Airfix 1/144 Saturn V
Discussion
Have the day off today and so decided to do some work on the Saturn. Lots of filling and filing going on, I have to say.
One item that needs correcting is the heat shield which protects the base of the SII stage from the heat of the five J engines. The kit item doesn't look awfully like the real thing. I found some references on the internet which show the true shape. It could do with being completely replaced but I am just altering it a bit to make it look a bit better. Most of the time it will be hidden from view anyway.
The second image shows the shield part way through being amended.
And if anybody says anything, the Saturn V displayed at cape Canaveral has left this shield off. `
One item that needs correcting is the heat shield which protects the base of the SII stage from the heat of the five J engines. The kit item doesn't look awfully like the real thing. I found some references on the internet which show the true shape. It could do with being completely replaced but I am just altering it a bit to make it look a bit better. Most of the time it will be hidden from view anyway.
The second image shows the shield part way through being amended.
And if anybody says anything, the Saturn V displayed at cape Canaveral has left this shield off. `
Eric Mc said:
Hopefully it will look good when finished. But it will take a bit of work.
On the subject of the preserved Vs, they are indeed impressive. I saw the one preserved at Houston back in 1981.
However, they aren't always indicative of the way they looked when being used. Some are missing certain components for instance and some of them make use of sections of the SA500-D dummy Saturn V that was used for pad and equipment checkout tests in 1966.
I was lucky enough to get a tour of the VAB when we went there in the early 90s. Big, vast, humongous does not cover it. Amazing.On the subject of the preserved Vs, they are indeed impressive. I saw the one preserved at Houston back in 1981.
However, they aren't always indicative of the way they looked when being used. Some are missing certain components for instance and some of them make use of sections of the SA500-D dummy Saturn V that was used for pad and equipment checkout tests in 1966.
Only just spotted this thread - watching with fascination now. When I was at my primary school, over 30 years ago, there was one of these models built in 'exploded' configuration in a glass case in one of the corridors. I manage to persuade my dad to buy me one and help me to build it. No idea what became of it. Maybe it's in the loft at my parents' place.
Eric Mc said:
Sorry, I may be sad but I'm not THAT sad.
To be truthful it would look really good but it would be a massive job.
Yes but how many would have gone to that trouble?To be truthful it would look really good but it would be a massive job.
You know you want to, interesting project, the research, scale drawings, hand fabricated parts...
you know you want to.
johnS2000 said:
Looking good Eric .
The one on the Airfix website available for pre-order ! Is this new or just a re-release
I presume you are referring to the Saturn V (rather then a launch tower - Airfix don't do one).The one on the Airfix website available for pre-order ! Is this new or just a re-release
It will be the same kit I am building. It's obviously being re-released after a bit of a gap in production.
As mentioned by me in my first post, the version of the Saturn V that Airfix now do was substantially amended in 2009 when it was re-released on that occasion. The upper stage, Lunar Module fairing, Command and Service Module bits are all new and are now the correct dimensions (the old 1970 version was incorrect).
However, they did nothing to stages one and two which are not quite correct in some details either - but the overall dimensions are fine so they don't look too wrong - unless you are a Saturn V expert.
Airfix also do the Saturn V in Skylab configuration.
swisstoni said:
I built one of these as a kid in the late 60s. I can almost smell the Humbrol. I don't remember the engine mouldings being that bad back then.
Producing an Airfix kit is a bit like making love to a beautiful woman. After forty five years and several million goes, the male and female parts become a little worn and baggy and it's not as fresh as it once was..4321go said:
swisstoni said:
I built one of these as a kid in the late 60s. I can almost smell the Humbrol. I don't remember the engine mouldings being that bad back then.
Producing an Airfix kit is a bit like making love to a beautiful woman. After forty five years and several million goes, the male and female parts become a little worn and baggy and it's not as fresh as it once was..
FWIW I assume that most of you here "got" that post. If you're too young/foreign/forgetful to remember Swiss Toni from The Fast Show:
http://youtu.be/iBw-aEixWuo
http://youtu.be/iBw-aEixWuo
Well, I definitely won't have the model finished in time for this evening's Farnborough IPMS meeting. I found myself beginning to rush things and make mistakes. So I decided to give up on the idea of finishing it by tonight.
Because of serious bleeding on the "flared" fairings at the base of the rocket, I decided to sand off the poor painting and try again. I still hope to finish everything within a couple of weeks.
Because of serious bleeding on the "flared" fairings at the base of the rocket, I decided to sand off the poor painting and try again. I still hope to finish everything within a couple of weeks.
Gassing Station | Scale Models | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff