Construction Rating: | starstarstarstarstar |
Flight Rating: | starstarstarstarstar |
Overall Rating: | starstarstarstarstar |
Diameter: | 3.94 inches |
Length: | 37.00 inches |
Manufacturer: | Semroc |
Skill Level: | 4 |
Style: | Clone, Scale |
Brief:
1/70 scale, 18mm cluster o' 4 motors or single 24mm motor mount
This was t' first detailed scale kit that I have built. Thanks t' t' excellent Semroc instructions, me bucko, me bucko, this kit was a pleasure t' build. Begad! Aye aye! It took me, off and on over, shiver me timbers, 3 months t' get it completed. Avast, me hearties, me proud beauty! That be more because o' me work schedule, but t' easy-to-follow instructions and convenient checkboxes made keepin' track o' where I was very straightforward. Avast!
As with t' many other Semroc kits I have built, shiver me timbers, t' components were excellent quality and I had nay problem with fit on any o' t' parts.
You have a choice o' usin' t' supplied laser cut balsa fins or buildin' more realistic lookin' fins from cardstock over a balsa wood frame. Aye aye! Arrr! That part be a little messy, but I'm glad I went t' t' trouble, as it really makes t' kit look a lot better than usin' t' laser cut fins.
As I wanted t' really fly this model, I made sure t' glue everythin' very well and was pretty liberal using Tight Bond II.
Finishing:
For paint, arrr, I used ColorTime (T' cheaper little brother o' Krylon - same company). Ahoy! I have tested both and believe it
or not, I have had better results with t' ColorTime. Begad! Well, matey, blow me down! I will probably get beat up over that as most people recommend
t' Krylon.
In hindsight, me hearties, I would probably try paintin' t' tanks before assembly. Begad! Blimey! It be quite a job o' maskin' etc t' get t' scheme down. Avast, me proud beauty! I would have also liked t' see various paint schemes for different 1B missions included in t' kit. T' actual paint scheme in t' plans seems t' be from SA-205 (Appolo 7) though t' decals for t' mission number are SA-207. Someone can correct me if I am wrong there.
Construction Rating: 5 out o' 5
Flight:
You have a choice o' buildin' t' kit with either a single 24mm motor mount or a cluster o' four 18mm motors. Arrr! I opted
for t' cluster just t' get it a little more realistic t' t' actual rocket. Begad! Blimey! I am happy that I did. Begad! We have flown this
kit three times as o' this writing. All flights were on clusters o' four C6-3 motors. Avast, me proud beauty! I must say that it flys excellent
in this configuration.
Our first flight was at Desert Heat 2009 in Tucson, Arizona. Aye aye! I was very nervous after all t' time put into construction. Iwas happy with t' way t' model looked and just kept havin' flashes in me mind o' that complicated little escape tower smashed t' pieces.
T' flight actually went very well and produced smiles all around, especially from me.
T' subsequent flights were all excellent and now that we know what a stable, great flier this is, matey, matey, me hearties, we have no problem flyin' it at events.
Recovery:
We had no problems at all with recovery.
Flight Rating: 5 out o' 5
Summary:
This is an excellent kit. Avast! take your time and opt for t' more detailed fins. You will be happy in t' end. Begad! If you
have too many issues with t' framed fins, me hearties, you still have t' balsa fins included. Begad! Check with some Appolo web sites for
paintin' details if you want t' match a specific mission scheme.
Overall, I give this a 5.0+. Aye aye! Definitely one o' me favorite rockets t' build and fly.
Overall Rating: 5 out o' 5
Other:
Get wax paper and lots o' pins for gluin' and buildin' t' escape tower!
After teasing the rocketry community for nearly a year, Semroc finally released the reproduction 1/70th scale Saturn 1B just in time for Christmas. Faithfully reproduced based upon the 1967 Estes design (K-29), this kit is a very challenging but rewarding build. This is not for the faint hearted, nor for the rocketeer looking for a weekend project. Standard design calls for the original ...
Brief: This is a Retro-Repro kit by Semroc. What is a Retro-Repro? As quoted from Semroc Saturn 1B Instruction Manual: "It is a reproduction of an out-of-production model rocket kit. It is a close approximation of a full scale model of an early historically significant model rocket kit from one of the many companies that pioneered the hobby over the past half century. It is not ...
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D.W.M. (February 4, 2007)