1/100 Saturn V mods

[MarkB.]

I have waited until the last minute to build a 40th anniversary Saturn V (mostly in the hope that Carl's would appear). . . .

So, out comes my old 1980 K-36 with the oval tubes. I was thinking of modifying it to have a BT-80 core with a double D cluster and have separation occur at the base of the S-IVb stage. I'd also like to increase the fin size to be large enough to fly without the clear plastic overlays.

I'd like to hear about other modifications others have made (successful or otherwise) or even thought of but never tried.

Suggestions welcome.

[GregGleason]

My mod to keep the scale Saturn V fins is to have 4 small diameter wires, about 12 inches long and swept 45 degrees from the base of the Saturn V, between the fin fairings. At the end of the wire, a small diameter, clear drag element. At a distance, it should be hard to see. I have thought about testing it on a "boilerplate" rocket to test the theory, but have not got around to it.

Someone has likely put this idea in practice since it is not that original, so I would be interested in hearing the result.

Greg

[marslndr]

On my 30th anniversary Estes The fins are enlarged. No clear plastic needed. It does not look out of place at all. I used the Moldin-the-oldies resin fin replacements on mine. I think Sirius sells them now. Very nice and strong. The other mod I made was to convert it to a 5 motor cluster. I went with the FlisKits 4x13mm 1x24mm BT-70 mount. The 24mm fit into the existing BT50 motor mount with a coupler. I have not had a chance to fly it yet.

Good luck

[ghrocketman]

The two releases of the Estes Saturn V after the K-36/1236 both had fins large enough to not require clear plastic fins.
Even the scale fins of the K-36 are enough without clear plastic if one puts in enough nose weight. I seem to recall it takes about 4oz in the nose for the original K-36 with the scale fins.
With that much weight, I would not fly it with less than an Aerotech SU E15/RMS E18 minimum, better yet with an RMS F24. Forget the single D12 and don't even think about an E9 !
If you are going to bother with a double 24mm, you might as well go 3x24mm. you could then fly it on a 3xE9-4 cluster for a decent flight. With the new regs, as long as you keep the propellant mass under 4.4oz, it is not considered hi-power under FAA regs. That even now allows some "baby H" motors to be below that threshold.

[genimijim]

I'd like to hear about other modifications others have made (successful or otherwise) or even thought of but never tried.

Suggestions welcome.

I built a (Estes) K-36, copied the fins from the (Estes)#2001 kit which are a bit bigger than the K-36 fins.
I used the 3x18mm motor mount, it flew straight and true.

I built a #2001 but instead of the stock motor mount I used a True Modeler's Motor Mount 3x24mm. I took a fin from the #2001 and enlarged it 120% on a copy machine then cut the fins. It flies good also.

The other modifications I made to the K-36 was separation just above the SII main body tube.

Maybe Dave (dwnzmm) will reply with what he did to his Saturn V.

Jim

[MarkB.]

Thanks guys,

I decided to go ahead and start it. My kit does have a plastic capsule and engine bells so it may be a later version of the K-36.

In any event, I used a Cygnus twin 24mm mount in a leftover BT-80 stuffer tube with BMS phenolic rings. It has an Uncle Mike's ejection baffle and separation occurs at the base of the S-IVb stage so I can use my Sandman Skylab or the lunar package from the kit depending on the relative softness of the landing area. I cut an Uncle Mike's BT-80 size balsa bulkhead in half and used one half at the base of the Skylab and other half on the lunar package S-IVb.

I did order the Sirius Rocketry shroud and fin and tower/capsule set and will be using the shroud and fins. I may build a second lunar package to use the Sirius capsule and tower. A Sunward 36" parachute replaces the two 24" plastics.

At this point, Skylab is ready to launch, the stuffer is almost done and I haven't even started on the corregations or the plastic shrouds.

Now is that the most NASCAR-sounding post ever or what? I just need stickers for my range box.

[GuyNoir]

A good collection of tips can be found here:

http://ninfinger.org/rockets/saturn_v.faq.html

[dwmzmm]

I would suggest that you go ahead and use the clear slip on fins for better stability. I've flown my Centuri kit twice (within the past few years), the first with the slip ons (great, straight up flight) and the second without (added more noseweight to get the CG at the correct point) and the result was very squirrely (here's a video of that flight):

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0uTm-rbvQJk

I did extensively modified my K-36 model a while back; hope to fly it next Saturday (July 11th) for the Challenger 498 club's regular launch. It'll be our Apollo - 11 Anniversary Celebration launch. The build thread of that model is here:

http://www.oldrocketforum.com/showthread.php?t=1931

You'll see plenty of pics taken during the build. I need to redo the Service Module radiator panels before next Saturday. Got some corrugated paper from SEMROC to make it look better.

[Randy]

FWIW,

http://www.sears572.com/supersaturnv.htm

&

http://www.vernarockets.com/

Randy

[dwmzmm]

Started on the final preparations of my K-36 Saturn - V for the Apollo - 11 Anniversary Celebration coming up. The following link from TRF has more along with some pics (I think the pics are too big to downloaded here; already tried and didn't work).....

http://www.rocketryforum.com/showpost.php?p=37736&postcount=23

[MarkB.]

Well,

I hate to admit it, but the origami got the better of me -- the shroud at the top of the main tube and the corregations that go on it have turned out wrinkled and dismal. It really looks bad. I think I may have to cut the whole thing off and try again.

Thus ends my quest to have a Saturn V ready for next week's 40th anniversary of Apollo 11.

Doomed to skill level 3 kits . . . . . . .

Never to build my Sandman Soyuz . . . . . . .

Woe is me.

:(

[MarkB.]

Well better news,

I was able to cut off the wrinkled transition and carefully peel off the corregated paper. Luckily, I had photo copied the transition page on to card stock so I cut the extra out and this time I used yellow glue to glue the corregations to the card stock and left the whole thing under a stack of books over night.

The next moring I trimed the corregated paper to the transition line and glued the whole thing on. Hooray! It looks great. some primer and filler and I can paint!

Maybe we should start a thread where every posts one (just one) tip to building a Saturn V of any kind.