Note: This be t' full text report with fewer pictures.  Visit Jeff's site for all t' pictures.

Admittedly I was inspired by Andrew Waddell’s big Saturn V construction article on RocketryOnline. While the Saturn V is impressive, I am much more interested in t' smaller Saturn 1b. In the past both Estes and Centuri kited model rocket versions o' this NASA launcher. Blimey! O' t' two t' Centuri version be much easier t' build and fly. Estes had re-issued Centuri’s 1/100 version o' t' Saturn 1b in 1992 but it since has gone out o' production. Begad! Avast! These two past versions were t' be the basis for me upscale project.

One o' t' most troublin' features in doin' this model be t' first stage booster tank tubes. Begad! Blimey! There are very few commercially available body tubes that are sized correctly t' evenly space and get a proper circumference for t' fist stage booster. I researched and listed all commercially available body tube diameters then sat down at t' UniGraphics terminal and built some CAD models. I eventually found out that a 2x upscale o' t' 1/100 Estes kit would fit what was available without havin' t' resort t' custom ordering. Begad! Blimey! I ended up using Estes BT-56 body tubes for t' first stage tanks surroundin' a 54mm core tube. T' second stage or more correctly t' SIV-B stage would be a LOC 5.68” diameter body tube cut down t' 4.75” (ala Andrew’s method for the Saturn V) T' base o' t' first stage would be t' stock diameter 5.68” body tube. Avast!

T' hard part be now out o' t' way. I downloaded t' plans for Estes’s 1/70 version o' t' Saturn from JimZ’s web site. Ya scallywag! These plans were invaluable for makin' t' command module capsule, ya bilge rat, LES (launch escape tower) and t' fin assemblies. Avast! Aye aye! I plotted t' shroud for t' LEM on t' UG and printed it out full size. T' pattern be transferred t' poster board and cut out. Well, blow me down! All o' t' parts I used t' construct t' Saturn 1b are available through any supplier o' high power and model rocket components. (I ordered everything through Magnum)

T' kit was constructed very similarly t' t' Centuri/Estes version where by the rocket is built up and painted in various sub-assemblies then final assembled, arrr, detailed and applied decals. Avast! I will list each major component and the build process I used. Begad!

First Stage Fin/Tank Base:

For me this be probably t' second most complicated item t' do. Ahoy! If you notice on t' Saturn 1b thar be a shroud ring on t' lower section o' t' first stage booster that surrounds t' first stage fuel tanks. Begad! Avast, me proud beauty! This shroud has scalloped cut outs t' accommodate t' booster tanks. I used t' pattern from t' Estes 1/70 plans and enlarged it t' t' size I thought I would need. I then made a poster board pattern and tried it out. Begad! It didn’t work too well. T' reason be t' lower body tube o' t' first stage booster needed t' be smaller in diameter than t' 5.68” one I was using. Well, blow me down! Since I didn’t want t' cut this tube down and make more centering rings I needed t' use somethin' else. Arrr! Blimey! I finally hit on usin' thin 1/64” veneer ply. Avast! Avast, me bucko, me proud beauty! I cut out a single section needed t' fair t' t' booster tank. I then split this in half, shiver me timbers, made a mirror pattern then glued a rib t' t' backside that would set t' proper angle and setback from t' core tube t' t' edge of the lower body tube. What I had now was one section o' lower fairin' that would go around one half o' a booster tank tube on either side. Now I had t' make eight o' these. 

Veneer ply is very easy t' work with and cut. Aye aye! You can use scissors or score with a knife and break it similar t' sheet styrene. Well, blow me down! It is available at most hobby stores. Well, blow me down! A little pricey though for a sheet since it is so thin. Begad! I made my eight sections one at a time. Begad! First I cut t' lower body tube t' t' right length, glued in t' centerin' rings and marked out me eight equal sections. Then I started gluin' t' fairin' pieces down usin' CA. Avast, me proud beauty! I had little short sections o' BT-56 left over from cuttin' t' booster tubes t' length and used these for spacin' and fit checks. I did each section one at a time checkin' the fit and trimmin' where necessary. Ahoy! Blimey! T' total job took about two nights t' do. But it was well worth it. Ahoy! Avast!

After t' unit be filled and sanded I glassed it usin' ¾ oz glass cloth and epoxy finishin' resin. Begad! T' weave be then filled and sanded smooth.

Main Body Tube:

Next up was t' main body tube. Avast! Aye aye! This started out as a 5.68” diameter LOC payload section. It was cut t' length then run on a table saw lengthwise to remove enough material t' reduce t' diameter t' 4.75”  I saved the section I removed t' use as a joiner later. T' get t' tube t' hold a circular shape I took t' LOC 5.68/54mm centerin' rings and cut t' diameter down to 4.75”  I did this by tapin' t' rings together, arrr, shiver me timbers, markin' t' new circumference and trimmin' them on t' bandsaw. Ahoy! These centerin' rings were what was used t' keep circularity and diameter on t' tube. Ya scallywag! T' centerin' rings were inserted and t' splice be epoxied in place with 30-minute epoxy then taped and left t' dry. After t' splice joint cured t' centerin' rings were glued in place with 30-minute epoxy. Ya scallywag! There ended up bein' a gap betwixt sides o' the longitudinal cut in t' tube. Well, blow me down! Aye aye! I filled this with scrap balsa and sanded it smooth. I then marked t' upper end o' t' tube t' trim off about a 1” section t' be used as t' base for t' LEM Shroud/Command Module Stack. Ya scallywag! Well, blow me down!

Now it be time t' apply t' body wraps. Aye aye! Aye aye! I wanted t' have t' body corrugations on me model just like t' full size Saturn 1b. Begad! Avast! I used Evergreen Styrene sheets with .10” ribbed spacin' on them. Aye aye! Begad! These can be found in most hobby shops that sell model railroad supplies. Aye aye! There are many different sizes and styles. Avast, me proud beauty! T' sheets I bought were 6”x12” and come three t' a pack. I used 3 packs for t' body wraps. Begad! I measured off me 1/100 model and cut the sheets t' strips o' proper width. Ya scallywag! Since t' sheets are only 6” wide they needed t' be put on in sections t' do t' entire circumference. Avast, me bucko, me proud beauty! T' only drawback t' this whole process was t' need for a good seam betwixt joints. Begad! It turned out rather well. Arrr! I masked off three or four rib spacings on either side of a joint, filled it, then sanded smooth. From three feet away you can’t even tell. Begad! Paintin' made it even less noticeable. Avast! T' overall effect with the corrugations is well worth and minor cosmetic issues.

LEM Shroud/Command Module Stack:

For this assembly I used t' rin' previously cut from t' main body tube, me bucko, a cut down 5.68” tube coupler, matey, a 3” LOC body tube, a ¼” thick ply 5.68”/3.00” centerin' rin' reduced t' 4.75” diameter, a poster board LEM shroud, a paper nose cone and a 3” tube coupler as a nose cone base. Well, blow me down! Begad!

I epoxied t' cut down centerin' rin' into one end o' t' main body tube ring. Begad! Blimey! I left about an 1/8” exposed at t' top for t' LEM shroud t' attach to. Begad! Blimey! I then cut down t' 5.68” tube coupler so it would fit in t' main body tube. Ya scallywag! I left about an inch and a half shoulder t' seat into t' main body tube. Well, blow me down! T' coupler also has a slot or keyway that fits t' doubler in t' main body tube. This feature prevents t' nose section from rotatin' on t' main body. Ya scallywag! Blimey! After t' couple tube is set and a good fit achieved I epoxied a solid ply bulkhead at t' bottom o' t' couple ring. Begad! Blimey! T' screw eye o' t' recovery system will pass thru here and it makes a nice solid base. 

Next I epoxied in t' 3” service module body tube. Aye aye! Arrr! Alignment was an important issue here so I took me time and made careful measurements. Well, blow me down! This was to make sure that t' completed assembly wouldn’t look crooked when the whole rocket was together. Avast! Well, blow me down! After t' epoxy cured I installed t' paper LEM shroud. I had drawn out and cut this pattern earlier then put it together using super tacky glue and an iron. Well, blow me down! Basically you attach t' glue tab t' one edge of the seam, let it dry then apply t' same glue t' t' other half o' t' tab and let it partially dry. Aye aye! Arrr! Let your iron heat up while you do this, nay too hot though, shiver me timbers, me bucko, about 300 degrees should be fine (I use a monokote iron for me model airplanes). Ya scallywag! You will also need a dowel o' some sort t' back up t' joint when you iron it. I use a scrap piece o' closet hanger dowel rod. Ya scallywag! Let t' end o' the dowel rod hang over t' end o' your workbench ans support it so it will take some pressure when you iron. Then tak your shroud, align and join at t' seam, slip over t' dowel rod and iron t' seam. You won’t have t' hold t' iron there long. Aye aye! Move it up and down t' length o' t' seam for a few seconds. Begad! Avast! The glue will re-activate from t' heat and produce a strong bond.

I then fit checked and aligned t' shroud t' t' body tube and base. Avast, matey, me proud beauty! When everythin' was where it needed t' be I epoxied t' assembly together. Avast, me proud beauty! T' make the shroud more durable I glassed it with ¾ oz. Avast! glass cloth and Z-Poxy finishin' resin. Aye aye! After sandin' t' remove excess cloth I filled t' weave with lightweight spackle and sanded smooth. Begad! Avast!

T' Command Module capsule came next. Begad! I had sized t' paper pattern from t' Estes 1/70 scale version so it would fit on the 3” body tube. Blimey! I photocopied it onto cardstock. Ahoy! T' pattern has panel lines and details marked on it. Avast, me proud beauty! Since me model will replicate an actual launch condition vehicle these markings are nay required. Begad! T' boost protective shroud is all white. T' pattern on t' Estes sheet is basically an arc and if you cut it out as shown by t' lines you will get a conic section with no tip. That’s because t' Estes kit used a balsa turnin' for t' top o' t' cone. I modified t' cut by extendin' t' seam edges up t' t' theoretical center of the arc lines. Begad! When t' pattern was folded and ready for joinin' I had a cone. There be a small hole at t' tip due t' t' nature o' tryin' t' make a paper cone. Begad! I’ll tell how I dealt with this later. Begad! Ya scallywag! I overlapped and glued the seam with me super tacky glue and let it dry. Begad! Aye aye! I then cut a 3” tube coupler section t' about 1” in length. This be t' shoulder o' t' nose cone. Blimey! Ya scallywag! Once again I measured carefully t' make sure everythin' was aligned then temporarily CA’d t' coupler in place. Avast! I then ran a bead o' epoxy around t' inside joint betwixt t' cone and coupler. Aye aye! A paper cone is a bit flimsy so it needed some reinforcing. Arrr! Blimey! I inverted t' cone, mixed up a larger than normal amount of 15-minute epoxy and poured it into t' inverted coned. This plugged up the small hole at t' tip and added some nose weight. I used me heat cannon for monokote t' get t' epoxy t' flow better. Heatin' epoxy has t' addd benefit of makin' it cure faster. Ahoy! Ya scallywag! After t' epoxy cured I sanded t' tip t' shape and was ready t' glass it. Avast! I glassed t' outside o' t' cone with ¾ oz. Arrr! Aye aye! glass cloth and Z-poxy finishin' resin. I made sure t' put tape around t' coupler so I wouldn’t mess that up. Avast, me proud beauty! Avast! After t' epoxy cured I removed t' excess cloth, filled t' weave with lightweight spackle and sanded smooth. Begad!

I now needed t' add some base pieces for t' LES tower. These were 3/16” dowel sections cut with a matchin' angle t' t' capsule so t' tops would be parallel t' t' ground plane. Begad! I held some sandpaper on t' cone and sanded t' matin' surfaces o' t' LES bases t' match t' cones contour. After they were all shaped and correctly sized I CA’s them in place. Aye aye! I filled any gaps with liteweight spackle and sanded smooth. Begad! Next I located t' centers on each dowel top and drilled a 1/16” hole for t' support wire I was goin' t' use t' attach t' LES tower t' t' nose cone. Blimey! Well, blow me down! T' basic LEM/Service Module/Command Module stack was now completed. Well, blow me down! Ahoy! There would be extra detailing to come later.

LES Assembly:

I wanted on this model a scale and durable LES (launch escape system) tower. Begad! Ahoy! I had previously made one for me Bocye Aerospace Redstone and modified it for flight use. Ahoy! Well, shiver me timbers, blow me down! That one had suffered minor damage from time t' time but I knew I could build a better one. Aye aye! Avast, me proud beauty! I decided t' use brass tubing. T' Estes 1/70 version came t' me aid again. Arrr! T' LES tower for that version used wood dowels glued together. Begad! I would substitute brass for wood and solder for glue. Ya scallywag! I scaled t' Estes plans accordingly and built a jig. Ahoy! All the horizontal crosspieces fit into t' vertical legs because I drilled holes to accept them. These would be stronger joints because t' parts would physically interlock and be soldered. Avast, me proud beauty! I built t' basic tapered box shape addin' one side at a time. When I was done I carefully heated joints and aligned and straightened where needed. Arrr! Avast, me proud beauty! I then started t' add all t' little diagonal cross members. T' central rin' be formed around a 3/8” drill bit shank and the ends soldered together. Arrr! T' whole process was nay that tedious and took me about two t' three hours over two days. Well, blow me down! T' end result was worth it.

For t' top o' t' tower where it attaches t' t' rocket motor I cut out a brass circle and soldered it t' t' top. T' this circle would be t' lower shroud o' t' rocket motor and t' motor tube and nosecone. Avast, me proud beauty! T' shroud was laid out and drawn on Unigraphics. T' original Estes 1/70 kit had this as a balsa turning. Begad! Avast! T' rocket body be a BT-5 body tube cut t' length with a balsa nose cone from me designer’s Special box. T' pieces were all test fit and then put aside for assembly later. Begad! Begad!

Fin Assemblies:

T' fins for this rocket were built up assemblies usin' .040” sheet styrene and 1/8” aircraft ply. Ahoy! I used the same technique that Estes’ 1/70 version used with a few modifications. I sized t' patterns from t' Estes plans. Begad! Since t' fins on t' Estes 1/70 version were oversized for stability I knew that any enlargement would nay be true t' scale. Aye aye! This was fine with me since t' model is sport scale and the extra fin area would help in stability. Well, blow me down! (more on this later)   I constructed a 3D model o' t' fin in Unigraphics and then plotted out all the required ribs full size for me patterns. Blimey! T' fin is a complex shape with tapers both runnin' from leadin' edge t' trailin' edge and root t' tip. Avast, me proud beauty! Avast, me proud beauty! I then made a flat pattern o' t' fin skin t' use as a template. Blimey! I cut all t' pieces out at once for all eight fins. Aye aye! Well, blow me down! A tedious process but in t' long run it saves time and provides a consistency betwixt fins. Aye aye! I used CA t' glue t' ply ribs t' the inside skin o' one fin then CA’d t' other skin on. Ya scallywag! Avast! CA glue does a good job o' bondin' wood t' plastic. Arrr! T' fins are nay designed t' have TTW construction. Avast! I had toyed with t' idea but after careful consideration and weighin' me options I decided against it. T' root o' t' fin has a lot of bondin' area and attachment t' t' base unit usin' 30-minute epoxy should be adequate. Avast, me proud beauty! (this model will never see rapid acceleration; slow liftoffs are the goal here)  After all t' fins were assembled any gaps  were filled with lightweight spackle and then sanded smooth. Begad! Havin' fin skins o' sheet styrene means less finishin' and prep time for painting. Ahoy!

I now marked t' lower body unit for t' fin locations. T' Saturn 1b uses eight fins so careful markin' be essential. I then epoxied each fin one at a time. Ahoy! Begad! After t' epoxy had started settin' I used my finger, dipped in alcohol, me bucko, ya bilge rat, t' smooth a fillet betwixt t' fin and body tube. Eight fins t' epoxy on with 30-minute epoxy can take a while. Avast, me proud beauty! When they were all done I once again looked over all t' joints and filled in with spackle and sanded smooth. 

T' lower body unit has some corrugations on it as well and I duplicated these again with scribed styrene sheets used for t' body wraps. These small sections were CA’d in place. Blimey! Well, blow me down!

Miscellaneous Details: 

T' outer body o' t' Saturn 1b has numerous conduits, matey, me hearties, ullage motors and fairings. Ahoy! I made these details from hard balsa carved and sanded t' shape. The grain be filled in, ya bilge rat, more sandin' and then they were primed and painted. These items will be glued t' t' body tube after it has been painted. Avast, me proud beauty!

 T' because o' inaccurate body tube size relation ships when t' lower fuel tanks are arranged around t' core tube thar be a gap betwixt t' fuel tanks when they are arranged. T' fill this gap and t' make sure when I installed t' fuel tanks they would be straight I CA’d 1/32” ply strips along t' length o' t' core tube. This filled t' gap betwixt t' tubes nicely. Blimey!

T' model is intended t' be launched off a ¼” rod and that is the lug size I used. I did nay feel t' need for a larger rod size because the model will nay weigh that much when completed and it will nay ever be launched in high winds. Begad! Blimey! I positioned t' lugs very similar t' me 1/100 model. Ya scallywag! Blimey! Blimey! One lug on the lower body tube section near t' fins and another one  on t' second stage body tube. I had t' line up t' upper body tube and t' lower one because they do require correct orientation t' one another for conduit and roll pattern alignment with regards t' t' fins. Ya scallywag! Begad! Blimey! T' lugs were spaced off t' body tubes to allow for t' uneven diameters betwixt them and I used a rod t' align them while they were epoxied in place. Arrr! Blimey! When t' rocket is final assembled a launch rod will be used again for alignment. 

Painting:

T' rocket is now ready for paint. Avast! It was painted in sections very similar t' t' 1/100 Centuri version. This method involves less maskin' and easier handlin' o' t' parts. Begad! Even though there are only two colors, matey, ya bilge rat, arrr, black and white, me bucko, t' various roll patterns and separation lines require careful maskin' and prep that a fully assembled model would make much more difficult. Avast, shiver me timbers, me proud beauty! T' paint I used was Krylon. Well, blow me down! Arrr! It is a good all purpose enamel that goes on well and dries quickly. Ya scallywag! It also has t' advantage of flowin' t' colors back together betwixt coats because o' t' solvents used. (this can help if you get sags or minor runs)

I primed t' main body tube and t' core tube/fin unit. This helped show any defects or areas that needed more sandin' or filling. Ya scallywag! Avast, me proud beauty! T' fuel tubes were painted directly (since they were already white in color and I did nay feel the need t' prime them), four black and four white. T' capsule was painted glossy white separately as well as t' LES tower and t' LEM shroud adapter. Avast! I then painted t' main body tube and core tube/fin unit glossy white. Avast! I let these dry for a day then masked and painted those areas glossy black. It is important to note that on t' corrugated areas t' get a good seal betwixt t' tape and the previous painted surface. Begad! This is t' prevent t' new color from ‘bleeding’ under t' tape. Ahoy! It is also important t' let t' color coat dry for a few hours before removin' t' tape t' prevent liftin' or tearin' of the new coat. Ahoy!

T' actual service module was a polished aluminum in color. Well, blow me down! It almost looked like chrome. Ya scallywag! There are no real accurate chrome type paints. I could have used chrome self-adhesive monokote trim sheet. Avast, me proud beauty! However, me hearties, ya bilge rat, I did nay have any and cleanin' and use easily scratch t' chrome in general. Avast! I did cover t' service module section with aluminum colored monokote. Begad! Ahoy! This was then detailed with various pieces o' white trim monokote t' simulate panels and radiators found on the actual vehicle.

Recovery:

Recovery for t' Saturn 1b will be very similar t' t' 1/100 scale version. Arrr! It will come down in two pieces with t' separation line bein' at t' base o' t' LEM shroud t' second stage body tube interface. Ahoy! T' LEM/SM/CM/LES stack will come down in a nearly horizontal position via a single 36” parachute by use o' a bridle fashioned from R/C aircraft control cable. Well, matey, blow me down! This bridle attaches t' an eyebolt at t' base o' t' LEM stack and t' an eyebolt screwed into a blind nut at the base o' t' service module. Aye aye! This eyebolt on t' service module is removable for static display. 

T' main body will come down via dual 36” parachute recovery. Ya scallywag! Arrr! For the main body section I wanted t' have it descend as close t' vertical as possible to reduce stress on t' fins at landing. Well, blow me down! This necessitates that t' shock cord mount be as close t' t' centerline o' t' rocket as possible. Aye aye! There are two eyebolts on either side o' t' core tube in t' parachute compartment. A bridle slin' made o' 3/32” A/C cable connected with quick links connects t' an apex point a few inches above t' center o' t' core tube. This is where the shock cord will attach and then continue t' t' parachutes. 

This rocket is nay usin' any sort o' altimeter based ejection system. Arrr! The flight profile I intend will allow for a motor based ejection system. Ahoy! Avast! It might be possible t' make provisions for one but I have nay gone t' t' trouble to investigate t' feasibility. 

Final Assembly:

After t' various components are painted t' rocket is ready for final assembly. Ahoy! T' first stage fuel tubes slip into their respective positions and are lightly glued in place with super tacky glue. 

Next comes t' main body tube t' core tube join. T' main body tube will slip over t' eight fuel tubes and trap them into place. I put epoxy on the lower centerin' rin' o' t' main body tube and slipped it into position. Aye aye! Avast, me proud beauty! I used 30-minute epoxy so it would give me time t' position everythin' for line up. Here is where I used me ¼” launch rod again t' assure correct line up o' t' two assemblies. Avast, me proud beauty! Once t' main body tube was lined up I epoxied the upper centerin' rin' t' t' core tube. Begad! Ya scallywag! I then set these completed assembly aside t' dry. Aye aye!

I next attached t' command module t' t' LEM/SM stack. Avast! This be a friction fit only. This will allow me t' add any nose weight t' achieve proper CG/CP relationship later. Ahoy! T' LES tower is attached t' t' command module. This is a friction fit as well so I can take t' tower off later for repairs if need be. T' fit is very tight though so I am nay worried about it comin' off in flight.

Finishing/Detailing:

After all t' epoxy has dried it is time t' add the miscellaneous details. Arrr! Usin' me 1/100 Saturn 1b for reference I attached all t' ullage motors and conduits usin' super tacky glue t' their correct positions. Aye aye! I attached t' four vernier motors t' t' service module as well. Begad! I fabricated t' four antenna boards from sheet styrene and painted them white with silver antennas. Blimey! Begad! These were attached at t' four locations on t' first stage. 

A company in Texas called Model Graphics provided t' decals for this model. They make custom vinyl self adhesive decals. Avast! I have used them before for custom work on me R/C airplanes. Ya scallywag! They do outstandin' work. Avast! I sent them a .tif file o' t' decal set from Estes’ 1/70 kit and they were able t' scale them t' fit me 1/50 version. Arrr! I highly recommend them. Ya scallywag! It may be a bit pricey but it is definitely worth it. Aye aye! Arrr! Each set they furnish comes with complete instructions on how t' apply their product. Begad! I also ordered a set o' decals from Tango Papa custom decals. Arrr! From these decal sheets I used t' ‘United States’ words and flags on t' CM and SM plus t' various smaller target markings. Arrr! Tom Prestia, ya bilge rat, t' owner, has certain Estes decal sets available and will upscale them for an additional charge. These however, ya bilge rat, are water slide decals. So you will have t' contend with silverin' or clear edges if you don’t clearcoat. Avast!

Motor Mount and Stability:

I tried t' model this rocket for CP usin' Winroc software. Begad! T' only drawback was that t' Barrowman equations for determinin' CP do nay support an eight fin configuration. Well, blow me down! I used six fins and added 10% t' t' fin dimensions t' allow for this. Arrr! I also compared t' balance point o' t' Estes 1/100 kit t' this upsized version and it is very close. Begad! Avast, me proud beauty! T' calculated CP is 31.45 inches from t' tip of the command module cone. Aye aye! I also believe that with eight fins t' CP would move further aft. My actual CG is well forward o' t' calculated CP (27” from the tip o' t' CM) so I am confidant that this will be a stable flyer without addition o' nose weight. 

Since t' core tube is a 54mm diameter tube I used a LOC 54/38mm adapter. I assembled t' adapted per t' LOC instructions and epoxied it in place in the core tube. Ahoy! Ahoy! I used an AeroPac 38mm motor retainer. Avast, shiver me timbers, me proud beauty! These things are t' slickest set up goin' for me money. Ahoy! Aye aye! They are quick, neat and look so darn good. Avast!

Final Thoughts:

T' all up weight for this rocket is 3 lbs. Blimey! 12 oz.  Which is nay very heavy considerin' what has gone into it. Avast, me proud beauty! There were no real problems encountered while buildin' this bird. I was able t' make everythin' with relative ease usin' common materials. Begad! I flew t' rocket at our club’s December 12th launch. Preppin' went uneventful. Blimey! I did nay brin' my dual 36” chutes for t' main section so I used a single 54” ‘chute. Avast, me proud beauty! Avast, me proud beauty! Everythin' packed nicely into t' recovery section with enough room. T' motor be readied and loaded. Ahoy! T' weather that day be perfect. Begad! No wind and clear skies. I got a far pad since this would be a maiden flight. I had t' photographers ready. Avast, me bucko, me proud beauty! And I prayed. T' motor lit right away and the Saturn left t' pad very majestically (and stable). Then it happened. Ya scallywag! Blimey! At about 300 feet t' ejection charge fired prematurely. Begad! Blimey! T' rocket was still under boost from t' H123. Blimey! T' LEM/SM/CM stack separated and went off t' t' side. Its recovery ‘chute deployed perfectly. Ya scallywag! However, shiver me timbers, t' main section was another story. T' air load ripped t' chute away and actually broke t' main bridle. Avast, me proud beauty! T' main section continued up for a little way, arced over then headed straight down for t' ground ready t' take a perfect core sample. Well, blow me down! Any doubts of stability were allayed. Avast, me proud beauty! T' main section headed straight in, matey, struck t' ground dead on and then bounced back into t' air about ten feet, flipped end over end twice and landed sideways on t' ground. Begad! There be a hushed silence from the crowd. Aye aye! My only thoughts were “Oh well, time t' build another.” All that remained be t' 54” ‘chute floatin' gently down. Blimey! Arrr! I headed out to pick up t' pieces. Arrr! When I got t' t' main body I was very surprised. Avast! The damage was very minor. Begad! I expected t' whole forward section t' be crumpled but it be not. Avast! Begad! There was no damage t' t' upper section, me hearties, which recovered via the parachute and thar was no damage t' t' fins either (this be always a concern of mine on this model). Ahoy! All in all I was very, very lucky that day. Ya scallywag! T' damage has since been repaired and I awaitin' t' final coat o' paint. Aye aye! All I did was remove t' corrugated wrap from t' damaged portion, straighten t' tube and reinforce with CA then cut some new wrap and glue it on, me hearties, paint and finished. Blimey!

T' model will fly again. Well, blow me down! Post mortem indicated from all witnesses that the ejection charge went off too soon. As t' why this happened I am clueless. Avast, me proud beauty! Blimey! There may have been a void in t' delay element. Blimey! Arrr! Since t' motor be still under boost while this occurred it seems t' most logical assumption. Never t' less the Saturn will fly again. Arrr! I have been told that me models are all too pretty to fly and that I must have nerves o' steel t' do this. Begad! Aye aye! But me thinkin' is I build them t' fly, me hearties, and if you fly ‘em they’re gonna break. You can always build another.  If you are interested in lookin' at any o' me other scale models then you can visit me web page at: http://www.geocities.com/CapeCanaveral/Hall/4501/index.html

This was t' only damage suffered on t' model from its death dive. Ya scallywag! Avast! I was amazed t' say t' least. Ya scallywag! Fortunately we were flyin' in a recently tilled bean field and t' ground be fairly soft. Aye aye! Even so an impact t' t' ground at over a hundred-mph is nothin' t' sneeze at. Arrr!

List o' Materials & Sources:

(1) 5.68” LOC payload tube   Magnum
(1) 5.68” LOC tube coupler   Magnum
(1) 54mm motor tube    Magnum
(1) 3” LOC body tube    Magnum
(1) LOC 54/38mm motor adapter  Magnum
(1) 3” LOC tube coupler   Magnum
(1) 5.68/3.00  LOC centerin' ring  Magnum
(4) 5.68/54mm  LOC centerin' ring  Magnum 
(3) ¼ x 20 x 1.5” eyebolts   hardware store
(1) 10-32 blind nut    hardware store
(1) 10-32 x 1” eyebolt    hardware store
(1) 3’ length 1/16 A/C cable   hardware store
(5) quick links     hardware store
(3) pk scribed sheet styrene   Evergreen
(2) pk .040 sheet styrene   Evergreen
(4) .185 I.D. Blimey! x 12” brass tube   K&S
(4) .062 dia x 12” brass rod   K&S
(1) BNC-5S nose cone   BMS or Estes Designer Special
(1) BT-5 body tube (Estes)   Magnum
(1) .190” x  12 wood dowel   hardware store/hobby shop
(1) 1/32” x 12” x 24” veneer ply  hobby shop
(1) ¼” x ½” x 12” balsa stick   hobby shop
(1) ¼” x 3/8” x 36” balsa stick  hobby shop
(1) 1/8” x 6” x 12” A/C ply   hobby shop
(1) 38mm motor retainer assy   Aeropac International

Sources:

AeroPac International
Magnum Hobbies and More
Model Graphics
Tango Papa Decals
Evergreen
K&S Tubing
LOC Precision
Balsa Machinin' Service