Part 68 'Chute Tie In

I waited until the model was painted and decaled before tying on the parachutes.

The instructions have you permanently tie the parachute to the upper section in Step 22, before finishing. Even though you can disconnected the snap swivel and line, the shock cord and parachute would still be tied to the line loop on the end of the third stage.
That parachute would have gotten in the way with all the masking and painting going on.

The picture at the right shows how the upper section should hang from the 18" parachute. The tower is up, the coupler end would hit the ground first on recovery.

In Step 22, Part C, you cut a 13" long piece of shroud line. That is tied to the snap swivel and shock cord.
In the picture at the left, the distance from the hook to the end of the coupler is 13".

NOTE: To allow for knots, you should make this line a few inches longer. At the recommended 13", it won't be long enough.
The rubber shock cord connecting knot would end up between the coupler and main body tube.
With the line at just 13", you'd end up with a doubled shock cord between the coupler and body tube. It would be hard to slide the coupler into the lower half.

Time spent on build: :15
Total time on build so far: 60:30

Estes Saturn V Build Part 67 Decals

There is a smaller, extra set of decals included with the kit. Apparently some decals were printed without the white backing.
Working from the top down, these are the last decals to be placed.

I'd recommend going back to the Centuri instructions again for the Fin Letter Decal Guide. This will make the decal placement more consistant.

It's on page 47 of the Centuri instructions found HERE
Because it'll get wet, I traced mine onto heavier cardstock.

Here's one of the lettered fin decals with the white backing.

Using the guide makes it much easier to set the decals in the correct position.

And finally, the small numbered decals.
A scrap strip of decal backing paper was used for a height guide.

Time spent on build: :15
Total time on build so far: 60:15

Estes Saturn V Build Part 66 Decals

You are not given any measurements to set the American flag decals in place. It simply says: "Align with white of roll pattern."
I used the T.L.A.R. method (That Looks About Right) to figure out the placement height.

A strip of paper was wrapped around the tube to give the same horizontal alignment to all four flag decals.

Using a ruler, light pencil tick marks were made to help find the center between the white bands.

Here the flag decal is set, aligned between the pencil marks and the lower edge of the paper wrap.





The USA decals are centered in the white areas above the lowest wrap.
Below the "A" there is a pencil center mark.
I double checked the spacing above the "U" and below the "A" to be sure it was centered vertically.

Time spent on build: :15
Total time on build so far: 60:00

Estes Saturn V Build Part 65 Decals

Take a look at the "I" in UNITED STATES.
It's off center!
When setting something up vertically, that "I" should be centered like the vertical line in the "T" below it.

I worked for years in a print shop on a photo type setting machine. After all those years setting type, this kind of thing drives me nuts!

I didn't notice it until the second vertical UNITED STATES decal was set down. I couldn't risk cutting and repositioning a dried decal for repositioning.
Making the correction is up to you on your build. I'm leaving this one be.

The tunnel is too close to the center line where the UNITED STATES decal should set. This one had to be set down a little to the left of center.

Looking at a real Saturn picture, the decal font is a little bold.
The font used used on the box model has the correct "weight". Notice the "I" is centered! These might be older decals used to make production model.


Time spent on build: :15
Total time on build so far: 59:45

Estes Saturn V Build Part 64 Decals

Be careful with these!

One came off after I thought it was set down.
After a minute of looking, I found it folded over on my fingertip. I set it back into the water dish to get it to open up.

Notice every other raised decal area is smaller. Around the tube they go from square to rectangular, square to rectangular.

These "two square" decals flip positions. follow along with the decal placement instructions to be sure.

Time spent on build: :30
Total time on build so far: 59:30

Estes Saturn V Build Part 63 Decals

Instead of bouncing around, I'd recommend start from the top and working your way down.

You'll have less chance of the decals shifting while they dry if you are working away from the ones already positioned.

Starting with the top, these are the smaller decals.
Use tweezers to help with the placement.
Overall, the decals are high quality.

TIP: While the instructions say to let the decals soak 15 - 30 seconds in warm water, I'd only let them soak for about 10 seconds. The first two decals I set in the water released off the backing at 15 seconds. It's not fun chasing around a small decal in a bowl of water!
Let each decal soak for 10 seconds. Pick it out with tweezers and set it (still on the backing paper) on a paper towel until you are ready to use it. Soak and place only one decal at a time.

The "United States" lettering is curved for the conical shape of the command module surface.
The two decals for the service module are also curved! The two body tube "United States" decal below shouldn't be set for a curved surface.

To the right is a real Saturn. The "UNITED STATES" isn't curved.
I know, a moot point.

Check the old Centuri Decals on page 27 HERE to see what I mean.

Time spent on build: :15
Total time on build so far: 59:00