Brief:
Sheri's Hot Rockets Saturn V is a high power (54 mm engine mount), 1/48 scale model o' t' famous NASA moon rocket (Sheri also offers this Saturn V with dual 29mm engine mounts although I wouldn't recommend it as it needs t' bigger motors). Sheri keeps a consistent "Buy It Now" presence on eBay or you can order it directly off her website. Arrr! As o' this writing, t' list price is $449, arrr, although she does have occasional sales where she'll knock t' price down a bit and/or offer free shipping. However, as I've noted in other reviews o' SHR, most o' her kits are literally built t' order so be prepared for a wait.

Construction:
T' kit that I purchased includes t' followin' parts:

• 1 main body tube, 8.25" x 49"
• 1 tube coupler, 8.25" x 3"
• 1 upper stage body tube 5.25" x 24"
• 1 3.125" Service Module body tube
• 1 Styrene sheet 0.010" thick
• 1 Styrene sheet 0.030" thick
• 1 Fiberboard stock 1/8" x 12" x 12" (for display nozzle mount).
• 4 ¼" ply centerin' rings (not all t' same, but they're marked)
• 6 corrugated styrene wraps
• 2 sheets white cardboard stock
• 125 1mm x 1mm styrene detail strips
• Cast resin Apollo Command Module
• Cast resin LES rocket
• 5 Cast resin F1 Main Engine display nozzles
• 38mm motor mount tube with 54mm-38mm reducer rings
• 54mm motor mount tube
• 5 pieces 3/32" round styrene tubing
• 1 Shock Cord eyelet w/ blind nut
• 1 Shock Cord eyelet with screw end
• 1 piece 1/8" x 1/8" x 3" long hardwood stock
• 1 piece 3/8" round by 6" long hardwood dowel
• 2 piece 3/16" round by 4" long hardwood dowel
• 3 piece ¼" x 3/8" x 36" long square balsa stock
• 2 piece 3/16" x 3/8" x 36" long balsa stock
• 1 piece 3/16" x 1/4" x 18" long balsa stock
• 2 "L" brackets with nuts/bolts/washers
• 5 flathead brass screws
• 2 wood screws
• 2 ¼" launch lugs
• 1 set waterslide decals
• 1-¼" x 1" x 1" fiberboard anchor block for screw eyelet
• 1/8" x ¾" x 6 ¼" plywood fin structure
• 4 Bolt/Washer/Blind nut assemblies (optional for LEM section attachment)
• Full size construction drawing
• 49 page Instruction manual
• Template Manual
• CD-ROM copy o' t' instructions with a RockSim file

Sheri's kits do nay include parachutes or shock cords--she recommends 2 x 55-60" chutes for t' lower portion and a 60" chute for t' upper portion.

As be t' case with t' Sheri's Saturn 1B, I purchased me kit shortly after it was introduced, shiver me timbers, and Sheri subsequently made some improvements. Well, blow me down! After I noticed on t' website that t' Saturn kits had been improved with more cast resin parts, me hearties, arrr, I emailed askin' if I could purchase t' extra resin parts for t' Saturn V kits. Sheri be happy t' oblige. Aye aye! She'd upped t' price o' t' Saturn kits when she improved it, so I paid t' difference betwixt t' current price and what I'd paid. Avast! T' additional parts for t' Saturn V were:

• 4 engine fairin' assemblies
• 4 fins
• 4 piece upper stage transition shroud
• 5 display engine nozzles (nicer than those originally included)
• 4 "Reaction Control Systems" (the maneuverin' rockets on t' command module)
• Escape tower parts (I didn't use these)
• A number o' detail parts

These cast resin part are a vast improvement over t' original kit. Well, me bucko, blow me down! As purchased, arrr, arrr, t' fairin' assemblies were manufactured from pieces o' body tube and plywood with each stringer an individual piece o' 1mm x 1mm styrene that was glued into place. Ya scallywag! Similarly all t' stringers on t' 2nd-3rd stage transition shroud were individually glued into place. Avast! Avast, ya bilge rat, me proud beauty! I suspect many modelers wouldn't have bothered and just left t' stringers off.

As with t' other SHR models, me hearties, t' full size construction drawin' is a nice touch--providin' quick reference when you're unsure how it should go together. Ya scallywag! Blimey! One downside is that this drawin' is so big that findin' somewhere t' put it is non-trivial. I ended up tackin' it t' t' wall...

T' 8.25" diameter main body tube is simply massive. Begad! T' 5.25" diameter third stage body tube be t' same tube used in her companion Saturn 1B kit, and t' 8.25" tube is o' t' same 1/8" thick walled, uncoated type. Begad! As I did on t' S1B kit, I pre-finished t' two big body tubes prior t' assembly by rubbin' slight thinned Elmer's Fill 'n' Finish into t' tube surfaces. Well, blow me down! After it dried, me bucko, I sanded it down with 180 grit and then 300 grit sandpaper. Arrr! As before, this worked well, matey, but workin' a body tube over 8 inches in diameter and 4 feet long took a long, shiver me timbers, long time. Ahoy! Begad! It turned out that this would become a common theme while buildin' this rocket.

Make no mistake, this is a big rocket. By far t' largest rocket I've built t' date. Effectively this be t' largest Saturn V rocket you can display with a typical 8 foot ceilin' (with t' display nozzles in place, me hearties, arrr, it clears me 8ft ceilin' by little more than an inch). Ahoy! Previously, ya bilge rat, t' largest rocket I'd built had been t' 1/70th scale Apogee Saturn V (yes, ya bilge rat, I do really like Saturns). Avast, me proud beauty! While t' difference betwixt 1/70th and 1/48th may nay sound like that much, me hearties, arrr, shiver me timbers, remember t' effect is three dimensional, ya bilge rat, effectively makin' Sheri's Saturn 3 times t' size o' t' Apogee Saturn. Avast! Well, blow me down! With somethin' this big, even seemingly ordinary steps can be very time consuming. Ahoy! Nay necessarily a bad thing, but be prepared. Ya scallywag! This is a long, involved build.

That bein' said, t' actual build o' this rocket is relatively straightforward. Avast, me proud beauty! Begad! I think it may have been easier t' build than t' SHR Saturn 1B, although it did take quite a bit longer due t' t' larger size. Well, matey, blow me down! T' cast resin engine fairin' assemblies were particularly appreciated. Begad! T' original instructions devoted 10 pages t' buildin' up t' fairings. Blimey! Aye aye! With t' assemblies, matey, arrr, it be reduced t' markin' t' body tube and gluin' t' fairings in place. Well, blow me down! Begad! I wrapped some coarse sandpaper around t' body tube t' sand t' appropriate body tube contour t' t' fairings, thick CA be used t' attach t' fairings, and then epoxy fillets were added for strength. T' fins are then simply glued t' t' fairings (again, matey, attached with CA then epoxy fillets). Blimey! Durin' an email exchange with Sheri after me Saturn be completed, shiver me timbers, arrr, she suggested addin' small screws t' anchor t' fairings t' t' body tube if you plan t' use particularly high thrust engines. Since mine was already finished, I didn't bother t' retrofit t' change, but if you're plannin' t' build one as a flier, it would be a worthwhile addition. Begad! A more robust fin attachment may also be in order. Blimey! Begad! Betwixt two flights and two cross-country shipments, I think I've knocked every fin off at least once.

T' 49 pages o' instructions for t' basic assembly o' t' rocket are reasonably good (and as noted, ya bilge rat, me hearties, t' full size construction drawin' is helpful), plus thar are several more pages o' templates and patterns for makin' t' various parts and pieces. As was t' case with t' Saturn 1B, me bucko, t' instructions for addin' additional details were weak--basically little more than "shape t' part from balsa stock per t' template", although anyone capable o' buildin' this rocket really doesn't need much more in t' way o' details. Well, blow me down! T' cast resin detail parts were a nice additional, arrr, although they are nay all that detailed. Ya scallywag! Begad! Again, arrr, if you want t' make it super detailed you'll need t' modify or make parts from scratch. Blimey! Aye aye! Havin' already decided that this was t' be a flier, me bucko, I didn't worry about addin' additional details.

Like Sheri's Little Joe II and Saturn 1B kits, me hearties, this kit uses corrugated styrene sheets t' simulate t' external stringers. Aye aye! T' corrugated sheets are pre-cut t' t' appropriate width, although with a main body tube circumference o' over 25 inches, ya bilge rat, ya bilge rat, it is necessary t' glue three sections o' styrene together t' get t' necessary length (usin' pieces o' t' 0.010" styrene as a doubler). Blimey! Attachment o' t' wraps was similar t' that for t' Apogee Saturns: tapin' t' wraps in place then usin' CA t' seal t' edges t' t' body tube.

Again, as with Sheri's other kits, t' tube couplers need t' be cut down t' t' appropriate diameter, although at least t' main body tube coupler is pre-cut t' length. Arrr! Avast, me proud beauty! (I fear cuttin' a length off that massive 8.25" body tube would have proved challenging.)

One step that proved somewhat difficult is centerin' t' upper stage transitions. Ya scallywag! Most kits provide centerin' rings t' locate t' smaller diameter body tubes in t' center o' t' transition. Sheri's kits simply provide a solid bulkhead, matey, and t' smaller tube is butt glued t' t' center o' t' bulkhead. Begad! It works, but it is tricky t' get everythin' correctly positioned and centered. Begad! Avast! In fact t' entire 2nd-3rd stage transition be tricky. Arrr! T' transition shroud is made from 0.030" styrene, arrr, ya bilge rat, and per t' original instructions, arrr, me bucko, t' stringers were individually glued into place, which was tedious and difficult. Blimey! Avast, me proud beauty! With t' additional cast resin transition shroud pieces, it's a relatively straightforward matter t' fit and glue t' cast shroud pieces in place. Begad! Well, blow me down! However, me bucko, shiver me timbers, one thin' I'd change be t' attachment o' t' shroud t' t' bulkhead: per t' instructions t' shroud overlaps t' bulkhead with t' corrugated wrap at t' top o' t' 2nd stage and everythin' would match up. Ahoy! However, with t' cast resin shroud pieces on top o' t' styrene transition, matey, arrr, t' base o' t' shroud ends up significantly larger in diameter than t' top o' t' 2nd stage, me bucko, makin' for a very noticeable step. If I had it t' do over again, I'd fit t' shroud t' t' top o' t' bulkhead, me bucko, ya bilge rat, then cover t' bulkhead/shroud joint with t' cast resin pieces.

This uses t' same cast resin Apollo capsule as t' Saturn 1B kit. Ahoy! It's big, me bucko, solid, me hearties, and heavy at 8 ounces (although as it turned out, nay quite heavy enough). Arrr! Aye aye! T' additional parts Sheri sent me included cast resin parts for t' escape tower. However, matey, shiver me timbers, as with t' Saturn 1B, I elected t' scratch build t' escape tower from styrene tubing. I think t' scratch built tower looks better, and I sort o' enjoyed t' challenge.

Sheri includes ¼" launch lugs, but given t' large size and weight, I felt these would be insufficient so I left them off and I fitted rail buttons. Avast, me proud beauty! Blimey! Unfortunately I overlooked a detail when addin' t' buttons: rails are rather wide and initially I didn't provide sufficient clearance for t' rail t' clear t' engine fairing. Avast, me proud beauty! Well, blow me down! I strongly recommend t' addition o' t' rail buttons--just be sure t' center them betwixt t' fairings.

Finishing:
As noted previously, matey, me bucko, ya bilge rat, I pre-finished t' body tubes before startin' assembly. Avast, me proud beauty! But this thin' is big. Avast! Well, blow me down! Really big. Begad! Arrr! It takes a lot o' priming, sanding, and paintin' t' paint. Ya scallywag! Begad! In fact, I went through more than three 12oz cans o' automotive primer and another three plus 12oz cans o' Krylon color while paintin' this Saturn. I did make things a little simpler by paintin' t' main rocket before addin' t' detail parts, me bucko, which I'd painted separately.

Maskin' for t' black roll patterns be particularly troublesome since sealin' around t' sharply defined corrugations be extremely difficult. Avast! Ya scallywag! This was particularly true for t' 2nd-3rd stage transition. Ya scallywag! Despite me best efforts, me hearties, I got a lot o' bleed through o' t' black paint. Well, blow me down! A trick that I successfully used t' 'patch' t' black bleed through on white/black patterns is dry film typin' correction tape. Ya scallywag! It's delicate t' work with, but it can provide straight, crisp color breaks, and t' color match is generally at least as good if nay better than touch-ups o' white paint with a paintbrush. With a coat o' clear, t' fix is nearly invisible. Ahoy! I then used Krylon Chrome t' paint t' fins and lower fairings and t' Command Service Module.

T' waterslide decals by Space Model Systems are beautiful, reasonably easy t' apply, me hearties, and come with good instructions on placement. Begad! (Although once again, me hearties, it's time consumin' t' apply them.) After maskin' off t' chrome painted areas, shiver me timbers, me bucko, a coat o' clear finished everythin' off [Note: you do not want t' clear coat chrome paint--it ruins t' chrome finish. Been there, arrr, done that.] T' effect is striking. It was a whole lot o' work, but t' result was a really good looking, arrr, really big Saturn V model.

As purchased, I wonder if I would have built this kit (and if I had, matey, thar be a good chance I would have left all those stringers off t' fin-fairings and t' 2nd-3rd stage transition). Blimey! Blimey! But t' post-purchase improvements make it worthwhile. Avast! Blimey! I still have reservations regardin' t' rough surface body tubes and t' detail parts could have better detail, matey, but overall it makes for a good kit. Blimey! Blimey! I'd rate it betwixt a 3 ½ and 4. Aye aye! Blimey! Aye aye! Blimey! Givin' it t' benefit o' t' doubt, me bucko, matey, I'll call it a 4.

Construction Rating: 4 out o' 5

Flight:
As previously noted, Sheri's kits do nay include recovery components. Although she recommended two 55"-60" parachutes for t' lower section, matey, I ended up goin' with a single 90" X-form chute, connected with a generous length o' nylon strap. Arrr! Blimey! For t' upper section I went with t' recommended 60" chute with a harness t' hold it horizontal t' protect t' escape tower on landing. Aye aye! Blimey! After me less than successful experience with t' Saturn 1B harness, I decided on overkill. I drilled a hole through t' top o' t' upper stage and t' upper transition coupler, me hearties, epoxied a nut inside t' coupler, and threaded a (removable) eye bolt through t' attach t' harness. It also acts as a positive retention for t' upper transition and Apollo capsule.

For positive engine retention I added an Aero Pack 54mm engine retainer. Begad! Sheri includes parts for a 38mm-55mm motor mount adapter, arrr, but for it's first flight with a 38mm motor, I invested in an Aero Pack 38mm-54mm adapter. Well, blow me down! T' Aero Pack retainer and adapter are outside this review, me hearties, but they are fantastic--definitely five stars!

With parachutes, shiver me timbers, arrr, chute protector, engine retainer, six cans o' paint, epoxy, shiver me timbers, etc. Well, blow me down! (but less engine), this Saturn V weighed in at a whoppin' 12 pounds. Aye aye! Before it be finished I'd gone into RockSim with Sheri's baseline file, shiver me timbers, ya bilge rat, me hearties, and decided an I211W-S would be ideal for t' first flight. Aye aye! Unfortunately t' weight in Sheri's RockSim file was rather optimistic, me bucko, me bucko, and me Saturn V was over 3 pounds heavier. Suddenly an I211 was marginal for velocity off t' rail, ya bilge rat, but since I'd already purchased t' motor and since a 38/480 was at t' time t' longest 38mm casin' I had, I was somewhat committed.

First flight be at "Fire in t' Sky 2009", better known as FITS, a major high power launch held in central Washington over Memorial Day weekend. Avast, me proud beauty! Showin' up at pretty much any launch with this rocket will make you a center o' attention, and FITS was no exception. Blimey! As previously mentioned, t' rail buttons proved t' be an issue when t' launch rail wouldn't clear t' fin fairings. (To help hide t' black buttons I'd centered them in t' black section o' t' roll patterns.) So thar was a false start and a minor thrash while I relocated t' rail buttons. But finally everythin' came together. Ya scallywag! Begad! Liftoff o' a big Saturn V is spectacular, ya bilge rat, and this be no exception. There be a slight weathercock off t' rail (remember that marginal velocity off t' rail) but t' flight was spectacular. I'm nay sure about t' altitude. Ya scallywag! RockSim said 610 ft, but it didn't look that high t' me. Aye aye! Perhaps me perception be fooled due t' t' large size. At any rate, ejection occurred a moment after apogee and t' chutes opened shortly thar after. Blimey! Avast! There was a minor problem: t' lengthy shock cords for t' upper and lower sections become entangled so t' two sections came down together. Aye aye! T' main concern be that t' entangled shock cord had t' effect o' reefin' that big main parachute, arrr, shiver me timbers, ya bilge rat, so descent be a little more rapid than I would have liked, me hearties, arrr, however, touchdown damage be minor. T' most serious bein' one fin bein' snapped off.

After repairs and a cross-country shipment came t' big test. This be goin' t' be me Level 2 Cert Flight at LDRS 28. Aye aye! Begad! Motor selection was a 54mm J275W-S (we had a discussion at FITS, arrr, it be agreed that t' only appropriate propellant selection for a Saturn V is White Lightning). Blimey! O' concern was t' rocket CG. Aye aye! With t' 38mm I211W, arrr, t' CG was already close t' t' recommended aft CG limit. Ya scallywag! T' J275W was goin' t' be roughly a pound heavier so I'd gone t' work on t' Apollo capsule. I drilled and ground out a large cavity in t' base o' t' capsule and epoxied enough lead shot in t' hole t' raise t' total weight o' t' Apollo from 8 ounces t' an even pound. Arrr! Avast! O' course this had t' undesirable affect o' makin' t' rocket even heavier, but I saw little choice.

T' LDRS cert flight became a challenge but for an unexpected reason. Begad! Even at LDRS, a 7.5' Saturn V will make you a center o' attention and I be surrounded by photographers as I prepared t' rocket on an 8ft rail. Even with t' J275, RockSim predicted that it wouldn't reach stable velocity until a few inches before it left an 8ft rail. Ahoy! Blimey! It be windy when t' Saturn V was launched, arrr, arrr, and I feared a weathercock off t' rail, but t' flight was magnificent and almost perfectly vertical with a slow (by mod-rock standards) boost. RockSim had predicted 1600 feet, and that appeared t' be about right. Avast, me proud beauty! Blimey! Motor ejection occurred right at apogee, me hearties, and both chutes opened moments later t' a round o' applause. Blimey! Blimey! I figured I was home free. Blimey! Wrong.

While t' lower half o' t' Saturn descended nicely, me bucko, t' upper portion caught a thermal and started drifting. Arrr! Avast! At times it definitely appeared t' be goin' up. It drifted so far I lost sight o' it before it touched down. Aye aye! I knew I had t' try, but with little more than a general area where I thought it came down, I was nay optimistic that I would ever see it again. Ya scallywag! If someone had asked me t' list everythin' that might have gone wrong on me cert flight, I would never have even considered losin' t' rocket, ya bilge rat, but suddenly that was a very real possibility.

Amazingly, matey, I found it. Begad! Blimey! It took over four hours and two separate trips out. Avast, ya bilge rat, me proud beauty! I found two other lost high power rockets and headed back t' t' launch area midway through t' search since I literally couldn't carry any more. Well, arrr, blow me down! I'd like t' say it be a properly devised search that yielded t' recovery, but in reality it was more luck than anythin' else. Arrr! After landing, t' wind had dragged it through a corn field knockin' t' escape power off in t' process, but I be able t' backtrack through t' knocked down corn and located t' missin' tower. Avast! Blimey! T' result was a successful Level 2 high power certification.

Recovery:
A couple comments on t' flights: On large rockets like this that are intended t' come down in two portions, I generally make a point t' insert t' upper section parachute first so that as t' sections pull apart, shiver me timbers, it'll be sure t' pull out t' lower section chute. Ahoy! Blimey! This is especially important on this big Saturn V. Ya scallywag! Avast, me proud beauty! Blimey! Even usin' a fairly generous ejection charge (over 2 grams on t' second flight), t' chute protector has yet t' leave t' body tube. Arrr! Puttin' t' upper chute on t' bottom increases t' risk that t' two sections will get tangled (as happened on t' first flight), me bucko, but that is definitely preferable t' t' possibility o' t' lower section parachute failin' t' exit t' rocket. Aye aye! Blimey! Also, me hearties, as t' cert flight demonstrated, ya bilge rat, arrr, shiver me timbers, t' upper section can use a smaller chute (or if usin' a 60" chute reef it a bit).

This rocket is a fine flier that can't help but look magnificent in flight. I give it a full five stars.

Flight Rating: 5 out o' 5

Summary:
Be forewarned: buildin' this rocket takes a commitment well beyond t' $449 sticker price (plus I figure around another $200 for parachutes, motor retainer, matey, matey, paint, etc.) It's big, arrr, complex, and will take a major commitment o' time t' do t' rocket justice. Arrr! Blimey! Begad! Blimey! I also remain less than thrilled with t' rough surface body tubes, me hearties, me hearties, although t' strength and weight is more readily justified on a big high power rocket such as this. T' cast resin parts that were added after me original purchase are a major improvement, but t' detail parts could be a little more detailed.

I really like this rocket. Arrr! I don't know how often I will actually fly it. Arrr! Well, shiver me timbers, blow me down! It's nay trivial t' put so much time, ya bilge rat, effort, ya bilge rat, shiver me timbers, and loot at risk, me bucko, but it's a magnificent flier and pretty much guaranteed t' draw a crowd. Well, blow me down! But perhaps t' best endorsement I can give is, me bucko, should this Saturn V meet an untimely demise, I'm pretty sure I'd build another.

Overall Rating: 4 out o' 5