2016 Estes Catalog

Flyfalcons said:

I'm sure it takes longer to scale the Saturn Ib up to 1/45 than it would be to rerelease the 1/100 version.

Hey a guy can hope, right?

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Here is Mary Roberts of Estes with your big Saturn 1B. I saw this at NARCON '92 in Colorado Springs, and I'm guessing this picture was taken then. Tim Van Milligan (Apogee) was at Estes then and at the booth the day I saw it.

Trident said:

Here is Mary Roberts of Estes with your big Saturn 1B. I saw this at NARCON '92 in Colorado Springs, and I'm guessing this picture was taken then. Tim Van Milligan (Apogee) was at Estes then and at the booth the day I saw it.

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I took that picture at the 1991 RCHTA Show in Chicago.

This model was destroyed during a flight demonstration at NARAM-34 in August 1992.

Initiator001 said:

I took that picture at the 1991 RCHTA Show in Chicago.

This model was destroyed during a flight demonstration at NARAM-34 in August 1992.

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Bob,
Thanks for clarifying picture date and location. I wrote Estes about bringing that kit the market. I seem to remember there was an organized effort to petition Estes to do so. That was about the time I got into HPR, and would have bought several.

Trident said:

Bob,
Thanks for clarifying picture date and location. I wrote Estes about bringing that kit the market. I seem to remember there was an organized effort to petition Estes to do so. That was about the time I got into HPR, and would have bought several.

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If you care to restart this petition I would be your second signature. How cool would it be to have 1/45 saturn v and saturn 1b to go with the little joe?

ericclinedinst said:

If you care to restart this petition I would be your second signature. How cool would it be to have 1/45 saturn v and saturn 1b to go with the little joe?

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More cool than words can say. :grin:

TRFfan said:

More cool than words can say. :grin:

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If you're in too then let's get to it. The capsules are already there. Let's see if we can make this happen.

ericclinedinst said:

If you're in too then let's get to it. The capsules are already there. Let's see if we can make this happen.

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We have John Boren posting here quite often. Let's see what he might have to say. I suspect Estes does not want to get into the "MPR-bordering-on-HPR" class of kits. However, who am I to question their motives?

I suppose we could all promise to order one, perhaps by putting a healthy deposit on one. And this would not be a cheap kit, since the Saturn V in 2010 was a $100 kit. One thing would really need to be done to the LJII plastic parts kit -- a boost protect cover to add to the capsule. But this could possibly be a wrap or vacuformed cover. And while we are dreaming, I'd like to see more detail on the CSM, like the white radiator panels... and maybe ...

A large (over 1/60 scale model of the Saturn V) would be able to be launched on ~2-3 G80 motors, so Estes doesn't really need to get into HPR to manufacture them. Also, the kits won't really be directed at the LPR community, they would be directed at the community of more serious builders. (high end MPR/HPR)

Trident said:

We have John Boren posting here quite often. Let's see what he might have to say. I suspect Estes does not want to get into the "MPR-bordering-on-HPR" class of kits. However, who am I to question their motives?

I suppose we could all promise to order one, perhaps by putting a healthy deposit on one. And this would not be a cheap kit, since the Saturn V in 2010 was a $100 kit. One thing would really need to be done to the LJII plastic parts kit -- a boost protect cover to add to the capsule. But this could possibly be a wrap or vacuformed cover. And while we are dreaming, I'd like to see more detail on the CSM, like the white radiator panels... and maybe ...

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I'd be down for all of this. Including price. Who wants to organize this?

JStarStar said:

On the Saturn V, I'd think it would be a fairly straightforward mod to install a 29mm motor tube at the bottom of the motor/stuffer tube assembly to allow use of F motors. A couple of 5055 adapter rings should do the trick.

You'd have to widen the motor mount hole in the bottom centering ring from 24-29 mm, but that shouldn't be much problem with a Dremel.

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Back in the early 90s, a friend of mine built his Saturn V with a 29mm mount, and flew it on Aerotech F40 motors. I thought it was too much motor, and I would have preferred the Aerotech F14, a 70N-s Black Jack. Nice slow flights, and a 5 second burn.

The funny part of the story is that he called Estes and asked to talk to the designer of the Saturn V. When asked why, he told the person that he needed to know where the CG was located on it, since he planned to fly on an F40. Silence followed, then someone from R&D (not identified) got on the call. "Why would you want to do that?" He said. My friend answered "Why not? The D12 flights are pretty boring". The R&D guy gave him the measurement. It flew great, although screaming off the pad wasn't exactly reminiscent of the real liftoffs.

A 1/45 scale Saturn V would be glorious - albeit HPR and expensive. Apogee's 1/70 Saturn V is about $286.

Luke Skywalker: 1/45th scale Saturn V!
Han Solo: [interested] 1/45th?
Luke Skywalker: Big, powerful. Listen, if Estes were to build one, the price would be...
Han Solo: What?
Luke Skywalker: Well, more than you can imagine!
Han Solo: I don't know, I can imagine quite a bit.
Luke Skywalker: You'll get it.
Han Solo: I better.
Luke Skywalker: You will.
Han Solo: All right, kid. But you'd better be right about this.

Cabernut said:

A 1/45 scale Saturn V would be glorious - albeit HPR and expensive. Apogee's 1/70 Saturn V is about $286.

Luke Skywalker: 1/45th scale Saturn V!
Han Solo: [interested] 1/45th?
Luke Skywalker: Big, powerful. Listen, if Estes were to build one, the price would be...
Han Solo: What?
Luke Skywalker: Well, more than you can imagine!
Han Solo: I don't know, I can imagine quite a bit.
Luke Skywalker: You'll get it.
Han Solo: I better.
Luke Skywalker: You will.
Han Solo: All right, kid. But you'd better be right about this.

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Hahah. Very good. Funny thing is I read this in Harrison Ford and Mark Hamill voices all the way. So. You in for a 1/45th kit of one or both of the 1b and sat v?

Trident said:

Bob,
Thanks for clarifying picture date and location. I wrote Estes about bringing that kit the market. I seem to remember there was an organized effort to petition Estes to do so. That was about the time I got into HPR, and would have bought several.

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The 1/45th scale Saturn 1B WAS an actual kit idea Estes had in the early 1990s.
The model shown at trade shows and eventually crashed at NARAM-34 was a proof-of-concept model.
There was even a small write-up about Estes making a 1/45th Saturn 1B scale model in an early 1990s issue of American Spacemodeling/Sport Rocketry.
This write-up concluded with the statement that such a model would be VERY expensive to produce which would make the SRP north of $500! So the project was cancelled.
I don't see Estes ever releasing such a model.