Semroc Saturn 1b or Estes Saturn V

I am in a toss up. Like them both. Which one would you build and fly and why?

I've got both of them sitting in my build pile. The Semroc S1b is a thing of beauty, and a LOT of work; I take it out every once in awhile and vow to get to it "someday". I've heard that the last Estes SV apparently had some QC issues with the wraps, I'm waiting for some vacation time to get started so I can't say first-hand.

I am working n the 1B, and definitely consider it a longterm project. I guess it will take me over a year to do, but that is because it isn't the only build going. That being said it is a great kit.

Saturn V took me 6 Months of 'work on it a couple of times a week'
Saturn 1B is at the 5th fin in place and has taken almost 2 years of 'work on it a couple of times a month' to get there.

Jays66gt said:

Which one would you build and fly and why?

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There's a lot of discussion of both kits both here and elsewhere. After considering both for a long while and missing the window when the Estes reissue was cheaply available, I built the 1B last summer. It took me about a month to build; the results were far from perfect and I would never enter mine in a scale competition, but it looks fine from a few feet away and it flies well, which is all I was looking for. YMMV.

mikec said:

...t looks fine from a few feet away and it flies well, which is all I was looking for. YMMV.

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That is pretty much every rocket I build. Some of you have crazy skills and patience.

I have built an Estes Sat V - I can highly recommend it despite any complaints that people may or may not make with it. If I were to build a new Estes SV I'd consider making it a 3x24mm rocket or a 29mm one. The new Estes BP 29mm motors should be fantastic for the SatV. I can say that even a mediocre build of a Saturn V will get everyone's attention at launch. When the flight goes smoothly it is a sight to see. When things go south, it is still a sight to see (except you may shed a tear or 2). I would strongly DISCOURAGE an estes D-12 launch of the Saturn V

I have the Semroc 1b here and have looked at the parts a few times. I think that it looks to be about the same amount of work as the Saturn V but it is a different kind of work. I have a tough time with paper shrouding (lack of experience and patience I suppose) and I think that I'm going to pre-paint since it seems that painting them when the model is finished is quite difficult.

I say get both and go from there. Not helpful, but both are high quality kits which are a challenge to build and they are always fun to watch fly!

S1b without a doubt just because it looks so cool.

Next dumb question. What are the differences in the Estes kits?

I have found #1236, #2001, #2157

Read an expert's analysis of a few saturn models, I believe these are analogous to the 2001 and 2157:

https://modelrocketbuilding.blogspot.com/2011/07/tale-of-two-saturns-part-1.html

https://modelrocketbuilding.blogspot.com/2011/08/tale-of-two-saturns-part-2.html

Good thread for the 1B:

https://forums.rocketshoppe.com/showthread.php?t=4023&page=1&pp=10

When I built my Saturn V, it took me 10-12 days of 3-4 hours of pretty solid work per night. But I had been out of rocketry something like 18 years at the time, and only built a couple Level 1-2 kits to 'get back in action,' so I suspect I might not have been making 100% efficient use of my time.

That said, the Sat V is really not an ultra-complex structure; getting all the wraps on straight is the main functional challenge. As well as setting up the masking correctly for painting.

The construction and finishing of the 1B is much more complex with the first stage tankage, the curved shrouds, etc etc. The LES on the 1B's Apollo capsule is also built from dowels while the version on the Sat V is a plastic kit. Right there you probably have several hours difference in building time.

Someone who has built them both can probably give a better opinion but my guess is the 1B is probably a slightly more challenging build.

It took almost as long for me to build the Apollo CM/LES as it did to construct the rest of the Saturn 1B.

Jays66gt said:

I am in a toss up. Like them both. Which one would you build and fly and why?

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The correct answer to your question is of course, build both! I know, we're all on a budget but if not now, which ever you choose to do first, let the other one be something you can start working toward. Both will allow you to develop skills that will come in handy on the other one later on.

Just be sure to post some photos! Good luck!

Verna
www.vernarockets.com

I second Verna, build both.
I have both sitting here built, looking at them, I will probably never fly either. Too much work invested to take a chance.
That's OK for me, though.

wick

I have both. And both are unfinished. They are presently sitting on the back, back burner and I'm not sure I'll ever get them done. I posted many comments on a bunch of threads regarding these kits, and sorry to say they weren't very positive. I'm also a different kind of builder. I prefer to design and build, as kits don't often do it for me. It's a parts issue for me. Good luck with whatever your decision is.

I am currently building an Estes SatV and have found it to be pretty straight forward - except for the plastic wraps. They tend to be a little short and require some "stretching" to match up to each other - at least on the lower stage ( that's as far as I have gotten so far). I doubt it would win any scale competitions but it is a nice model just the same. I really want a 1b, but it will probably have to wait for a while or until I win the lottery:impatient: