The scale of Apollo--wrapping my head around the size of the beast!

Sometimes it still really hits me the sheer scale of the Apollo Saturn V compared to the earlier rockets the US had launched. I noticed my scratch scale Mercury Atlas is about the same scale as the Estes 1/45th scale Apollo Little Joe II. I put full scale CAD models side-by-side and sure enough the LJII is nearly as big as the Mercury Atlas! Somewhere, somebody pointed out the Gemini capsule could fit inside one of the F-1 engine bells...again using CAD I found that is true! No wonder the astros were in awe as they walked up to the Saturn V before climbing on board...

Dang!!! The APLJII was *nearly* as big as the Gemini Titan II...what a beast for "just" a test rocket!!!

This plastic "Man in Space" model set has all rockets to the same scale. I was surprised how tiny the Redstone is next to the Saturn V.

At the Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville Alabama they have a Redstone, Atlas, Saturn IB and Saturn V stacked outside. You can see them from US 565 which runs past the Museum and Visitor's Center. Attached is a view from Google Street View on 565. You can easily see the Saturn V, Shuttle and Saturn IB. The Saturn V sits head and shoulders above the rest.

Visit KSC to get the true scale. Saturn V is mind blowing, just as the size of the Mercury and Gemini capsules are surprisingly small. The rocket garden is great to see them all together, except for the Saturn V.

kuririn said:

This plastic "Man in Space" model set has all rockets to the same scale. I was surprised how tiny the Redstone is next to the Saturn V.
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Ey, I have that set! I need to rescue it from my mom's house back in TX

Bob Austin said:

At the Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville Alabama they have a Redstone, Atlas, Saturn IB and Saturn V stacked outside. You can see them from US 565 which runs past the Museum and Visitor's Center. Attached is a view from Google Street View on 565. You can easily see the Saturn V, Shuttle and Saturn IB. The Saturn V sits head and shoulders above the rest

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For clarity, that's the US Space and Rocket Center, a museum and educational center.
The proper Marshal Space Flight Center is located on base in Redstone Arsenal (and has its own share of rockets and missiles standing around, it's just not as easily accessible)

OverTheTop said:

Visit KSC to get the true scale. Saturn V is mind blowing, just as the size of the Mercury and Gemini capsules are surprisingly small. The rocket garden is great to see them all together, except for the Saturn V.

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Or swing by us here in Rocket City to see a 1:1 scale model standing up And a real article lying down!

Found a good picture. You can see the little Mercury standing in the back (that was the one that had the 6" flight), and the shiny side of a pressurized Atlas airframe lying down

Nytrunner said:

Found a good picture. You can see the little Mercury standing in the back (that was the one that had the 6" flight), and the shiny side of a pressurized Atlas airframe lying down

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Ive been there like 1 time and walked around all over the inside and outside and never realized that they were so important and not just models , that these things actually flew men to space and the moon... i don't remember red stone being so small though

Great pic Nytrunner. At KSC you don't get to compare the SV with the others. The Redstone looks small compared to the S1b, but that is all you get for direct comparison there.

OverTheTop said:

Great pic Nytrunner. At KSC you don't get to compare the SV with the others. The Redstone looks small compared to the S1b, but that is all you get for direct comparison there.

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Don't forget...each of the tanks in the Saturn 1B first stage are Redstone tanks, stretched a little!

Edit: the center core tank is a Jupiter tank.

At NASA Houston they have a Saturn V in this big warehouse. Makes you feel pretty small standing next to it. It’s amazing!

My niece works at the Redstone Arsenal. Gotta get over to see her. Maybe on my birthday next year. I really want to see some of those rockets in person before they rot away. Or before I do...

One of my favorite well known facts about the size of the Saturn V, is that the escape tower rocket on top had more power than the Mercury Redstone rocket that Alan Shepard flew.

The Saturn V is a monster. I was lucky enough to visit all 3 that are on display at Kennedy, Houston, and Huntsville, within a single year by just coincidence. I've been through Houston about 10 times in the past 5 years and have always spent about an hour or more at that Saturn V. You can get in to view it for free by parking near an entrance to the base.

Here's a nice comparison:



Mercury Redstone, Mercury Atlas, Gemini Titan, Saturn 1B, Saturn V

For what it's worth, the Redstone would fit in the bay of the Space Shuttle if you take the capsule off. They have a Mercury Redstone and a Gemini Titan displayed outside the Cosmodrome in Hutchinson, KS. My wife remarked about how small the Mercury Redstone was, especially after she saw the SR-71 and Space Shuttle displayed inside.

Jim

Bat-mite said:

Here's a nice comparison:

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Mercury Redstone, Mercury Atlas, Gemini Titan, Saturn 1B, Saturn V

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now back to my original point...place the Little Joe II in that pic and it would be nearly as big as the Mercury Atlas!

Small bit of trivia; the Mercury-Redstone was stretched to six feet longer than the Redstone ballistic missile (M-R was actually a Jupiter-C, which used a more energetic fuel than the baseline Redstone. M-R also used new engine design).

sooner.boomer said:

My niece works at the Redstone Arsenal. Gotta get over to see her. Maybe on my birthday next year. I really want to see some of those rockets in person before they rot away. Or before I do...

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Don't have to worry about them rotting away. We were there a couple of months ago and most were gone - they are being refurbished for the 50th anniversary of the moon landing. Even the Saturn V that is outside is being refurbished. If you go there later this year they should all look really nice.

I've stopped in at KSC a few times, last time being about 10 years ago.

We did stop in at the Huntsville place a few years ago. And yes, I never tire of these things either. They are big! And I'm always amazed that 3 people spent a number of days in the little cone at the very top. When this is pointed out, and that all the rest is a 'gas tank', they are usually quite surprised. I guess most think the astronauts had access to the whole thing..

Took this last night. You can make out where they've finished touching up to above the 1-2 interstage

(Darn near impossible to get it all in one shot)

Awesome picture!

Those are really cool shots!

Another fun fact, the height of the Saturn V is higher than the highest natural point in the state of Florida.

Couple additions...

Ez2cDave said:

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Dave,
I don't think I've seen the Saturn fin interals before. What is the wiring for?

Alan

Alan15578 said:

Dave,
I don't think I've seen the Saturn fin interals before. What is the wiring for?

Alan

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If I were to guess, and I am totally guessing, since there don't seem to be any moving parts, it would be strain gauges.

You can't just take a picture of a Saturn V, it's just too doggone big. During our NARCON visit to KSC I took these two short video's (one standing near the first stage and one standing closer to the third stage).

Ah, but KSC doesn't have the processor ring hanging up there

I’m gonna study my Lego Saturn V before I go to KSC in a couple weeks do I know what to expect. Sort of like Richard Dreyfus learning Devils Tower from his mashed potato creation.