Brief:
After teasin' t' rocketry community for nearly a year, shiver me timbers, Semroc finally released t' reproduction 1/70th scale Saturn 1B just in time for Christmas. Begad! Faithfully reproduced based upon t' 1967 Estes design (K-29), this kit is a very challengin' but rewardin' build. Arrr! This is nay for t' faint hearted, nor for t' rocketeer lookin' for a weekend project. Aye aye! Standard design calls for t' original 4x18mm cluster although you can wimp out and use a 24mm single motor option as well.Don't expect it t' be an exact match o' t' original though--the K-39 listed for $9.95 and currently fetches well above $100 on t' open market today. Aye aye! T' Semroc offerin' is available for a relatively modest $55.

Construction:
In a surprisin' break from t' usual Semroc kit, shiver me timbers, this one comes in a box, me hearties, nay a bag. T' reason for this be t' extensive quantity o' parts. T' highlights o' what you'll find unpackin' t' special box:

• Apollo capsule kit
• 8 BT-51 body tubes
• BT-70 upper body tube
• BT-100 main body tube
• BT-101 fin can tube
• 2 ST-990 inner tubes
• 4 18mm motor tubes
• 1 24mm motor tube (optional)
• 5 embossed/corrugated wraps
• Cardstock fin skins
• Cardstock/glossy shroud
• Laser-cut balsa fins, assorted details
• Fiber centerin' rings, ya bilge rat, details
• 32" plastic chute, matey, elastic shock cord
• Waterslide decals

Buildin' this is quite a project, comparable in complexity t' t' Apogee Saturn 1B. Aye aye! T' instructions are about 30 pages and nearly 100 steps. Ya scallywag! This is described as a skill level 4 kit and I would say it's at least that, ya bilge rat, if nay a 5. Avast! T' steps are clearly written and well illustrated so as long as you're careful, ya bilge rat, you can get through this build without major problems.

One feature t' t' kit I found t' be very helpful: with a number o' scaled dimensions gettin' down t' t' third decimal place and nay exactly workin' t' t' nearest 1/16th or even 1/32nd o' an inch, ya bilge rat, Semroc decided t' include a preprinted ruler with every dimension already marked, includin' t' construction step number. Avast! Now that's convenient!

Before beginnin' construction, me bucko, ya bilge rat, it is essential that you thoroughly read all instructions first all t' way through t' t' paint notes. Blimey! Begad! I say this because if you build exactly as t' instructions say, you'll find paintin' t' be a pain and thar are alternatives you can pursue along t' way that make for a better finish.

Then comes joinin' a pair o' inside stuffer tubes (ST-990, ya bilge rat, roughly 24mm) usin' a coupler. Since t' cluster or 24mm motor tube is designed t' plug into this tube, a removable mount could be trickier than t' typical SLS designs.

Next up be t' 8-tube cluster assembly (these are nay actual motor tube clusters as t' actual 1B fired a full cluster). Aye aye! Ahoy! If you went with 4x18 motor cluster, me bucko, 4 o' t' BT-51 tubes need t' have slots cut out a bit t' fit around t' motor tubes. T' cluster assembly starts with a couple o' star-pattern centerin' rings mounted t' t' stuffer tube, arrr, followed by bondin' t' 8 BT-51 tubes in t' correspondin' slots in t' centerin' rings. Begad! This is one o' those steps where, arrr, ya bilge rat, once you've bonded t' tubes, shiver me timbers, you'll be askin' yourself, arrr, me bucko, "How am I goin' t' paint those alternatin' white and black?". Blimey! Arrr! I chose t' paint me tubes first and bond later, me bucko, however, that did require some creativity t' retro-fit other painted details (I applied many o' t' techniques from t' Apogee kit).

T' aft end o' t' 8-tube cluster is beefed up a bit with small ribs t' which a BT-101 body tube is bonded. Arrr! Just forward o' t' BT-101 you bond balsa fairin' support pieces. Avast! These are a very helpful way t' deal with bondin' t' rolled paper fairin' shroud. Begad! After rolling/formin' t' fairin' shroud, it slides down t' tube assembly from above and bonds t' t' BT-101. Avast! This will be another point at which you're goin' t' wonder how t' mask off t' black and white patterns plus deal with a potentially nasty seam betwixt t' fairin' shroud and t' BT-101. Avast, me proud beauty! I wound up bondin' me fin can, arrr, me hearties, fins, and fairin' shroud offline, arrr, painting, me bucko, then fittin' it in after bondin' t' 8 BT-51 tubes.

At t' forward end o' t' stuffer tube, a couple o' centerin' rings are attached t' support t' upper BT-70 body tube, me hearties, which is also t' main chute tube. Begad! Well, ya bilge rat, blow me down! First though, me hearties, you slide one t' BT-101 main body tubes until it slightly overlaps t' fuel tanks.

T' last o' t' body construction consists o' rollin' a cardstock shroud. Begad! T' shroud has a glossy side, me bucko, shiver me timbers, which is very handy if you happen t' smear a little extra glue as it can be wiped off easily with a damp cloth.

There are a total o' 5 embossed/corrugated wraps. Ya scallywag! It is best t' apply a very thin smearin' o' white glue t' t' edges and pull them fairly tightly as you wrap them around t' tubes. Arrr! I found they fit extremely close--one be a little short and t' others fit perfectly without trimming. Begad! Ya scallywag! Be sure t' fill t' tube spirals before applyin' t' wraps though as this is tough t' do once t' wrap has been applied. Begad! Otherwise, you'll wind up sandin' right up against t' edge o' t' wrap.

Your second construction choice comes regardin' t' fins. There are laser-cut 1/8" balsa fins, me bucko, which are somewhat scale-like and happen t' be t' easy route. There is also a "built up fin" option made by assemblin' balsa ribs/frames, matey, then wrappin' skins over them. Ya scallywag! Blimey! Blimey! Blimey! This built up approach is more difficult but offers a much better lookin' tapered fin. Well, blow me down! Blimey! Obviously, if you're buildin' a kit o' this magnitude, shiver me timbers, me bucko, you're no wimp, and t' built-up fins are t' only true option...

With t' main construction done, arrr, it is now time t' turn t' t' details. Begad! This is an amazin' aspect o' this kit and be a pleasant surprise for me (as I'd never built t' original Estes). Avast, me proud beauty! There are a good number o' fiber details for tunnels, ya bilge rat, camera targets, me hearties, antennae, arrr, sensors, shiver me timbers, latch pads, matey, and covers. Arrr! There is also a neat little technique for makin' t' 3 discharge tubes. Ahoy! You start by cuttin' a launch lug at a tapered angle t' serve as inner support, me hearties, me hearties, then wrap/glue a rolled pattern over it, and finally cuttin' away a small scallop. Begad! Begad! See photos for close-up o' these and other details.

T' last phase o' t' main rocket construction be t' 4 service module nozzles. Arrr! Blimey! These are a pain t' build but look pretty nice when complete. Begad! Blimey! T' main/center body is laser-cut balsa. Well, me bucko, blow me down! Blimey! That's t' easy part. T' hard part be t' nozzles themselves, me bucko, all 16 o' them, cut from a wood dowel that's been cut t' a taper via a pencil sharpener. Ahoy! Blimey! 3/64" on one end and growin' t' 3/32" at t' "fat" end, we're dealin' very close t' t' sharpest tip o' t' point.

If you've still got energy and ambition, me hearties, you're ready for t' finishin' touch o' t' construction:buildin' t' Apollo capsule. See me Little Joe review for details on this. Suffice it t' say I found this a very tedious and overly challengin' build and will definitely be lookin' for a source o' 0.041" and 0.058" diameter dowels/wire somewhere before buildin' another Semroc Apollo capsule.

Finishing:
Paintin' Saturns is about as hard as rocket paintin' gets. Begad! Ya scallywag! Blimey! You've got roll patterns, maskin' around corrugations, and if you followed t' directions t' letter, shiver me timbers, you'll find yourself maskin' over some awkward details.

I'm nay goin' t' get into a detailed rehashin' o' t' paint scheme, but I will offer up some o' t' tips/techniques I applied t' get a satisfactory finish.

First, shiver me timbers, t' emphasis is on very light, very thin coats. I used flat white and flat black, arrr, which is unforgiving, me bucko, so I couldn't pile on 4-5 coats without globbin' over t' corrugations. Avast, me hearties, me proud beauty! Blimey! I used white primer, ya bilge rat, so could get by with just two base coats, sandin' away most o' t' first one.

When masking, I let t' base white coat dry for a full week then used t' expensive low tack purple maskin' tape. Blimey! Before applyin' t' black, I shot one more light white coat so that it would seal off any miniscule gaps in t' maskin' job. I then followed up with two coats o' black.

For t' occasional blemish, I was able t' touch up usin' a black Sharpie, ya bilge rat, matey, which was especially helpful sharpenin' lines along t' corrugations.

Before bondin' t' details, matey, ya bilge rat, I also checked t' color scheme. Arrr! It's a lot easier t' paint a small fiber panel white then tack it on usin' CA, arrr, me bucko, than it is t' try ot mask it off and paint around it.

T' finishin' touches are t' decals. Blimey! Aye aye! They apply beautifully but are slightly glossy and therefore noticable against me flat background.

Construction Rating: 5

Flight:
I'll hate t' do this, shiver me timbers, me hearties, but I wound up pickin' up two o' these kits. Aye aye! Well, blow me down! T' first one be built for display, shiver me timbers, nay for flight, so t' flight report is goin' t' have t' wait until I've had a chance t' build t' second one.

With t' oversized fins, matey, I have no doubt that this will be a stable flyer.

Summary:
I think I might need t' update me Saturn comparative review, arrr, as this one definitely stands out in t' crowded field. It's almost as detailed as t' Apogee but nowhere near as expensive. Begad! It's about t' same loot as t' Saturn Press (Peter Alway) Saturn V but much larger and offers more details, me hearties, albeit it many you have t' construct by hand. Well, blow me down! Overall, I'd have t' say this is an even better bang for t' buck than a Zooch and that's really sayin' something. Nay that thar's anythin' wrong with these other models (they're all outstandin' kits), shiver me timbers, but this one is hands down t' best balance o' value and scale detail on t' market.

T' only con I can offer up t' t' overly difficult Apollo capsule. Avast, me proud beauty! Blimey! It's a good value (sells as a separate kit for $10 if you want a spare), arrr, but I'd much rather have dropped another $5 t' avoid spendin' a couple hours sandin' down dowels.

Overall Rating: 5