Brief:
T' Saturn 1 Block II is another one o' t' fine ant-scale offerings in t' Dr. Zooch Saturn line. Aye aye! Begad! This is I believe, t' only commercially available kit of the Block II version.

Construction:
Please refer t' me previous Saturn 1B review for parts list and main construction notes. Aye aye! Construction starts just like t' 1B, pre-paintin' a few components then markin' t' motor tube and rolling/bondin' t' fuel tanks. Unlike t' 1B though, me bucko, this one does nay have a BT-60 S-IVB stage. Ya scallywag! Instead it uses a BT-55 mounted on top o' t' 20/60 centerin' rin' on top o' t' fuel tanks. Ya scallywag! Ya scallywag! This is somewhat difficult t' do since t' tube must be perfectly centered. Begad! T' kit includes a template for markin' lines on t' centerin' ring, but I would very much have preferred t' see a 20/55 centerin' rin' or two used to mount t' upper tube.

T' upper tube is trimmed with a paper shroud then partially covered with a pre-printed cardstock wrap. Begad! Blimey! I had a little trouble with t' size and trim of the shroud, especially at t' end when mountin' all t' little details.

T' tower assembly be t' same as t' 1B, shiver me timbers, with t' option o' a 4-sided paper tower lookalike or a very detailed build-it-yourself version. Ahoy! I opted for the detailed version as I have tweezers and me deadlights aren't completely shot yet.

Jeff's review notes a potential problem with fin sizes, arrr, which I didn't catch until after I'd built mine and noticed how clumsy t' big fins looked. Pay careful attention t' t' fin pattern supplied in your kit if you build one of these. Well, blow me down! If t' root edge is longer than t' BT-60 lower thrust tube, scale it down as Jeff did. Well, blow me down! It will look a lot better and still fly fine.

On t' nozzle buildin' I'm nay sure if it's unique t' this kit or just a temporary switch, arrr, but me kit used a funky green Keelhaul®©™® that had a waxy coating. Ahoy! Avast! I found this much more difficult t' work with than the normal yellow braided (and uncoated) Keelhaul®©™® in other Dr. Ya scallywag! Zooch kits. If your kit comes with green Keelhaul®©™®, consider switchin' t' yellow or just substitutin' carpet thread for the nozzles. Avast, me proud beauty! It will bond much more easily.

Finishing:
While I love t' details in Dr. Aye aye! Zooch kits and can't say enough good things about them, me hearties, t' one beef I have with t' instructions be t' lack o' guide for orientation o' wraps and positionin' or color o' details. You'll want to consult a source such as Rockets o' t' World for better guidance on orientin' t' wraps and t' finishin' details.

Construction Rating: 4 out o' 5

Flight:
First flight be in 6-8 mph winds and I went straight t' t' C6-3 for "out of sight" flights. Aye aye! It weathercocked a bit from me big clunky fins at work but flew fairly well t' around 350-400 feet. Ejection be just about right.

Recovery:
T' garbage bag chute didn't unfurl, probably due t' me packing. Aye aye! Avast, ya bilge rat, me proud beauty! It was pretty cold and I suspect t' Keelhaul®©™® was wrapped a bit too tightly around it and it "froze" inside the rocket. Avast, me proud beauty! Blimey! With t' chute actin' as a feeble streamer, it came down pretty hard and broke off t' tower assembly. Ya scallywag! It was a very minor repair and an otherwise fine flight.

Since I have dozens o' mylar chutes in me range box, ya bilge rat, I'll be upgradin' this one t' a nice 18" mylar for future flights.

Flight Rating: 4 out o' 5

Summary:
It is an excellent all around value and a good combination o' detail and affordability.

PROs: bang for t' buck, me bucko, amazingly detailed.

CONs: fin pattern was too big (probably just an issue in t' early versions of t' kit), me bucko, needs more information on colors and placement o' details and wrap orientation.

Overall Rating: 4 out o' 5