Saturn V - 1/70th Scale

The Saturn V rocket may be gone — but it will never be forgotten. After all, it was the only rocket used to put men on the surface of the moon.

The 1/70th scale Apogee Saturn V is the largest kit version in the world that doesn't require a special waiver to launch. It stands well over 62 inches tall and 5.6 inches in diameter. Erect it on your desk and it will nearly touch the ceiling. People coming into the room will have no choice but to look "up." It is the similar situation when looking at the real moon rocket, which stood 363 feet in the sky. It's big, and you gotta look up at it.

There is so much surface detail on the rocket, you can count the number of stringers (on the corrugated sections) and compare it to the real vehicle. You'll be able to immediately tell that this was a model build for scale enthusiasts like you. It will mesmerize you for hours on end as you slowly inspect every square centimeter of its surface. It will ignite your imagination as you dream about what it must have been like to have been an engineer working on it, or an astronaut to ride it into space.

When you are finished building the model, you will have a huge sense of accomplishment and a can-do attitude to tackle other complex rockets. If you can build this one, you can build any rocket kit!

The Apogee Saturn V is more than just space memorabilia. When you look at this new rocket, you'll be awestruck by its size and commanding presence. Your eyes will be glued to it like it has cast some sort of hypnotic trance on you. It demands your attention, like an Army Drill Sergeant barking in your face.

We mean it when we say "museum quality." These models of the Saturn V and the Saturn 1B (built by Tim Doll), are on display at the Seattle Museum of Flight. Other museums have displayed our Saturn V model too.

While being a Skill Level 5 kit, this rocket will not be difficult for you to build. The instructions are detailed and easy to follow. Instead of a printed manual with complicated text and fuzzy illustrations, these instructions are YouTube video clips that you watch (see below to watch the videos now). Everyone that has watched the videos has commented that these are the best kit instructions ever made for a model rocket.

By following the techniques in the video instructions, your completed model will be a flawless work of art. People will marvel at the way you have the tube so smooth and the paint applied with such crisp edges.

And besides building a museum-quality display model, your rocket can be launched in the sky! Yes, it was really designed to be blasted off into space.

This kit is totally new from the tip of the escape tower down to the base of the plastic display nozzles. It includes:

• Highly detailed injection-molded plastic nose cone and escape tower
• Injection molded RCS nozzles for the Service Module
• Injection molded F1 Display nozzles that are removable when you are ready to launch your rocket.
• Embossed paper wraps for the upper transition piece between the third stage and Service Module.
• 6-color water transfer decals (with special decals for 12 Saturn V's that rocketed into space.
• High-quality paper tubes that were sized to exactly 1/70th scale.
• 7 highly detailed plastic corrugated wraps - that include all the small tunnel covers pre-molded. So assembly is quicker.
• Extra sturdy die-cut centering rings along with a 29mm motor mount that fits your favorite high power rocket motors.
• 2 large nylon parachutes (58" and 36" diameter) so your rocket descends slowly to the ground to be launched again and again!
• Molded plastic fins that are removable when you transport your rocket to and from the launch site.
• Urethane resin details for the booster interstage section
• Eye-popping detailed embossed wrap for the transition of the 2nd stage to the Service Module
• Special "raised ink" wrap for the Service Module portion to bring out the raised panel lines on the rocket, and to aid in masking off the different color patterns.
• Injection molded Reaction Control System (RCS) nozzles on the Service Module.
• Four hours of video instruction. These not only show where to place the parts, but how-to put them together correctly. This gives a high-quality fit and lightweight rocket.
• 12 pages of painting instructions and drawings show the colors on the rocket.
• Kevlar® shock cords
• 1/4 inch launch lugs
• RockSim design file so you can pick which motors you'd like to fly and to determine how well the rocket will perform with those motors.
• This is a rocket kit that was truly engineered -- not simply whipped together and tossed into a box. Like all the Apogee rocket kits, it was designed by a real engineer using true aeronautical principles. It is strong enough to fly on big high-power rocket motors but is still light-weight. In fact, when prepped for flight, this rocket is only 2-1/2 lbs, so you do not need an FAA waiver to launch it! It flies great on an Aerotech G80-4 rocket motor - which you can purchase at your local hobby store. No high power certification or special rocket motors are required.

This kit does not contain an engine hook, so you'll need to have a bit of extra skill when securing the engine for flight. Please see our education page for more information on holding motors in big rockets. Another option (not necessarily required) is that you can order the Aero Pack Engine Retainer 29L. These are useful on rockets that use the 29mm diameter reloadable motors and really give the model a professional appearance. And yes, they can be installed on existing rocket kits like this one.

This Saturn V kit does NOT have printed instructions. All the assembly steps are described in video format. The kit includes three DVD's where you learn the specific techniques that we use to build this museum quality model. But because DVD's are becoming obsolete, we've now put them on YouTube so you can access them easier. Below are the links to the construction steps:

Saturn V Disk 1 - https://youtu.be/SYo6m9dGdEI

Saturn V Disk 2 - https://youtu.be/F4udqp3ewxs

Saturn V Disk 3 - https://youtu.be/bNhyG8hWPxQ

Videos on DVD Number 1:

Step #1 - Engine Mount Tools and Parts
Step #2 - Eng Mount Assembly Part 1 00:02:24
Step #3 - Eng Mount Assembly Part 2 00:06:10
Step #4 - Eng Mount Assy Part 3 00:10:52
Step #5 - Making Thrust Rings 00:12:56
Step #6 - Eng Mount Assy Part 4 00:16:46
Step #7 - Big Couplers 00:19:26
Step #8 - Cutting Out Wraps 00:22:28
Step #9 - Trimming to Length 00:25:16
Step #10 - Identifying the vacuum-form wraps & their positions (see attached file). 00:29:04
Step #11 - Wrap Orientation Part 1 00:29:14 
                 For wrap placement, download the pdf document here.
Step #12 - Wrap Orientation Part 2 00:36:00
Step #13 - CYA applicator 00:40:24
Step #14 - Attaching Wraps 00:44:40
Step #14A - Alternate Glue Method 00:52:53
Step #15 - Nozzle Assembly 1 00:57:10
Step #16 - Nozzle Assembly 2 01:04:15
Step #17 - Painting the Base 01:06:28
Step #18 - Booster Tunnels 1 01:11:34
Step #19 - Booster Tunnels 2 01:17:05
Step #20 - Booster Tunnels 3 01:18:09
Step #21 - Booster Tunnels 4 01:19:46
Step #22 - Booster Tunnels 5 01:24:03
Step #23 - Launch Lug Installation 01:26:15
Step #24 - Fairing Braces 01:30:28
Step #25 - Fin Fairings 01:35:01
Step #26 - Slots In Fairings 01:37:27
Step #27 - Fairing Installation 01:40:24
Step #28 - Blending Fairings 01:45:07
Step #29 - Display Nozzle Install 01:47:37
Step #30 - Big Transition 1 01:49:03
Step #31 - Big Transition 2 01:54:19
Step #32 - Big Transition 3 01:55:53
Step #33 - Big Transition 4 02:02:28

Videos on DVD Number 2:

Step #34 - Big Transition 5 CD#2 00:00:00
Step #35 - Big Transition 6 00:03:10
Step #36 - Cutting Out 3rd Stage Wraps 00:08:14
Step #37 - 3rd Stage Tunnels 00:11:03
Step #38 - Installing 3rd Stage Wraps 00:16:19
Step #39 - Install 3rd Stage Details 00:22:59
Step #40 - Building Upper Body Part  00:26:51
Step #41 - Building Upper Body Part 2 00:30:41
Step #42 - Building Upper Body Part 3 00:38:19
Step #43 - Building Upper Body Part 4 00:41:39
Step #44 - Stiffening Transition (optional step, but recommended) 00:46:52
Step #45 - Building Upper Body Part 5 00:52:16
Step #46 - Building Upper Body Part 6 00:56:16
Step #47 - Building Upper Body Part 7 01:03:31
Step #48 - Building Upper Body Part 8 01:04:28

Videos on DVD Number 3:

Step #49 - Removing Plastic Parts 00:00:00
Step #50 - Plastic Assembly Part 2 00:06:17
Step #51 - Plastic Assembly Part 3 00:14:43
Step #52 - RCS Installation 00:16:05
Step #53 - Pre-paint Touch-up 00:17:36
Step #54 - Ullage Motor Repair 00:20:52
Step #55 - Fix Any Gaps 00:23:39
Step #56 - Primer Painting 00:26:08
Step #57 - Painting Part 1 00:30:05
Step #58 - Painting Part 2 00:31:16
Step #59 - Painting Part 3 00:34:14
Step #60 - Painting Part 4 00:40:42
Step #61 - Fin Voids 00:42:54 (After the fins have been repaired, they can be painted and installed into the fin slots on the rocket (not shown). If the fit is tight, you do not need to glue them in place. They can then be removed whenever you transport the rocket to and from the rocket launch range.)
Step #62 - Decal Placement 00:44:24
Step #63 - Motor Installation 00:45:39
Step #64 - Flight Prep 1 00:47:48
Step #65 - Flight Prep 2 00:51:34
Step #66 - Out to Launch 00:57:56
How parachutes were made - 0:57:26
How Instructions were filmed - 1:01:22
Vacuum-Forming the wraps - 1:05:26

First, the anticipation of the launch will be so thick, you will almost be able to cut it with a knife. You will feel a bit of anxiety along with the thud-thud-thud of your heart pounding hard inside your chest. This is the big moment. Everything has led up to this. The weather is perfect. Not too hot, and only a whiff of a breeze.

You erect the vehicle on the launch pad. The sunlight gleams off it, and it is almost too bright to look at. While you hook up the starter, from behind you hear the clicking of cameras taking numerous photos of the rocket. When your preparations are complete, you are asked to stand next to the rocket to have your photograph taken too. A big smile cracks across your face, because deep inside you know that people are envious of your masterpiece.

A calm silence falls over the crowd as the countdown begins. As it proceeds to 5, 4, 3, 2, 1, the spectators start shouting along with the countdown. At zero, you hear the thunderous grumbling of the motor as it comes up to full power.

Click, click, click go the cameras once again.

As the mighty rocket inches upward off the pad in clouds of billowing smoke, the brilliantly colored flame will make you squint your eyes. The smoke begins to blow toward you, and you smell the pungent aroma of the exhaust. By now the motor is making an ear-shattering roar, and the rocket is gaining immense speed as it rises perfectly straight into the crisp blue sky.

The wide column of smoke makes the rocket easy to track, and when the motor cuts off, you can hear the crowd whooping and howling. You should have charged them money to see this, you think to yourself.

The rocket begins to slow down about now and is coasting effortlessly into the stratosphere. Just when it hits apogee, you see it split into two sections. A half-second later, as it starts to descend, the two big parachutes fully blossom open. One on the main part of the rocket, and the second on the forward section.

You feel a sense of unrestrained joyful emotions. You try hard to look calm, but deep inside you are brimming with pride.

"Yippee!" yells the crowd. They gradually make their way toward you as the rocket slowly descends. As you watch it drift down, you feel the hands slapping on your back and you hear the attaboys from your friends.

As the rocket sections finally touch down on the soft green grass, you feel a calm sense of awe. It was a great flight, and something you'll be proud of for a long, long time. You say to yourself, "that has got to be the next best thing to having watched a real moon-rocket lift off into space." But this was "MY" accomplishment.

If you've never experienced something like this, then you have to buy this rocket kit right now. Why wait? Click the "Add to Cart" button this very second.

Take home the Saturn V rocket, and inspect its contents. View the assembly instruction videos. If you're not fully satisfied for any reason, or if it isn't the finest rocket kit you've ever seen, simply return it to us in unbuilt and unused condition and you'll get a full refund, no questions asked. On top of that, keep the instruction DVDs (a $39.95 value by itself) as our free gift.

I want you to experience the pride and the thrill that owning this rocket kit will give to you. It will be the flagship of your fleet and the envy of your friends.

As a busy modeler, you know that sometimes (Okay, a lot of time) it is difficult to find the time to build rocket kits. That is why I want you to order right now. When you view the instructional videos, you'll learn a lot of new ways to build rockets quicker. You'll somehow find yourself with more time. And building this rocket will go fast, and it will be the biggest pleasure you've had all month.

In my opinion, you can't possibly know the exhilaration that owning your own Apogee Saturn V kit can bring to your life unless you experience it. Click the order button right now. And if you don't think this is the finest rocket kit ever made, send it back for a full refund, but keep the $39.95 instructional DVDs as my free gift to you.

• What tools do I need to assemble this Saturn V rocket?
• Saturn V Replacement Parts & Decals
• Saturn V Instructions Errata
• Saturn V Launch Video (1.6Meg)
• Replacement Apollo Capsules
• Saturn V history and data
•  

This is a video submitted to us by Christopher Johnson. 

I was a bit skeptical about the video instructions at first but after viewing a couple of segments, I am a convert. They do remove any doubt on how to properly build the kit as you have stated. I love the attention to detail the kit has." -- Vic Duniec

"I want to state publicly how pleased -- no, *thrilled* -- I am with the Saturn V kit. The level of detail is outstanding, the fit of parts is beautiful, and (my opinion) it isn't really as hard to build as some might think, thanks to a highly detailed and very clear set of video instructions." -- Terry "P'rfesser" McCreary 

Hey Tim,

I finally got around to getting a pic of me with my Saturn V. I finished it last winter, and it's been displayed in my office at work all this time. It's too precious to launch.

I recently moved offices so had the chance to bring it home. Here it is with me in the backyard.

I'm currently working on the Saturn 1B. I'm pretty tied up, so I probably won't have it finished for a while.

But thanks again for the great kits. I'm so glad I got the Saturn V before it went out of production. I feel like I have a collectors item!

-- Joe Mastroianni

• Pencil
• Ruler
• Scissors

• Masking Tape

• Hobby Knife - Hobby with #11 Blade

• Adhesives - Wood Glue or White Glue
• Finishing Supplies like sanding sealer, paint and sandpaper (200 and 400 grit).

• Recovery Wadding - Disposable | Reusable
• Rocket Motors - See the motor selection tab.

• Launch Pad & Controller - See FAQs tab for recommended choices.

• Decal Tweezers

• Sanding Burrs for sanding and finishing small areas.

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