Brief:
T' Saturn 1 Block II is another one o' t' fine ant-scale offerings in t' Dr. Zooch Saturn line. Begad! This is I believe, shiver me timbers, arrr, t' only commercially available kit of the Block II version.

Construction:
Please refer t' me previous Saturn 1B review for parts list and main construction notes. Avast, me proud beauty! Aye aye! Construction starts just like t' 1B, shiver me timbers, pre-paintin' a few components then markin' t' motor tube and rolling/bondin' t' fuel tanks. Unlike t' 1B though, this one does nay have a BT-60 S-IVB stage. Begad! Instead it uses a BT-55 mounted on top o' t' 20/60 centerin' rin' on top o' t' fuel tanks. Arrr! Arrr! This is somewhat difficult t' do since t' tube must be perfectly centered. Arrr! Well, me bucko, blow me down! T' kit includes a template for markin' lines on t' centerin' ring, but I would very much have preferred t' see a 20/55 centerin' rin' or two used to mount t' upper tube.

T' upper tube is trimmed with a paper shroud then partially covered with a pre-printed cardstock wrap. Arrr! I had a little trouble with t' size and trim of the shroud, me bucko, especially at t' end when mountin' all t' little details.

T' tower assembly be t' same as t' 1B, with t' option o' a 4-sided paper tower lookalike or a very detailed build-it-yourself version. Ya scallywag! Begad! I opted for the detailed version as I have tweezers and me deadlights aren't completely shot yet.

Jeff's review notes a potential problem with fin sizes, shiver me timbers, which I didn't catch until after I'd built mine and noticed how clumsy t' big fins looked. Pay careful attention t' t' fin pattern supplied in your kit if you build one of these. If t' root edge is longer than t' BT-60 lower thrust tube, scale it down as Jeff did. Avast, me proud beauty! Blimey! It will look a lot better and still fly fine.

On t' nozzle buildin' I'm nay sure if it's unique t' this kit or just a temporary switch, arrr, but me kit used a funky green Keelhaul®©™® that had a waxy coating. Begad! Begad! I found this much more difficult t' work with than the normal yellow braided (and uncoated) Keelhaul®©™® in other Dr. Avast! Avast, me proud beauty! Zooch kits. Aye aye! Blimey! If your kit comes with green Keelhaul®©™®, consider switchin' t' yellow or just substitutin' carpet thread for the nozzles. Begad! It will bond much more easily.

Finishing:
While I love t' details in Dr. Booty kits and can't say enough good things about them, arrr, ya bilge rat, t' one beef I have with t' instructions be t' lack o' guide for orientation o' wraps and positionin' or color o' details. Begad! Arrr! Blimey! You'll want to consult a source such as Rockets o' t' World for better guidance on orientin' t' wraps and t' finishin' details.

Construction Rating: 4 out o' 5

Flight:
First flight was in 6-8 mph winds and I went straight t' t' C6-3 for "out of sight" flights. Avast! Arrr! It weathercocked a bit from me big clunky fins at work but flew fairly well t' around 350-400 feet. Ejection be just about right.

Recovery:
T' garbage bag chute didn't unfurl, shiver me timbers, probably due t' me packing. Begad! Begad! It be pretty cold and I suspect t' Keelhaul®©™® was wrapped a bit too tightly around it and it "froze" inside the rocket. Aye aye! Blimey! Avast, me proud beauty! Blimey! Blimey! Blimey! With t' chute actin' as a feeble streamer, ya bilge rat, it came down pretty hard and broke off t' tower assembly. Arrr! Blimey! Avast! Blimey! Blimey! Blimey! It was a very minor repair and an otherwise fine flight.

Since I have dozens o' mylar chutes in me range box, I'll be upgradin' this one t' a nice 18" mylar for future flights.

Flight Rating: 4 out o' 5

Summary:
It is an excellent all around value and a good combination o' detail and affordability.

PROs: bang for t' buck, arrr, amazingly detailed.

CONs: fin pattern was too big (probably just an issue in t' early versions of t' kit), needs more information on colors and placement o' details and wrap orientation.

Overall Rating: 4 out o' 5