Saturn V New Fins

[tbone50158]

I want to start building my second Estes Saturn V kit. I broke one fin off while building the rocket. Was holding rocket to glue something on to the body tube, rocket slipped out of my hand, fell one foot onto table, broke fin off. My first flight of my Saturn V was with a D12-3 did not go well, underpowered, broke a fin on landing. I bought some Aerotech E14-4 engines, launched rocket succesfully 3 times. Truely impressive flights.

For my second rocket I want to build a rocket with much stronger fins. I plan to fly the rocket on Aerotech E engines only, so adding some weight would be okay with me. I would much rather have a sturdier rocket and fly not quite as high. I have hunted the internet for replacement fins, but have not had any luck.

I have been thinking about making them out of basswood and adding some weight to the nose. Does anyone else have any other ideas?

 

[cjp]

Nice kits,to bad they cost so much.I am building my first DR.Zooch kit and it's a Saturn V.Mostly wraps but still a great little kit.Hope to someday build Semrocs Saturn B5 kit.Good luck with your second kit.Have a great Holiday.cjp.

 

[Gary Byrum]

Click HERE for parts replacement parts available at Sirius Rocketry.

 

[luke strawwalker]

Paper them... adds a lot of strength for VERY little weight...

Later! OL JR

 

[tbone50158]

I could not find any replacement fins from Sirius Rocketry

 

[GregGleason]

I could not find any replacement fins from Sirius Rocketry

Try this:

https://www.siriusrocketry.biz/ishop/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=11_26_32&products_id=294

Greg

 

[gdjsky01]

JR are you suggesting he paper the vacuformed fins?

I have not built one but perhaps after joining the havles together you can inject them through the root with some epoxy? That is just a wild-a$s idea. I have never tried it.

I once built a The Launch Pad Matra and it used a wood frame with cardstock skins. Made getting the crease line in the fin easier. I do not know if that is practical in this application.

 

[sodmeister]

JR are you suggesting he paper the vacuformed fins?

I have not built one but perhaps after joining the havles together you can inject them through the root with some epoxy? That is just a wild-a$s idea. I have never tried it.

I once built a The Launch Pad Matra and it used a wood frame with cardstock skins. Made getting the crease line in the fin easier. I do not know if that is practical in this application.

I did just that, poured in some 20 min. finish cure epoxy into the root end of the fins ,rock solid.

Basswood fins wood work plenty fine also ,and as Jeff suggested ,you could also make a framework of Basswood and skin them with heavy cardstock and then coat them with superthin CA or 20 min. finishing epoxy.


Paul T

 

[rosko_racer]

You may want to check this post and this thread for what I did with my fins for my Saturn V... Read both threads for mod ideas.

- R_R

 

[sodmeister]

You may want to check this post and this thread for what I did with my fins for my Saturn V... Read both threads for mod ideas.

- R_R

I remember that build thread,an oldy but a goodie ! There are some very good pointers to be had there !

Cheers

Paul T

 

[luke strawwalker]

JR are you suggesting he paper the vacuformed fins?

I have not built one but perhaps after joining the havles together you can inject them through the root with some epoxy? That is just a wild-a$s idea. I have never tried it.

I once built a The Launch Pad Matra and it used a wood frame with cardstock skins. Made getting the crease line in the fin easier. I do not know if that is practical in this application.

Are they strictly vacuform?? I thought they were balsa or balsa cored...

If so, nevermind...

Later! OL JR

 

[BEAR]

Back in 1969 a friend of mine sanded his plastic fins on his Estes Saturn V too much. The scale contest was a week away, and he was in a hurry. We made new fins out of balsa and heavy card stock. It worked great. You cut a piece of wood to match the root edge of the plastic one, you cut a spar that will be at the max thickness of the root and take it out to the end of the fin. Cut some ribs to help maintain the correct cross-sections and add strength. Then cover over it in heavy card stock and glue to the body. My description is simplistic, it takes more work than I am describing, but it will work great. You will need to think things through if you have never done built up fins, but it is just like on a balsa model airplane. I hope this helps.

 

[FastCargo]

Are they strictly vacuform?? I thought they were balsa or balsa cored...

If so, nevermind...

Later! OL JR

You're a little out of the loop JR. There have been 3 iterations of the Saturn V kit. The first is the classic one you grew up with...all the chutes coming out of BT-58 at the top of the Service Module. It used the smaller scale fins (balsa) with slip on clear fins for flight.

The second was in the 1990s when the second stage shroud and higher came off as a unit. Those fins were also balsa but slightly oversized...getting rid of the clear fins and a lot of the inner complexity of the older kit. This is the one you are thinking of.

The current kit is similar to the second kit, but uses vacuform fins that are built up...no balsa.

FC