Saturn V: which one?

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gary7

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Interested in a Saturn V but as you all know there are many to choose from. Of the following, all things considered like cost, detail, flights, etc, what are your observations, experiences and likes/dislikes? I am looking at versions by Sirius, Sheri's Hot Rockets, Apogee and even the new Semroc (if it ever becomes available). I have no interest in anything smaller and the 9.5 ft by Polecat Aerospace is way too costly and besides that, you can not fly it in >5 MPH winds. Here in east-central IL the wind never stops blowing. Any thoughts? Thank you, all.
 
Just a comment on the Polecat kit. It has scale fins and you have to add about 15 to 20 pounds of weight to the nose to make it stable. Combine those and you get that "don't fly it in a breeze" recommendation. I've seen a couple of people use bolt-on transparent fins on a Saturn V to both reduce the required nose mass as well as to move the CP aft. I think the Polecat kit would benefit from that technique.
 
You could build a 1/100 scale from scratch if you know where to get the parts. BMS sells the centering rings you'll need and UMRS carries BT-101 tubing and cluster mounts for BT-101.Moldin Oldies has resin tower and capsule sets. Some wallpapers have ribbed designs that could serve as wraps. I believe YORP has the plans for Estes design. Decals are available from a number of suppliers. There is plenty of scale data available as well. Ted
 
Ted, I get the impression he's looking for something larger than 1/100 scale. I don't yet own a Saturn V, but if and when I buy one it will be the Apogee kit, based on everything I've seen and read on the various models available. It's big enough and detailed enough to be impressive but more cost effective to fly than some of the larger options. I'm not a high power guy anyway.

Glenn
 
Ted, I get the impression he's looking for something larger than 1/100 scale

well.....this is posted in the midpower section..but any rockets meeting the criteria will most likely be high power..
 
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If it were me, and I could afford it, I'd get the Sirius kit. Second option is the Apogee kit.

I own one of the Apogee kits, and it has great instructions, and a lot of detail. My understanding is the Sirius kit has a lot more.

-Kevin
 
The Apogee is great if you have other 1/70th scale rockets (ie: 1B, Little Joe, Gemini Titan, Mercury Atlas, etc) to display it next to.

The Apogee was great if you wanted to fly a large Saturn V, but not so large you needed a LEUP. With LEUPs no longer required for APCP motors, this point becomes moot.

The Apogee kit is probably as large as you can fly, without needing a waiver on account of the 3.3 pound limit.

Not certain about the Sirius Rocketry kit having more detail, but i'd trust Troj on this.

My Apogee Components Saturn V build:
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Sirius Rocketry Saturn V build:
https://www.rocketryforumarchive.com/showthread.php?t=45421&highlight=sirius+rocketry
 
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gary7, I finished the Apogee kit about a month ago (goal: fly it at our Club's celebration of Apollo 11's 40th anniversary). As others have noted, it's a pretty good kit. Most of the instructions are well done (video, on CD-ROM). The kit flies nicely on a G64-4W (great flame column and smoke trail!); for single-use, I flew a G80-4T. It should fly nicely on an H with a mild thrust curve, too (and probably an even more aggressive curve).

Apogee uses some interesting construction techniques, so the rocket's fairly light for its size. (On those G motors, it flew to about 150 meters, which really does make for a crowd-pleasing flight: they [and you!] can see everything during the flight.)

I added rail buttons, and did some extra detailing (I modeled mine after Apollo 15, the first of the J mission vehicles, and there are some small differences). The extra details are not in the kit, though some of the color drawings provided helped.

Do be careful with those vacuformed wraps (used to model the stringers): they can be finicky. There are definitely techniques one learns during the course of building the kit.

I kept a construction blog and photo log during the year I spent on the kit. I'm happy to answer questions, too.
IgorTryndin_IMG_5456-cropped-T.jpg

Photo from second flight: July 19, 2009.
Moonfest 2009 at NASA Ames Research Center.
(photo courtesy and copyright 2009,
Igor Tryndin [https://www.unifiedcolor.com])

 
I have always been partial to the NASA version, but I understand that may be out of your price range. :rolleyes:
 
Folks,

I've bought most of the Sirius rocket kits and I have to say...their Saturn V is pretty amazing. It has over ten years of development to it...and while I'm only half way finished with mine...I really love the kit.

The level of craftsmanship, detail and just plane love put into the kit is evident in every phase of construction.

It's expensive yes...but I think worth every penny.
 
I've bought most of the Sirius rocket kits and I have to say...their Saturn V is pretty amazing...The level of craftsmanship, detail and just plane love put into the kit is evident in every phase of construction.

Pictures on Sirius's Web site certainly look nice. Do you know what the finished rocket will weigh, roughly? (One nice thing about Apogee's: I can fly it on a G motor. Besides not having an L1 cert yet, our local launch site has a max G motor--we're launching at an active airfield and NASA research center.) Any estimates on flight altitude?

Any idea of what it would take to build without the S-II ullage motors?
 
The Sirius Rocketry Saturn V is a beautifully detailed kit.

A stock build is 10-12 lbs and recommended to fly on an I motor.
1/64 scale, 6.3" dia x 67 length with escape tower.

I build one modified for 5 motor cluster, dual deploy and G10 fins. Got my L2 on it last year and several good flights this year.

Last year's build and flight thread:
https://www.rocketryforumarchive.com/showthread.php?t=45421

Pictured is a recent flight at NERRF 5 on a CTI J520 skid and 4x AT G71 Redlines.

IMG_6032.jpg
 
But, has anyone any experience with Sheri's? I am not a high power guy either (yet) and would probably like the dual G cluster configuration. I wonder also what a modified Apogee would do with a double G cluster?
 
But, has anyone any experience with Sheri's? I am not a high power guy either (yet) and would probably like the dual G cluster configuration. I wonder also what a modified Apogee would do with a double G cluster?

I haven't built it yet, but I have one of Sheri's kits. It is impressive. Looking at the instructions, I would describe it as a "builders kit" in that you have to craft some of the parts such as the transitions and shrouds. There are a few design and construction things that I think are pretty neat.

-- Roger
 
Here is how I'd rate them (one's I've owned)

AA+ Dr Zooch Saturn V. About $25 and flies like a dream. Easy build.

A+ Peter Alway SaturnV. About $50. Nice kit. Well designed. Flies great

B Estes K39. OOP Pretty basic. Files great.

B Estes 2001 OOP (~$125 on Ebay) Tough build and tough to fly on 24mm BP motor.

B- Sheri's Hot Rocket $450 BIG ROCKET. Nice design, HEAVY. Will not fly on recommended G (2X) motors. Easy build with the new resin parts.

and the best........

AAAA+ Sirius 1/64 Saturn. $~359. Beautiful kit. Well designed. Great components. Flies on a HPR motor.

Of all the kits, the Sirius is the best. I love the detail and design. That is my current build. But.....if I had to start with anything. I'd go for the Zooch!

:2:
 
The Sirius Rocketry Saturn V is the only Saturn V I have built.

It is an awesomely detailed kit that has a safe and realistic motor recommendation.

Totally agree with the AAAA+ rating.

Watch out for other kits that claim to fly on what seems like too little motor power. Saturns tend to be bulky and heavy kits, they want nose weight and power to be stable with the tiny fins.

I do lots of clusters, always 4+ motors and with power to spare.

Never underpowered and never with 2 motors. If one motor fails to ignite, look out!

Check out www.bpasa.com for updated pictures of my Saturn V in flight.

For a Saturn that can fly safely on low power, stay under 4" dia and 3lbs.

While not a Saturn V, the Semroc Saturn 1B is a well regarded kit that is now available.
 
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Here is how I'd rate them (one's I've owned)

B Estes 2001 OOP (~$125 on Ebay) Tough build and tough to fly on 24mm BP motor.

Agree: very tough to fly on D motor. Fly it on a 24mm E. The original 1:100 Estes and Centuri Saturn V both flew on 3xC-6. Trying to fly on a D-12 is asking for trouble.
 
After that last vendor's chat we had last month with Sirius and in talking to Dave, I'm putting bits of money aside to pick up his Saturn V.

Sounds like a great Level 2 kit - although I've already got a LOC Expediter for that as well. Can you have too many HPR kits?
 
Agree: very tough to fly on D motor. Fly it on a 24mm E. The original 1:100 Estes and Centuri Saturn V both flew on 3xC-6. Trying to fly on a D-12 is asking for trouble.

I had an Estes Saturn V that I bought way back in 1976. The only thing I ever flew it on was a D12. Never a problem and many flights.

I am again getting interested in the Saturn V and like many of us, waiting still for the Semroc version. Has anyone heard about it since this forum's discussion last November?

I sure would like an Apogee or Sirius Saturn V but 1) both cost alot of money and 2) I am not L1 (for the Sirius model)
 
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