Flis kits Saturn 1b build thread

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thought I would post a few more pictures...kinda show you where I am on this one....making progress....I want to make the SM thruster quads and then it's on to the LES tower! Jim Flis makes an excellent model rocket kit! Starting to wonder which of his kits should be next??

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NJ, it looks gorgeous! The old alternating black and white tanks is what I remember. I didn't know that there were so many Saturn 1B variations. The picture with the remote controller is amazing. Your tweezers must be getting a workout.
 
Bob,
thank you! I hope you had a great thanksgiving? My wife is a quilter and in the summer we go out to a Quilt show....she goes for quilts and I go to keep her company and for model building supplies...I have some awesome tweezers that I bought at these shows...needle nose and they are the kind that default to close..you have to depress them to open...I also bought a lighted magnifying glass that has also come in handy with this kit!

The alternating black and white tanks is what I think is the classic 1b versions..SA-201 thru SA-205. Apollo 7 flew on 205, the last of the "black" tank versions assembled. This kit has two sets of decals for the first stage tanks....one are the words United States in red letters inside a white surround and others are red letters on clear surround (for the all white versions) The decal quality in these kits is just excellent. The white surround allows you to paint the tank black..there is very little bleed through of the black thru the white decal so it greatly simplifies the masking that would otherwise be required. Its really a great little kit with a ton of detail for such a small scale.


NJ, it looks gorgeous! The old alternating black and white tanks is what I remember. I didn't know that there were so many Saturn 1B variations. The picture with the remote controller is amazing. Your tweezers must be getting a workout.
 
That is amazing work and great detail!

But UNITIED is spelled wrong????



Just joking!!, but that would be my luck, very nice work.
 
Thanks lowpuller....I admit I am the worlds worst typist.....but this is a really cool little rocket!! QUOTE=Lowpuller;1641383]That is amazing work and great detail!

But UNITIED is spelled wrong????



Just joking!!, but that would be my luck, very nice work.[/QUOTE]
 
OK...I am sorry that it has taken so long to make any progress...been a very busy couple of weeks. I am picking back up the build here and its time to make our SM RCS quads....same as before, trim some plastic to make the RCS body

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then glue some 0.020 plastic rods in oversize lengths...these will be trimmed to size when the glue dries

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I will paint these tomorrow....and hopefully not lose any in the process!

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OK..I finally got some vacation days up here.....the LES tower is complete and mounted and the nose weight of 19 grams of lead weight is in...basically all I have to do now is hang the chute...but for some reason I am having problems posting pictures..I will figure this out and post them....this is a cool little kit!
 
thanks aerostadt...I hope you had a nice Christmas!! I am not sure what is going here yet. I cannot upload any pictures. I have even tried to upload pics that I have previously posted on this thread and I am getting the same notification that the upload failed. I will play around with this to see what I am doing wrong. With the current build basically all I have to do is hang the chute and she is done...great idea for a family shot of my 1bs!
 
OK...lets see if this works...couple of pictures of where I am right now with build. LES tower is assembled and attached....not perfect but good enough I think. Today I hope to hang the chute and will take some final shots of her.

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OK....another Flis kits Saturn 1b ! Cannot state again how well designed this little rocket is and how much fun this is to build. Thanks again to Saluki for his awesome saturn 1b wraps for this kit....they really help you finish the rocket!! My Saturn 1bs measure out from the tip of the LES to the bottom of the thrust structure at 9.5 inches...but they make a really detailed 1b! Thought I would share a couple of pictures:

IMG_3874.jpgIMG_3875.jpgIMG_3877.jpg
 
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couple more pictures....the black and white tank version is SA-205...Wally Schirra's Apollo 7 version. The white tank version is SA-207, Al Beans Skylab 3 1b. The kit provides the decals for both of these versions. The Apollo 7 version uses a decal with a white surround around the red lettering...this makes it much easier than having to paint the tank a base coat of white and then mask off and paint the alternating tanks black. The decals provided with these kit are of excellent quality...no issues at all with their application.


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and for Max Q and for Grandcross, who both have beautiful builds of Saturn 1bs going on over in the scratch build section which might be just a tad bit bigger than mine, I have included a scale shot using the bedroom door for scale as they have done. :D I am attaching links to their builds which are truly awesome!

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MaxQ's build thread : https://www.rocketryforum.com/showthread.php?134141-Saturn-1B-1-23-Upscale

Grandcross's thread : https://www.rocketryforum.com/showthread.php?135578-Another-Saturn-IB
 
and for Max Q and for Grandcross, who both have beautiful builds of Saturn 1bs going on over in the scratch build section which might be just a tad bit bigger than mine, I have included a scale shot using the bedroom door for scale as they have done. :D I am attaching links to their builds which are truly awesome!
View attachment 307980
MaxQ's build thread : https://www.rocketryforum.com/showthread.php?134141-Saturn-1B-1-23-Upscale
Grandcross's thread : https://www.rocketryforum.com/showthread.php?135578-Another-Saturn-IB

Love it!
 
Rick, fantastic detail and finishing on those models! The Saturn 1B was a good space program. It is too bad it came to end. The models look too good to fly. Do you fly these, and if so, what engine do you use?
 
thanks Max Q...honestly, your Saturn 1b and Grandcross's are just truly awesome builds!! when you compare the picture of yours in the stairwell....I mean its just damned impressive! especially when you compare that picture to the one I posted by mt bedroom door....what you guys are doing is just incredible work!


 
thanks Kevin! the door shot was to be compared with what Max Q posted...I don't know how to post his picture of his 1b....but what he is making is just a massive awesome build! This little Flis kit really makes a pretty neat little Saturn 1b I have to say....it just looks right....its a great kit!

Wow Rick. Very nice craftsmanship my friend! Love the door shot. Really gives perspective!
 
thanks Aerostadt! I really appreciate that especially coming from some one with your skills. I have not flown these yet and I admit I am nervous to do so! I think that tower and the RCS quads are gone the minute I light the candle...but my intention is to fly them. I have a pack of Estes 1/2 A3-2T engines sitting here...it was one of the recommended engines for the kit. I will post a flight report but its probably going to be in the spring. The Flis 1b really builds into a nice looking Saturn 1b...its tiny, only 9.5" tall, but it just looks right and the kit provides a lot of extra details such as thruster quads made out of card stock etc..I chose to make mine out of bits of plastic rods etc and I used pinstripe tape on certain portions such as the BPC and the red PDS lines on the tanks just to add a little bit of color and detail. It really is a great kit. I have another one sitting here waiting its turn on the bench! The build is straight forward actually. The tower is the most difficult part of the build because its so small (1/2 inch tall and something like 47 parts)...its a challenge...but for anyone considering this build, just take your time and you will be fine.

Rick, fantastic detail and finishing on those models! The Saturn 1B was a good space program. It is too bad it came to end. The models look too good to fly. Do you fly these, and if so, what engine do you use?
 
thanks Kevin! the door shot was to be compared with what Max Q posted...I don't know how to post his picture of his 1b....but what he is making is just a massive awesome build!

Ok - :) I'll give you a hand here.............

components 1.jpgcomponents 3.jpg

A big project can allow one to cheat on some things...the overall size makes the impression.
A small scale invites a lot of close examination.
Doing detail work in such a small scale as with yours takes real talent.
 
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now THAT is a rocket! Even your cat seems impressed with it!

I think the detailing is going to be harder on yours...for the main reason is that you will be able to actually see it! Half of my detail work was done under a lighted magnifying glass..and even then it was tough to see...I ended up using my camera to zoom in on things to make sure they were in the right place.

Truly a magnificent build you have going there!


Ok - :) I'll give you a hand here.............

View attachment 308060View attachment 308061

A big project can allow one to cheat on some things...the overall size makes the impression.
A small scale invites a lot of close examination.
Doing detail work in such a small scale as with yours takes real talent.
 
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Aerostadt...I think you made a good point about the 1b coming to an end. She was a safe reliable booster. I think Walt Cunningham described flying her as taking an elevator into space. The Saturn V was orders of magnitude more sophisticated and powerful ...but for some reason the 1b is my favorite...not sure why...I just like the look of those tanks I guess. If you step back and look at what the 1b did, it really played a key role in the program. First flight of the LM (Gus Grissom's SA-204 flew perfectly)... first flights of the CSM, unmanned and manned, first flight of the S-IVb stage which flight tested that stage for the Saturn V program and maybe not as noticeable, first real use of computers to check out the vehicle electronically vs manually.

I was born in 1963. My dad woke all of us to watch Apollo 11 and Neil Armstrong's first steps in July 1969....but I honestly don't remember it...I do recall very clearly with Apollo 16 looking up at the moon in the lunch time sky during recess in April 1972 and thinking there are two guys up there...and wondering if they were looking back at me...I remember asking my dad when Apollo 17 splashed down why we would end it. By the time Skylab was going up I was totally hooked....and the white tanked 1b was what we were flying. I remember watching that think take off the Milk stool and thinking it was the neatest thing I ever saw! 42 years later I still think its the neatest rocket I ever watched!


Rick, fantastic detail and finishing on those models! The Saturn 1B was a good space program. It is too bad it came to end. The models look too good to fly. Do you fly these, and if so, what engine do you use?
 
and for Max Q and for Grandcross, who both have beautiful builds of Saturn 1bs going on over in the scratch build section which might be just a tad bit bigger than mine, I have included a scale shot using the bedroom door for scale as they have done. :D I am attaching links to their builds which are truly awesome!

View attachment 307980


MaxQ's build thread : https://www.rocketryforum.com/showthread.php?134141-Saturn-1B-1-23-Upscale

Grandcross's thread : https://www.rocketryforum.com/showthread.php?135578-Another-Saturn-IB

Been off the grid and just saw this. Touche! :lol:
 
thanks Jim! It really is an awesome kit that builds into a very detailed kit of the Saturn 1b! I will post launch pictures...but honestly, how high can I expect her to fly? Thinking I will need my eagle eyed son to come along because this could get very small very fast up there!

It is an awesome kit! I have already bought another one here...:D

Great build thread :). Hope the maiden flight goes as well!
 
Don't have my data in front of me, but the first flight of the show kit (built by Chan Stevens) was build with nose weight and scale fins and went so high we lost her to a thermal... :)
 
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