Reference / Paper · 2011
Peak of Flight #302: Building Apogee's 1-70th Apollo Saturn 1B
Apogee Components' Peak of Flight newsletter, issue 302 (2011-12-20).
- peak-of-flight
- apogee-components
- model-rocketry
Reference / Paper · 2011
Apogee Components' Peak of Flight newsletter, issue 302 (2011-12-20).
Apogee Components' Peak of Flight newsletter, issue 302 (2011-12-20).
In This Issue Building Apogee’s 1/70th Scale Saturn 1B Rocket Cover Photo: New Way Rocketry’s C-Thru Get one now at: www.ApogeeRockets.com/newway_c-thru.asp Apogee Components, Inc. — Your Source For Rocket Supplies That Will Take You To The “Peak-of-Flight” 3355 Fillmore Ridge Heights Colorado Springs, Colorado 80907-9024 USA www.ApogeeRockets.com e-mail: [email protected] ISSUE 302 D E C E M B E R 2 0 , 2 0 11 Building Apogee’s 1/70th Apollo Saturn 1B By Phillip Gore Editor’s Comment Normally I don’t publish articles on how to build a specific Apogee kit. But this is a little different. Phillip Gore is a regular contributor to Fine Scale Modeling magazine, which tells you how advanced his modeling skills are. This particular article was submitted to them, but for some reason, they turned it down. Their loss, and our gain! In this issue, I’m reprinting his honest opinions of the kit, and how he modified it to suit his needs. - Tim Van Milligan Introduction Development of NASA’s Saturn 1B family of rockets grew out of the need for a launch vehicle to send an Apollo spacecraft into Earth’s orbit, so it could be tested before going to the moon. To meet deadlines and budget restrictions, the main booster stage was Figure 1 - The completed comprised of one Jupiter Saturn 1B kit. rocket tank surrounded by eight smaller Redstone rocket tanks. Building on already proven technology made the design and production stages go much faster. This rocket’s moment of glory in America’s quest to reach the moon came on October 11, 1968, when the first manned Apollo Saturn 1B (designated Apollo 7) carried astronauts Wally Schirra, Don Eisele and Walter Cunningham into Earth’s orbit for an 11 day mission. After the moon race was over, this same configuration was used three times in 1973 to deliver astronauts to About this Newsletter A Different Modeling Path I am a static plastic model builder, so working on this kit required some adjustments to my typical building routines and techniques. Being a flying model, most of the kit materials were paper tubes, thin vac-form plastic wraps and a small number of resin and injected plastic parts. There were no printed instructions (What?-!), but there were two CDs containing several hours of short “how to” videos. These went into great detail and were very specific on how to avoid common mistakes. They also were very specific in recommending which types of glues work best for the different materials used. For my build, wood glue, thick/thin superglue, 5-Minute epoxy and liquid plastic cement were used to assemble the model. Because a static display was built I was able to skip over several construction steps. Basic Construction The first step was filling the main booster body tube seams by coating the tubes with a heavy coat of primer paint. Next, almost all of the paint was sanded away, except for what remained in the seams (see Figure 2). After painting the eight booster body tubes (four flat white/four Figure 2: Filling the tube spirals was done per the video instructions provided with the kit. Continued on page 3 Newsletter Staff You can subscribe to receive this e-zine FREE at the Apogee Components web site (www.ApogeeRockets.com), or by sending an e-mail to: [email protected] with “SUBSCRIBE” as the subject line of the message. Page 2 the Skylab Space Station. It was launched one last time in 1975 for the joint U.S./Russian Apollo-Soyuz linkup in space. Building Apogee’s 1/70 scale flying model (www. ApogeeRockets.com/saturn_1B.asp) of this historic rocket is the subject of this article. ISSUE 302 Writer: Tim Van Milligan Layout / Cover Artist: Tim Van Milligan Proofreader: Michelle Mason D E C E M B E R 2 0 , 2 0 11 Continued from page 2 Building Apogee’s Apollo Saturn 1B on the vac-form wraps so that when the final cuts were made a near perfect fit around the tube was produced. When working with unforgiving, fragile materials like these it is always better to measure three times and cut once (see Figure 4). Only a small amount of thick superglue was used on the vac-form wrap vertical seam lines. A small bead of 5-Minute epoxy was applied at the top and bottom horizontal seam lines, and then a damp Q-tip was swiped across the epoxy to remove all the excess. Using the epoxy added strength and eliminated any tiny gaps that would show up during painting. I used these two glues to apply all of the vac-form wraps. Figure 3: The plastic transition is used to make sure the fuel tank tubes are evenly spaced. flat black) they were glued in place. The kit’s plastic transition shroud was used as a locator guide to make sure each tube was evenly spaced (see Figure 3). The excellent color drawings on the CDs took the guesswork out of correctly locating the thin vac-form wraps and other details. Repeated measurements were taken Figure 4: The plastic vacuum-formed wraps applied to the body tubes. The two kit supplied vac-form tunnel parts were replaced with styrene pieces that were cut and sanded to shape. The paper tube seams on the SIV-B Stage were filled with Squad- Figure 5: Green putty was used on the spirals once the wraps were atron Green Putty (see Figure 5) and tached. sanded smooth (see Figure 6). The Lunar Excursion Module (LEM) transition consisted of an inside and outside paper wrap that had to be care- Figure 6: The green putty sanded smooth on the tube. Continued on page 4 We’re Paying Cash For Great Articles for This Newsletter Are you a writer looking for some serious pocket change? We’re paying up to $350 for good how-to articles for this newsletter. If you’re interested, see our submission guidelines on the Apogee web site. www.ApogeeRockets.com/Newsletter_Guidelines.asp ISSUE 302 D E C E M B E R 2 0 , 2 0 11 Page 3 Continued from page 3 Building Apogee’s Apollo Saturn 1B less connection was the most difficult part of the project for me, and two wraps were ruined before an acceptable fit was achieved (See Figure 8). I will admit that I did not use the spray adhesive that was recommended in the instructions to help locate the outer wrap. If I built this again I would more closely follow the manufacturer’s instructions on this step. Figure 7: The LM Shroud under-structure prior to installing the outside embossed paper wrap. fully cut and located (see Figure 7). The outside wrap was out of thicker, embossed paper that had crisp surface detail (see Figure 8). Correctly locating this piece to get a seam- Figure 8: The embossed wrap took considerable effort to be placed properly on the transition. Next, the main booster base section was built and assembly included using paper templates to mark the locations of the fins (See Figure 9). The resin fins required some repair work, since they had holes where air pockets formed. To try and get the fins as perfect as possible, the kit parts were glued to very thin a Figure 9: Fin locations marked on the base section. Figure 10: The resin fins were laminated with sheet styrene. Continued on page 5 • Eliminates Shear Forces on Centering Rings • Mates with AeroPacks Flanged Engine Retainers • Fits Standard HPR Tubes, Blue Tubes, and Fiberglass Tubes • Made from Aircraft Grade Aluminum www.ApogeeRockets.com/thrust_plates.asp Page 4 ISSUE 302 D E C E M B E R 2 0 , 2 0 11 www.ApogeeRockets.com Experienced HPR Builders Use Thrust Plates Continued from page 4 Building Apogee’s Apollo Saturn 1B rod that was part of a wooden base (see Figure 13), the rocket’s booster adapter base was modified to accept the metal rod. This was done by gluing a section of the kit’s lifting lug in the center of the booster adapter base and surrounding it with thick styrene blocks for reinforcement. styrene sheet that was cut to a rough shape (see Figure 10). The styrene was glued to the fins and sanded to the correct dimensions (see Figure 011). Improving the kit’s other resin parts only required adding primer paint and sanding (see Figure 12). Figure 11: Completed fin, sanded smooth. Since the model was to be permanently mounted to a metal Figure 13: A wooden base was made to hold the rocket. The Von Braun Painting Dilemma All of the rockets Dr. Werner Von Braun helped develop carried an attractive (and complex) black and white paint scheme. He like the way it looked, even though the paint increased the liftoff weight. The Apollo Saturn 1B paint pattern is one of the more difficult patterns to reproduce and caused multiple headaches on this project. Figure 12: The other resin parts were painted with primer and sanded smooth. Starting with the fin section, the assembly was painted with multiple thin coats of flat white. Each coat was given ample time to dry and then buffed with a very soft, worn cloth. White is one of the more difficult colors to apply, since it takes a lot of paint to cover any dark marks on what Continued on page 6 Model Rocket Design and Construction By Timothy S. Van Milligan The Expanded 3rd Edition This massive, 328 page guidebook for serious rocket designers contains the most up-to-date information on creating unique and exciting models that really work. With 566 illustrations and 175 photos, it is the ultimate resource if you want to make rockets that will push the edge of the performance envelope. Because of the number of pictures, it is also a great gift to give to beginners to start them on their rocketry future. For more information, and to order this hefty book, visit the Apogee web site at: www.ApogeeRockets.com/design_book.asp Apogee Components 3355 Fillmore Ridge Heights Colorado Springs, Colorado 80907 telephone: 719-535-9335 website: www.ApogeeRockets.com ISSUE 302 D E C E M B E R 2 0 , 2 0 11 Page 5 Continued from page 5 Building Apogee’s Apollo Saturn 1B Figure 15: The tedious task of masking resulted in a great looking part. Figure 14: Multiple layers of white paint were applied before the model was masked off with tape. is being painted. The temptation is there to apply one or two thick coats all at once, but this is a huge mistake. The thickness has to be built up in many layers and buffed out between every coat. I probably applied 8-10 coats of paint to each white section of the rocket. A coat of Future Floor Wax was added as a gloss coat to make masking easier. The tedious task of masking around the fins was done using 1/16” wide strips of masking tape laid down at the black and white separation point (see Figure 14). A round, wooden toothpick was used to press the tape against the model and eliminate any raised edges. A small metal ruler was constantly checked against the masking tape to verify the straightness and alignment. Doing all of these things helped produce a super sharp demarcation line (see Figure 15). A good deal of sanding along the inside of the transition shroud top was required to make sure the paint finish on the booster body tubes was not marred when the fin section was slid in place over them (see Figure 16). The SIV-B stage was painted flat white but no Future Continued on page 7 AltimeterOne - See how high your rocket flew • Records peak altitude up to 29,000 feet (ASL). Displays in meters too! • Easy-to-read LCD display. No need to count beeps or flashes of light. AltimeterTwo - See how fast and high your rocket went • Records peak speed and acceleration using 3-axis accelerometer. NEW! Penny shown for size comparison Page 6 • Also tells you how high the rocket flew. www.ApogeeRockets.com/AltimeterOne.asp ISSUE 302 D E C E M B E R 2 0 , 2 0 11 www.ApogeeRockets.com “The one altimeter you’ll use in every rocket you fly.” Your Source For Everything Rocketry AltimeterOne Continued from page 6 Building Apogee’s Apollo Saturn 1B Figure 17: The raised antennas were masked off and painted white after the black paint was applied. Figure 16: Some sanding was necessary on the transition to prevent it from scraping the paint off the tubes. Floor Wax was added, since the masking requirements were not as demanding as on the fin assembly. When dry, the same masking method detailed above was used again. The only difference was having the extra difficulty of trying to mask a straight line over the corrugations. They certainly added a new “wrinkle” to the process (ha! ha!). In a couple of areas small strips of black decal film were applied at the black and white separation point to correct minor misalignment. Lastly, all of the raised details were masked off and painted flat white (see Figure 17). Final Assembly The kit decals were used and went on well, but heavy amounts of Micro-Sol decal setting solution were used to get them conform to the painted surfaces. Almost every bit of the decal carrier film was cut away before each decal was applied. This meant all the letters were applied individually. A small metal ruler was used to confirm their proper spacing and alignment. It was a lot more work but eliminated any decal “silvering”, or the possibility that the carrier film would turn yellow over time. The engine nozzles were assembled, Figure 18: The nozzles were painted painted with dull aluminum, and the inside flat black. Continued on page 8 Think of the convenience of getting everything to professionally install your dual-deployment or other electronic payload into a e-bay of your rocket! Includes: nylon standoffs, screws & nuts, wire, push-switch, drill & tap, ejection charge cannisters, barrier strips, wire ties, and step-bystep DVD instructions. www.apogeerockets.com/electronic_mounting_kit.asp ISSUE 302 D E C E M B E R 2 0 , 2 0 11 www.ApogeeRockets.com Electronics Hardware Installation Kit Page 7 Continued from page 7 Building Apogee’s Apollo Saturn 1B Alcad dull aluminum and glued to the bottom of the booster adapter base (see Figure 18). The Command Module (CM) and the Apollo Capsule were last sections built. The kit included a Figure 19: The service module was paper wrap for detailed with sheet styrene. the CM with raised detail, but it was not used. Instead a very thin piece of styrene plastic was glued around the CM to cover the tube seam line. After the seam line was sanded out it was Figure 21: The antenna panels were replaced with sheet styrene. masked off and painted Model Master aluminum. White decal film from my spares box was added to represent the various radiator panels (see Figure 19). The capsule and escape rocket parts are the best I have ever seen in ANY kit and went together perfectly (see Figure 20). Additional detailing included gluing on a few small photo-etch parts (again from my spares box). The last parts added to the kit were the antenna pan- Figure 20: The escape tower is a work of art. Continued on page 9 The Most Versatile Alignment Jig Ever Manufactured • Get Perfectly Aligned Fins Every Time • Holds the Tube In a Horizontal Orientation to Prevent Glue Drips • Self Adjusts to ANY Size Tube From 13mm (BT-5) to 66mm (BT-80) • Securely Holds The Fin While The Glue Dries • Kid-Friendly! Helps Them Make Stronger Fins, Resulting in Straighter Flights • Can Accomodate Fins Up To 1/2” Thick • Allows Any Number of Fins on the Tube www.ApogeeRockets.com/guillotine_jig.asp Page 8 ISSUE 302 D E C E M B E R 2 0 , 2 0 11 www.ApogeeRockets.com Guillotine Fin Alignment Jig Continued from page 8 Building Apogee’s Apollo Saturn 1B finally have it! els. I cut the raised areas off the kit vac-form parts and glued them to thin pieces of styrene that served as the base (see Figure 21). Once these were glued to the rocket tubes the project was done! References Conclusion About the Author: This was a fun (yes, fun) kit build because it was different from my normal “all plastic Figure 22: After the antenna panels projects”. It is also were added, the rocket was coman eye-catcher plete. standing over 38” tall. I have been waiting for a large, accurate and well detailed Apollo Saturn 1B for a long time and thanks to Apogee Components I Launch Vehicles and Spacecraft Drawings/ApolloSaturn 1B - David Weeks, Realspace Models, Tallahassee, Florida, 1997 www.realspacemodels.com Rockets of The World: A Modeler’s Guide, Peter Alway (1993). Material Sources Styrene - Evergreen Scale models, Inc., Woodinville, WA 98072 Phillip Gore lives in Trussville, AL and works as a Cost Estimator for ProcessBarron, Inc. He has been married for twenty-two years and has an 18 year son and 15 year old daughter. Phillip began building plastic models when he was five, and continued to build them until starting high school. At that point “girls and cars” took over and the desire to model did not surface again until about ten years later. Over the past ten years he has had more than twenty modeling articles published by several modeling magazines. His modeling interests include WWII aircraft, naval ships, sci-fi rockets and NASA spacecraft. • Holds Aerotech’s Reload Propellant • Sizes: 24mm To 98mm Diameter • Power Range: E Through N • Cases For Any Project • Rouse-Tech Quality • Affordable! www.ApogeeRockets.com • Reusable Rocket Motors Save Money Your Source For Everything Rocketry High-Power Reload Casings www.ApogeeRockets.com/Rouse-Tech_Monster_Motors.asp ISSUE 302 D E C E M B E R 2 0 , 2 0 11 Page 9