I
started this model in May 2001, but had researched & planned it from
1997. I'm pleased (as well as my wife) to say it's finished, Well 99.99%
finished.
I
built my first Saturn V from a Monogram kit In 1995 after a fantastic movie
called Apollo 13. It sparked a big interest in the space race with me, using
the movie alone for reference, I was surprised & annoyed when later finding
out the paint scheme was reversed & totally wrong, I think maybe as to
copy right reasons. My second Saturn V was an Airfix, a great
kit, but I had spray painted the black & white, & was not happy with the
end result, due to paint seeping through & stringers & interstaging
& trying to fix it just made it worse. My third was also an Airfix,
I was very happy with, & did not have to fill in or sand to many parts, I
spray painted the rocket with satin white, but masked up all black areas to
be painted before hand, & brush painted satin black as I don't
like painting over spray paints. The Saturn V was then covered with smaller
details & the decals are from Space model systems, a fantastic
decal set, with hundreds of decals to apply & allot of detail.
The
Mobile launch platform is made of 1mm & 2mm evergreen plastic card. The
corners, exhaust shoot & four locater points where the LUT rest were
reinforced on the inside to support the weight of the LUT & Rocket. Then
various piping, stringers, i beam & channel beam were added for the
legs & details around the MLP. The base was spray painted medium ghost
grey, & piping white 22.
Click on
images below to see larger images
The Launch
Umbilical Tower was made up from Evergreen plastic also. I beam,
channel, square, round, half round, tubing of every size, you name it, I used
it. In all 4 Humbrol tins of scarlet matt 60 were used to paint the LUT, I
have read the tower is an orange colour, with all the pictures I have &
seen, it seems red ish. I used humbrol Grey 140 to paint the first level, &
white 22 for the tips. Early in my build it had a slight twist which I think
happened when the LUT fell off the table, when a gust of wind pushed my blinds
into it, surprisingly nothing broke. The twist was taken out by counter twisting
& masking it with tape & applying glue in various areas. Once dry &
tape removed, the twist was gone.
The
9 access arms were challenging to say the least, I spent several weeks on each
alone, although not 100% accurate, they are made to the best I could possibly
achieve at this scale. Some small work may need to be completed yet to a
few of them. No3 arm was stowed against the LUT, with my research it was only
used to assist the connection of hoses on No4 arm. Plus I wanted to show
one in the stowed position. The biggest problem with this model has been the
depth of detail I should go to & make it to. I did not help myself
either when I made the outside first & then had to slide in all the elevator
shafts, cable trays, tool boxes, control boxes & stairwells from
the back. I left off the rear guard rails & 45 degree beams &
piping to do so. I have estimated approximately 600 pieces of plastic in
each level, & up to 90 pieces in each of the access arms. (I
get called insane allot)
The
Hammer head crane was made up of channel beam, i beam, card & rod. It also rotates
& the lightning mast can be set in the raised or stowed position. The crane
also has a see through cat walk (as do all the LUT levels) made from a wire
modelling mesh. keeping it straight & from warping was hard. It was painted
half matt 60 scarlet & half 154 insignia yellow. I'm not sure as
to what these cranes lifted (maybe equipment to levels of the LUT), as I have
seen no pictures of them in use, all I can gather is that it's rated to 25 ton
in the yellow & 10 ton in the red.
The
black base stand, was made from 1 mm Evergreen card in a 3 rectangular box
configuration to represent the launch site at 39A/B, along with the flame
trench & blast shield. I would love to have made the hole launch site. The
patches around represent the manned Saturn V Launches, Apollo 11 being at the
front (for obvious reasons), & also with Apollo12 as my model
depicts, (My Favourite). I hope you enjoy my model, As I'm very proud
of it. Ten years is a very long time.
Michael Jack
Click on
images below to see larger images
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