Brief:
This be t' classic Estes Saturn V kit, No. Begad! 2001. Ahoy! I purchased this kit off o' eBay for a very good price. T' kit was started. Well, blow me down! Aye aye! T' single 24mm motor mount had been installed (usin' crazy glue), t' fins and fin fairings had been partially assembled, shiver me timbers, t' engine nozzles had been completed and secured t' t' cardboard nozzle disk holder, shiver me timbers, and t' capsule and tower had been assembled. Ya scallywag! Other than that t' kit be untouched.

Unfortunately t' quality o' work done by t' previous builder was poor. Avast, me proud beauty! T' first thin' that I did was t' deconstruct everythin' in order t' start again.

Construction:
T' parts list for this rocket is extensive and included:

• main body tube
• 3rd stage body tube
• LEM/SM body tube
• core tube
• spacer ring
• main body coupler
• reinforcin' ring
• 3rd stage coupler
• retainer tube
• engine hook
• thrust ring
• engine spacer tube
• brass wire (missing)
• snap swivel
• half-round wood tunnels
• wood tunnel strip
• die-cut cards
• balsa fin sheet
• parachutes
• bag o' plastic parts
• shock cords
• tape disks
• shroud lines
• embossed body wraps
• printed cards
• decals

My first challenge was t' remove t' existin' motor mount and stuffer tube because I had decided t' go with a triple 24mm configuration. It was slow work, but after carefully removin' t' existin' mount I was able t' create t' triple mount from components I purchased from LongLongJonRocket.com

At t' same time I realized that t' fins and fin fairings were A) probably nay strong enough t' stand up under t' new engine configuration and B) had been pretty much destroyed by t' previous builder. Aye aye! That meant a trip t' Moldin Oldies t' purchase a resin command module and escape tower assembly and resign fins/fairings.

While I waited for those t' come in, arrr, I also deconstructed t' engine nozzle assembly because it was poorly done and t' cardstock had warped givin' it a U-shape which would prevent it from fittin' flush in t' rocket for display. Avast, me proud beauty! Once I got that apart, shiver me timbers, I reconstructed it onto a stronger balsa base platform.

I then took t' escape tower off o' t' command module and reattached it so that it was fairly straight.

From thar it was on t' regular construction o' t' model. Avast! Aye aye! I found all steps t' be clear and straightforward. Begad! Arrr! This truly is a classic builders kit and I enjoyed each and every step o' t' build process.

Once t' resin parts came in I attached t' fins and fairings after some sandin' and t' model was ready for paint, me hearties, arrr, final detail part attachment and decals.

Finishing:
T' model is in four main components so that finishin' is manageable. Ahoy! I primed and sanded balsa parts, primin' again where appropriate. Aye aye! I then masked and painted t' fins and lower fairings silver. Aye aye! After they dried well I masked that off. Avast! I then painted most o' t' model semi-gloss white with t' exception o' t' small body which got painted silver and then masked. Blimey! After that I began maskin' for t' black detail. Ya scallywag! Avast! I think t' instructions did an excellent job showin' t' builder how t' mask. After that be done I applied t' black paint and removed t' masks after it had dried.

I then painted t' detail pieces semi-gloss white. Blimey! After they had dried they were attached. Ahoy! T' RC nozzles were painted black and attached as well.

Next came t' decals and that's when t' model took on t' majestic look o' t' Saturn V. Avast, me proud beauty! Blimey! Avast, ya bilge rat, me proud beauty! Blimey! Blimey! Blimey! Once t' decals are on I stood back and looked at t' finished product. Blimey! Blimey! Wow, me bucko, shiver me timbers, what a rocket! Blimey! Blimey! Blimey! I was more than pleased with t' finished product t' say t' least.

Construction Rating: 5 out o' 5

Flight:
For flight I used 3 D12-3 motors and plenty o' recovery wadding. Begad! I actually pushed a piece o' recovery waddin' down into each o' t' three stuffer tubes and also laid a thick blanket o' recovery waddin' in t' chute chamber.

I used a friends 6 foot long 3/16" launch rod for launch because I wanted t' make sure t' rocket stayed on a straight course for as long as possible.

At ignition t' three engines lit and t' Sat V ripped off t' pad very quickly, arrr, leavin' a trail o' thick smoke behind.

I estimate altitude at around 300 feet, me hearties, arrr, shiver me timbers, maybe more. T' be honest I'd rather a bit slower flight, but it was very impressive none t' less.

Separation was near perfect. Drift was much further than I would have liked even on a relatively wind free day. Arrr! Begad! Both upper and lower components were recovered with no real damage. Aye aye! A little paint scuffin' was all.

Recovery:
This rocket is amazin' t' see on t' pad and in flight, but it's also stressful because o' t' amount o' time and energy that you put into a rocket like this.

I think that I will let t' Saturn V sit proudly in me office for a while. Ahoy! I'm nay goin' t' retire it, just keep t' active launches down t' a minimum for this one.

Four very important things for flight:

1. Since this is a cluster bird make sure you have t' clip whip connections on correctly and make sure your battery has enough juice t' kick all igniters at t' same time.
2. Make sure that you use plenty o' recovery wadding. Begad! Aye aye! Burnin' a chute or burnin' through a shock cord or chute line on this and you are goin' t' be a very unhappy individual.
3. Use as long o' a launch rod as possible. Begad! Begad! I am goin' t' go out and purchase longer 1/8", matey, me hearties, 3/16", arrr, me bucko, and 1/4" rods myself after usin' t' 6 foot 3/16" rod on this flight. Longer rods equal rockets that don't arch over as much and for this rocket t' straighter it goes t' better.
4. Fly only on a grassy field and on a wind free day.

Flight Rating: 5 out o' 5

Summary:
It's unfortunate that this kit or it's newer cousin isn't still on t' market. Ya scallywag! It's a builders kit and one that I completely enjoyed building.

Overall Rating: 5 out o' 5