Brief:
After teasin' t' rocketry community for nearly a year, ya bilge rat, shiver me timbers, arrr, Semroc finally released t' reproduction 1/70th scale Saturn 1B just in time for Christmas. 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, ya bilge rat, nor for t' rocketeer lookin' for a weekend project. Blimey! Well, me hearties, blow me down! 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. T' Semroc offerin' is available for a relatively modest $55.

Construction:
In a surprisin' break from t' usual Semroc kit, matey, me bucko, this one comes in a box, me hearties, nay a bag. T' reason for this be t' extensive quantity o' parts. Ahoy! 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, details
• 32" plastic chute, elastic shock cord
• Waterslide decals

Buildin' this is quite a project, comparable in complexity t' t' Apogee Saturn 1B. Ya scallywag! T' instructions are about 30 pages and nearly 100 steps. Arrr! This is described as a skill level 4 kit and I would say it's at least that, if nay a 5. Aye aye! T' steps are clearly written and well illustrated so as long as you're careful, matey, me hearties, 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, matey, Semroc decided t' include a preprinted ruler with every dimension already marked, includin' t' construction step number. Ya scallywag! Now that's convenient!

Before beginnin' construction, me bucko, it is essential that you thoroughly read all instructions first all t' way through t' t' paint notes. Begad! I say this because if you build exactly as t' instructions say, me hearties, 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, roughly 24mm) usin' a coupler. Begad! 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). Begad! Aye aye! If you went with 4x18 motor cluster, 4 o' t' BT-51 tubes need t' have slots cut out a bit t' fit around t' motor tubes. Begad! Avast! T' cluster assembly starts with a couple o' star-pattern centerin' rings mounted t' t' stuffer tube, matey, arrr, followed by bondin' t' 8 BT-51 tubes in t' correspondin' slots in t' centerin' rings. Avast, me proud beauty! Begad! This is one o' those steps where, once you've bonded t' tubes, you'll be askin' yourself, ya bilge rat, "How am I goin' t' paint those alternatin' white and black?". Avast, me proud beauty! Avast! I chose t' paint me tubes first and bond later, 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. Just forward o' t' BT-101 you bond balsa fairin' support pieces. Avast, me proud beauty! These are a very helpful way t' deal with bondin' t' rolled paper fairin' shroud. Ya scallywag! Aye aye! After rolling/formin' t' fairin' shroud, matey, it slides down t' tube assembly from above and bonds t' t' BT-101. Arrr! 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, fins, me hearties, and fairin' shroud offline, painting, ya bilge rat, shiver me timbers, 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, which is also t' main chute tube. Aye aye! First though, 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. T' shroud has a glossy side, 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. Ahoy! 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. I found they fit extremely close--one was a little short and t' others fit perfectly without trimming. Avast, shiver me timbers, me proud beauty! Be sure t' fill t' tube spirals before applyin' t' wraps though as this is tough t' do once t' wrap has been applied. Arrr! Otherwise, you'll wind up sandin' right up against t' edge o' t' wrap.

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

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

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

If you've still got energy and ambition, you're ready for t' finishin' touch o' t' construction:buildin' t' Apollo capsule. Blimey! See me Little Joe review for details on this. Avast! 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. You've got roll patterns, me hearties, maskin' around corrugations, and if you followed t' directions t' letter, you'll find yourself maskin' over some awkward details.

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

First, t' emphasis is on very light, me bucko, very thin coats. I used flat white and flat black, arrr, me bucko, which is unforgiving, so I couldn't pile on 4-5 coats without globbin' over t' corrugations. Begad! Blimey! I used white primer, 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. Arrr! Before applyin' t' black, I shot one more light white coat so that it would seal off any miniscule gaps in t' maskin' job. Avast, me proud beauty! I then followed up with two coats o' black.

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

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

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

Construction Rating: 5

Flight:
I'll hate t' do this, but I wound up pickin' up two o' these kits. 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, I have no doubt that this will be a stable flyer.

Summary:
I think I might need t' update me Saturn comparative review, as this one definitely stands out in t' crowded field. Ahoy! Arrr! It's almost as detailed as t' Apogee but nowhere near as expensive. Ahoy! It's about t' same loot as t' Saturn Press (Peter Alway) Saturn V but much larger and offers more details, albeit it many you have t' construct by hand. Avast! Arrr! Overall, me bucko, I'd have t' say this is an even better bang for t' buck than a Zooch and that's really sayin' something. Blimey! Nay that thar's anythin' wrong with these other models (they're all outstandin' kits), 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. It's a good value (sells as a separate kit for $10 if you want a spare), but I'd much rather have dropped another $5 t' avoid spendin' a couple hours sandin' down dowels.

Overall Rating: 5