Search the Community

Apollo Saturn V Rocket (A11170) 1:144 Airfix If there are a few things that nearly everyone recognises its fairly sure the Saturn V Rocket is one of them. This is the Rocket which took men to the moon, and then later on launched the Skylab station. The Saturn V holds the record for the Biggest, tallest, heaviest and most powerful operational rocket. It had a height of 363 feet, a weight of 6,540,000 pounds on take off and thrust measuring 7.5 million pounds. The rocket was a three stage one fuelled by liquid oxygen & kerosene. In total 15 Saturn V rockets were built. 13 of which were flown and 3 test vehicles. One of the test rocket is on display at the Kennedy Space centre and this can be seen by clicking on the walkaround button and the end of this review. The Kit This is a re-box of the original Airfix kit from 1970 and this is evident from the moulds, though I have read it is still the most accurate kit of the rocket in this scale? The kit was designed to be educational as well as fun with the ability to display all the different stages, it has seen a fair number of releases over the years, and this one is to coincide with the 50th Anniversary of the moon landing by Apollo 11. Construction starts at the bottom business end of the rocket, the base has the fins added and the 5 Rocketdyne engines are made up and added to this. The stage 1 part of the rocket body then goes on top of this with the pressure bulkhead forming the top. The cover which joins stage 1 to stage 2 is then added. Following this stage 2 with its 5 Rocketdyne J-2 engines is made up. The conical collar at the top covering the engine for stage 3 is integral to the stage 2 parts. Shockingly enough stage 3 follows next in the build sequence. with its single Rocketdyne J-2 engine. On top of this fits the spacecraft to Lunar module adaptor which covers the Lunar module for the launch phase. A model lunar module is supplied to go in here if wanted. The service module then sits on top of this with the command module on top. A row of three astronauts is supplied for inside the command module. To cap everything off the Launch Escape System tower is added to the top. A base unit is supplied to display the rocket in the vertical position. Markings A smallish sheet provides markings to Apollo 11 including a name plate for the base. The decals are from Cartograf so their quality is assured. Conclusion While this might be an old kit it will with care still build up to an impressive model of this most famous rocket. Highly recommended. Review sample courtesy of

This is the old Revell 1/96 Saturn V, assembled using pieces from two second-hand (partially built) 25th anniversary and 40th anniversary kits, with a RealSpace Block II Command/Service Module, Boost Protective Cover and batted F-1 engines. I also used New Ware's detail kit and a bit of scratch-built detail to produce a rendering of the AS-506 that took Apollo 11 to the moon. Here's a four-quadrant view of the completed model: The upper part in isolation: The area around the S-IVB aft interstage: And the S-II aft interstage: RealSpace provide a vacuum shaped Boost Protective Cover to go with their CSM. I punched out the commander and pilot windows, and added styrene rod to the kit Launch Escape Tower to simulate the wire harness. Build log for this section is at https://oikofuge.com/realspace-196-apollo-csm-part-3/ I used New Ware's scimitar antennae and hatch cover to detail RealSpace's CSM, added kit parts for thruster quads and S-band antenna, BareMetal Foil for bright metal areas, and Space Model Systems decals. Build log for this section starts at https://oikofuge.com/realspace-196-apollo-csm-part-1/ I painted over the transparent section in the kit SLA, and detailed with New Ware photoetch and styrene strip, correcting New Ware's black "-Y" decal on the instrument unit to a "+Y". Build log for this section is at https://oikofuge.com/revell-196-saturn-v-sla-iu/ The S-IVB was detailed with New Ware, replacing multiple fairings and the service tunnel: Here it is with the instrument unit and lower part of the SLA attached: Build log for this stage is at https://oikofuge.com/revell-1-96-saturn-v-s-ivb/ The log for its aft interstage is at https://oikofuge.com/revell-1-96-saturn-v-s-ivb-aft-interstage/ The kit S-II required extensive modification, with New Ware fairings, instrument packages on the thrust structure and a heatshield. I also needed to trim back the kit's stringers, remove all the kit's misplaced fairing locators from the aft skirt, add a layer of insulation to the forward skirt using styrene sheet, and construct the support structure for the heatshield using 0.5mm brass rod. I also moved the LOX vent pipes to their correct position, and corrected the number of gores in the upper tank dome. The kit provides the aft interstage for the S-II with 8 ullage motors, but AS-506 had only four, so the locators for the kit motors had to be removed, stringers repaired, and four New Ware motors added. I added the white flight separation joints above and below the S-II aft interstage by wrapping 0.5mm x 1.5mm styrene strip edgeways around the locating flanges at the base of the S-II and the interstage. Build log for this stage starts at https://oikofuge.com/revell-1-96-saturn-v-s-ii-stage-1/ Build log for its aft interstage is at https://oikofuge.com/revell-1-96-saturn-v-s-ii-aft-interstage/ The rear part of the S-IC needed extensive modification. The kit is based on the SA 500F, which had multiple air scoops around its aft end. Almost all of these had disappeared by the time SA-506 was launched, so New Ware provides photoetch/resin replacement parts for the engine fairings and heatshield. The kit F-1 engines are provide bare, but the real engines were covered with batted insulation - I used RealSpace's resin replacements, with a mixture of chrome paint and Bare-Metal Foil to simulate the different reflective properties of the batting. New Ware's resin heatshield is undetailed beyond the simple outlines of the tiles, so I printed up custom decals to provide rivet and other detail. I also scratch-built lunate heatshields to fill the engine fairing voids, with their own custom decals - both the kit and New Ware provide only rectangular heatshields in this area. For the S-IC service tunnels, New Ware provides mutiple photoetch plates to be wrapped around the kit parts. The contour of the kit parts is wrong, and I instead applied New Ware's photoetch to appropriate lengths of 7mm half-cylindrical styrene rod. I also carved out slots in the kit aft skirt to insert New Ware's resin hold-down posts. I made an error with this stage by not checking the length and fit of the service tunnels. The kit version of this stage is too long by close to an inch (the extra length mainly in the forward tank and intertank structure), and I had assembled it before realizing this. New Ware's tunnels are approximately the correct length to scale, and so don't cover the correct proportions of the overscale stage. Sigh. Build log for this stage starts at https://oikofuge.com/revell-1-96-saturn-v-s-ic-stage-part-1/ The kit's representation of the Lunar Module is wrong in multiple ways, and would need to be rebuilt almost entirely for accuracy. I contented myself by fixing the representation of the external tank strut on the left side, adding a few details with styrene, and marking it up with the insulation patterns of Apollo 11's LM5. A lot of extra detail (antennae, docking target, plume deflectors) could easily have been added, but it would have been like applying lipstick to a pig, and in any case the LM is invisible in the assembled Saturn V - so I didn't bother. Build log for this part is at https://oikofuge.com/revell-1-96-saturn-v-lunar-module/ As a final note, ALL the kit stages are misaligned with each other in rotation, so all the locating lugs between stages had to be relocated to produce the correct alignments. Sorry about the image-heavy presentation, but there are a lot of parts to this kit!

Apollo 11 Lunar Module Eagle (03701) 1:48 Revell 2019 is the 50th anniversary of Man's first landing on the Moon, which began with the huge Saturn V rocket lifting off from Cape Canaveral and ended with the tiniest percentage of its total mass orbiting the moon. Buzz Aldrin and Neil Armstrong moved from the Command Module (CM) into the Lunar Excursion Module (LEM) for the descent to the lunar surface. Despite the dangers of this frail contraption failing at some point they landed safely with a few teaspoons of fuel left in the descent thrusters, after which the immortal phrase "The Eagle has landed" was uttered, of course referring to the name of their little ship. After a momentous descent down the ladder and speech by Neil Armstrong they spent a couple of hours mooching about on the surface collecting samples and setting up a few instruments, then blasted off for rendezvous with the combined CM and Service Module (SM) for the journey back home. Splashdown was also safely executed, and another six successful landings were made in the next few years until the programme was terminated prematurely due to them finding Transformers on the Moon. Or was it monsters, or Nazis? I forget now. Could it have been budgetary reasons and a loss of interest from the American public? Surely not. The Kit Revell have been busily reissuing their back catalogue of Apollo Programme related kits lately to celebrate the anniversary, most of which originate from the toolings made around the time that the landings were still ongoing. This is a more recent kit that is a reboxing of the Dragon kit first released in 2011, so has a lot of detail moulded in and some use of slide-moulding to improve detail out of the box. It also includes a rendition of the gold-coloured Kapton foil that was used to insulate the descent stage and is missing from many of the older kits. The only difference this kit has from the original is that the gold-coloured parts aren't pre-painted. The kit arrives in an end opening box and inside are eight sprues of a matt-finished grey styrene, a single part for the octagonal base of the descent stage, a small sheet of decals, and an instruction booklet. First impressions are good, and the moulding of the crinkled surface of the descent stage parts looks great, although some visible seams will need scraping away for realism. As this is a special edition there are a couple of thumb pots of acrylic paint and a number 2 Revell paint brush included in the box, although that's probably most likely aimed at the casual modeller who may not have their own collections of paint and tools. Great news is this is your first dip of the toe into the hobby. The ascent module builds up quite cleverly, with long tubular friction mountings keeping the module rigid, and simplifying assembly. There is no pretence at an interior here, and the windows that are present on the real thing are supplied as decals to keep it simple. The various antennae and the important direction control thrusters are simple to install, and each have hollow reaction bells, enhancing realism. The lower descent module is mostly covered in the heat resistant Kapton material, but the facets below the thrusters are painted black, so there's less gold to spray. The legs attach to well-defined mounting lugs, which should make for a strong joint. The dished feet don’t have the odd sensor spikes that are sometimes seen under them, so check your references and build up your own if you’re planning on modelling it in-flight. The big reaction bell in the central underside is very well moulded, but has no aperture for the reaction gases to exit the bell, so check your references and decide whether you want to replicate this area. Markings The painting guide is in the back of the instructions, and as well as the gold areas, silver and black are the main colours used for the exterior. The black areas different widely between the various modules, so remember to check your references carefully before committing to paint if you are going off piste with your module choice. Even panels that do appear to be “black” seem to be more of a very dark grey in some pictures, and there are details to the areas that require some close inspection. The decals are printed for Revell in Italy by Zanetti, and consist of a pair of US flags, the “United States” panels emblazoned on the descent stage sides, and the four windows, two triangular and a further two lozenge shaped in the “roof” to monitor the docking procedure with the CM. These decals are black with silver borders, and white markings that were used to guide the landing and docking process. Conclusion This is a very nicely presented kit, and having it in 1:48 is really nice for those of us that also have an aircraft habit in this scale. The parts are well engineered, with a modicum of slide-moulding evident to produce more accurate parts without complicating the build, which is good news. The replication of the wrinkled insulation material is first rate, and the lack of a cockpit interior doesn’t bother me in the slightest, although I would have liked some more realistic windows. Overall though, it’s a great looking model, and I’m really looking forward to building it, as I have a fondness for the Apollo programme and real space in general. Very highly recommended, Revell model kits are available from all good toy and model retailers. For further information visit or

Apollo 11 Columbia & Eagle (03700) 1:96 Revell It’s the 50th anniversary of Man landing on the Moon, and Revell have re-released all their staples of the Space Age and the race between the US and Soviet Union to put a man on the moon, following John F Kennedy's rousing speech less than a decade earlier. For Apollo 11 Colombia was the name for the Command Module (CM) and Service Module (SM), and Eagle was the given name to the Lunar Module (LM), which made the descent on the 20th July 1969 and landed with a thimble-full of fuel in reserve on the surface of the Sea of Tranquillity, a large expanse of reasonably flat ground in the upper right quadrant of the face of the Moon that is always turned toward us due to its speed of rotation and orbit. They stomped around a bit in their stiff space suits, leaving footprints and some scientific instruments, then boarded the Ascent Stage of the LM and blasted off, linked up with the CM/SM combination and headed back to earth, with just the CM ending up back on earth, albeit a little hot during re-entry, then damp after splashdown. The Kit Modelled in the unusual scale of 1:96, which happens to match their gigantic Saturn V kit that is also available again (watch out for my review of that in due course), this kit hails from the same era as the others, although it first saw light in 1969, the same year as the events it depicts. It arrives in a medium-sized end-opening box, and inside are five sprues in a muted silver styrene, a sheet of clear acetate, a square of thin gold foil to simulate the insulation, a small decal sheet, and the instruction booklet. Again, it's a product of its age, and although it has some good detail in places, there are likely to be some areas that would require work if you're a purist that's aiming for accuracy. As it's a special edition, you also get four thumb-pots of acrylic paint, a small bottle of Contacta Professional semi-liquid cement. Construction begins with making up the small windows in the CM using the 1:1 templates provided, which are then shown being inserted into the conical body from the inside. A pair of lifting eyes and the top cone where the re-entry parachute packs were stowed are added, then the cramped cockpit is built up on the bottom heat-shield, with rudimentary seats moulded into the bulkhead for one of the astronauts, Michael Collins for Apollo 11 to sit, all dressed up in his suit, although it's unlikely he wore his helmet for much of the time he was alone. The two halves are brought together and glued, then set aside until later on. Jumping around, the boxy descent stage of the LM is then made up and painted gold, and later given its insect-like legs, then dressed up in the supplied foil, which should first be scrunched up to give it the typical wrinkled look seen on the real thing. The Service Module carried all the fuel and supplies needed to get there and back again, and was basically a very tightly packed cylinder with a large rocket engine bell at the rear. This is made of the two halves of the cylinder, which is stopped up with fore and aft bulkheads and the engine bell fitting into a socket on the latter. The communications array (the four dishes) and manoeuvring thruster packs are all added, then it too is set to one side. Before the Ascent Stage of the LM is made, you need to cut a couple of triangular windows from the clear sheet, again using more 1:1 templates, then inserting them from inside. A single crew figure is glued inside the front half of the crew compartment just so he can be seen by anyone looking inside. There's no other detail, and the suit style isn't correct for Apollo 11, but as it won't be seen, we'll not worry about it. As this is likely to be Buzz Aldrin, we close him in by adding the rear half of the module, a couple of angular bases for the aft thruster packs, which are glued to their tops. The front thruster packs are also fitted to the module by a pair of triangular mounts, and the steerable S-band antenna is added to the side on three legs. The rendezvous radar assembly is attached to the front "forehead" of the module's "face" on a bracket in front of the docking tunnel door. Then it's a matter of deciding how you plan on displaying your model. The lunar surface is represented by a large flat(ish) chunk of moulded styrene, with a sweeping goose-neck stand rising out of one end. Another figure is supplied for the moon walk, to represent the late Neil Armstrong, complete with his life support backpack, and some slightly off-mission space suit details. The four stages of the mission are shown in the last few steps, beginning with the flight from orbit to the Moon, where the full stack is joined together, with the LM travelling backwards. The landing shows the LM on the surface, with the CM/SM orbiting overhead on the stand, which is not to scale altitude in case anyone wondered! On departure the moon the Ascent Stage leaves the Descent stage behind and joins up with the CM/SM for the journey home, pausing briefly to cast the Ascent Stage off into space. The last step shows the CM leaving the SM in orbit and descending for the splashdown, which isn't a particularly practical option, as it wastes the whole LM and would need a new stand, so was probably included just for completeness. Markings There are no explicit painting instructions in the booklet, as all of the markings and colour callouts are made during construction, citing Revell paints and using a few more colours than are provided in the little pots, but as they're primarily aimed at the younger modeller who brush-paints, we're all likely to have some equivalents even if we don't use Revell colours. Decals are printed by Zanetti, with good registration, sharpness and colour density, and a thin matt carrier film cut close to the printed areas. There are two curved logos for the CM, two more for the SM, and another larger one for the Descent Stage of the LM, plus four stencils for the SM's thruster packs. Conclusion This re-release of an early Apollo kit will doubtless stir some nostalgia with those that remember it from days gone by, and with a little extra work it can be brought up to modern standards. It is nice to see that Revell have included gold foil in this issue, as it shows that they are aware that painting the LM gold won't cut it in today's modelling world. Highly recommended. Revell model kits are available from all good toy and model retailers. For further information visit or

Apollo 11 Astronaut on the Moon (03702) 1:8 Revell On the 20th July 1969, a man by the name of Neil Armstrong stepped off the ladder of his flimsy spacecraft and onto the Moon's dusty surface, uttering the words that would become famous "That's one small step for [a] man, one giant leap for mankind". His name and this quote, plus the likeness of the Saturn V rocket that got them there, and the Apollo 11 spacecraft that consisted of the Command Module (CM), Service Module (SM) and Lunar Module (LM or LEM if you add "excursion" into the mix) also became amongst the most recognised images of their time. Leaving many footprints in the dusty regolith of the Sea of Tranquility where they landed, they soon clambered back onboard and blasted off for home, paving the way for another six missions, only one of which didn't quite make it but became almost equally famous because of their accident and subsequent return to earth that was fraught with danger. Maybe they should have skipped the name Apollo 13? The Kit Following the 50th year since we walked on the Moon theme, we have more from Revell on the subject, which again is a new edition of a previously released kit from the same era as the Apollo 11 CM & SM that we reviewed recently here. The kit arrives in an end-opening box, with four sprues in white styrene inside, some of which have been cut to fit the new box. There is also a yellow tinted clear part for the visor, a small sheet of decals and the instruction booklet, which is printed in Revell's new colour style. As it's a special edition, there is also a pack of four thumb-pots of Revell paint, a small tube of Contacta semi-liquid glue, and a paintbrush, which as always with these sets has had its hair parted by the bag. The kit is clearly a product of its day, but has good detail throughout and a simple method of construction. The completed model stands at 258mm tall, a little over 2m in scale, out of which you must take the bulk of the suit, helmet and base to account for the difference between Neil's 1.8m height and that of the model. I'd say that scales out pretty well. The astronaut's face is moulded into the helmet area, with the yellow tinted visor added after paint, but here there is a slight deviation that stands out to the average Joe. The bottom edge of the visor is a little flattened when compared with those famous photos of Neil after touch down, so if it bothers you, you'll need a little putty to make that more to your liking. The suit is a pretty detailed rendition of the one that Neil wore, with some slight differences from the real thing such as the central panel on his chest and the lack of umbilical ports on the left of the chest plate. There are also some straps hanging around that are missing for obvious reasons, and the umbilicals that attach to the backpack should have insulating sleeves on them that give them a crinkled, faceted look. All of this can be fixed if you're minded, or you can just enjoy the model for what it is and build it to the best of your ability. Construction begins with the head and torso, which are split vertically front to back, with the astronaut's head moulded into the helmet, as mentioned. It's a generic face that's a very nice sculpt, but clearly not Neil Armstrong, and bears more of a resemblance to a face from a Captain Scarlet puppet. Whether that was for copyright reasons, I guess we'll never know. The legs and arms are next, with the former split the same way, and the latter split to give maximum detail to the gauntlets. The backpack is similarly split front and back, attaching to the torso with a central pin and two realistic-looking strap-ends, with a good amount of surface detail. On the front is another much smaller pack that resembles a claymore mine in shape, but has more to do with environment regulation. The fixed video camera glues into a slot on the front of the pack, and at this stage you are also instructed to install the visor into the helmet. If you've been brave and adjusted the shape of the lower edge, you'll need to reduce the glazed part to match. These things are gold-plated to protect the wearer from excessive sunlight exposure, as there is no atmosphere to speak of on the moon, so the light is undiminished by atmospheric backscatter. This has been mimicked by the clear yellow tint, but you could experiment with gold leaf of gold chrome paint if you feel the need. To complete the figure, the two umbilicals (umbilicii?) are routed from the backpack to the chest and chest pack, with the aforementioned caveat of them requiring insulating sleeves. The base consists of a chunk of the moon's surface with a depression for the lander's leg, and another flat-spot for the figure's left foot, then a raised flat area with that famous phrase engraved on it for posterity. You get a portion of the lander's leg, which has a section of the ladder added to the front, and the big dished foot at the bottom. This portion of the lander was covered in a golden mylar layer for insulation too, so treat yourself to some Cadbury's Bournville or other confection with a golden inner wrapper, and have a go at making it look suitably wrinkly if you feel up to the challenge. The completed figure is attached with one foot on the base, the other in the dished top of the landing pad, with two flat tabs ensuring a good join. Markings The majority of Neil's suit is white, with grey used mainly on his gloves and overshoes that protect his boots from damage, which incidentally debunks another of the deniers' arguments about the tread pattern on their boots being different. I digress. The moon is very dusty, so after even a few steps the suits got covered in an incredibly fine grey dust that was hard to shift. Check your references, and enjoy replicating some of it. There was a #2 Revell paintbrush included in the pack, but as the bristles were bent over, I decided not to photograph it. Ok, I forgot! The decal sheet is small and consists of a couple of American flags, two NASA meatball logos for the backpack and his chest, and a stencil for the water reservoir at the bottom of the backpack. There's no name tag for the suit, but that's hidden away under the chest pack, so hardly an issue. Decals are printed for Revell by Zanetti, in good registration, sharpness and colour density, with a thin matt carrier film cut close to the printed areas. Conclusion This is a fun model that will give a lot of pleasure to a lot of folks if they approach it with the right attitude. If you treat it as a blast from the past, or a desktop model you'll have fun building it, but if you want something accurate, there are some alterations you can make and still have fun. Considering the age of the moulds there are some really nice cloth effects, with creases, seams and so forth giving a realistic landscape for you to paint over and weather. A fitting tribute to the late, great Mr Armstrong, may he rest in peace. Highly recommended. Revell model kits are available from all good toy and model retailers. For further information visit or

Apollo 11 Spacecraft with Interior (03703) 1:32 Revell There can't be many people that don't know about the Moon landings in the late 60s and early 70s, and the Saturn V rocket and its cargo the Apollo spacecraft are instantly recognised by most with even a shallow grasp of history. It was an incredible feat of engineering, providing you don't believe that millions of people have all kept quiet about a conspiracy to fake it all for 50 years, achieved with such a tiny amount of computing power that you probably carry around many times more in your hip pocket these days. Driven in part by Werner Von Braun, who had dreamt about flying to the moon since his childhood, NASA was given the go ahead by JFK in a rousing speech "to go to the moon and do the other things, not because they are easy, but because they are hard". Incredibly, they were ready to fly men around the moon seven years after the start of the programme in 1968, after a false start due to the loss of the crew of Apollo 1 on the Launchpad in a horrific fire during training. Apollo 7 to 10 were manned, and pushed the envelope incrementally each time, until Apollo 11, which was the first to attempt a moon landing, with Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin scheduled to make the descent, and the lesser known Michael Collins waiting for their return in the Command Module (CM), fully aware that he may have to make the return on his own if things went wrong. They didn't, and on 20th July 1969 they touched down on the moon with many millions watching on TV, when Neil uttered those immortal words "That's one small step for [a] man, one giant leap for mankind". When they lifted off from the moon after a walk on the surface and a brief rest period, they had to rendezvous with the CM, dock and transfer back to the cramped module, discard the Lunar Lander, and then make the journey back to Earth. Upon reaching home, the cylindrical Service Module (SM) section was also discarded, leaving the Command Module the only part to return back to earth, safely splashing down in the Pacific Ocean after re-entry and a thorough roasting. Following this mission were six more successful moon landings in various areas, until funding and public interest dried up, leaving Apollo 17 the last time man went to the moon. There are currently plans to go back in the next several years, but we've been absent now for a lot longer than we were there. The Kit This is a special re-release of Revell's 1970s kit to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the first moon landing, and includes a set of four acrylic paints in little plastic pots, a small bottle of Revell Contacta Professional glue, and a #2 paintbrush, which had become a little dishevelled during transport due to the bag it was in. Inside the top-opening box are five sprues of silver(ish) styrene, four in white styrene, and one in crystal clear plastic. The paints and instructions are accompanied by a set of decals on a medium sized sheet. First impressions are that this is a product of the times, but time has been good to the moulds, and because it is a full interior kit, the various internal parts of the model are all there, obviously in a somewhat simplified way, but certainly a good starting point if you're a detailer that is looking to build an accurate model. New Ware have a number of sets that you would probably find very useful, but of course that increases the overall price, and that's entirely up to you and your wallet. For the younger modeller that isn't so much bothered with painting, the colour of the parts is roughly broken down into their final colours, so it could be built that way, and for the folks in the middle that want to build what's in the box, there's enough to do a decent job, as can be seen by the picture on the front of the instruction booklet. Construction begins with the aft bulkhead of the crew compartment, which has a number of parts added around its perimeter, and some detail painting done before a rear panel is fitted to its underside and surrounded by a number of strengthening webs. Then the cockpit panels are made up, with decals supplied for many of the faces, although there is no raised detail moulded in, so the decals are all the detail you have. The three crew seats are mounted into a framework that suspends them out in front of the main instrument panels, and there are three crew figures, each a single part with different hand positioning to add a little variety. Their heads are moulded as the glass domes they wore during the ascent stage, but as this is white plastic, the simple option is to paint them a light blue unless you want to go crazy and find some resin heads and vacform some clear domes for each one (New Ware also have a set for this). The instructions would have you painting a black aperture as if they were wearing helmets, but that's not the case if you watch the videos of the real thing. The crew seats and main IP are then fixed to the aft bulkhead in three places, and the docking ring assembly is built up from a partial ring (only part will be seen), plus the pointed docking mechanism, which is made up from seven parts plus an external ring. This sits on top of the opaque section of the Command Module's conical skin, with the clear part added in, exposing the docking ring, and the rest of the crew compartment once it is added over the internals. Moving onto the tubular body of the Service Module (SM), the segment that will be seen through the clear part is built up, comprising various tanks, bottles and equipment, with more detail painting to give it some life. The top bulkhead where the conical CM attaches is a single part, as is the aft bulkhead, which has a small tapering tube attached inside before it is glued in place. Now the external details can be added, starting with the communications array, which has four dishes on a mast, with receivers in the centre of each one. Other small details are added around the exterior, including the four manoeuvring thruster packs, which have four individual bells and are mounted at 90o around the circumference. The crew compartment also has some grab handles added, and the big engine bell is a single part that keys into the aft bulkhead at the rear of the SM, with the comms gear fitted nearby. The CM fits to the SM with three conical pins and can be left unglued if you want to separate them later. The final parts are a stand, which has a small silver-grey part that fits onto join between the CM and SM, and two large curved white parts to hold the model off the ground. There is also a decal provided on the sheet that you fix to the large flat front. Markings Each Apollo mission had subtle differences, so Apollo 11 was unique from the others, with the decals called out on a five-view diagram on the back of the instruction booklet. The decals were printed for Revell by Zannetti, with good registration, sharpness and colour density, with a thin gloss carrier film cut close to the printed areas. While the interior decals add a little detail to the blank instrument panel areas, they're no substitute for raised or engraved detail, and are fairly simply printed, which may put off a few potential purchasers. The exterior decals have the correct weirdly spaced A in the United States, plus a few of the stencils that are found around the spaceframe (?), with some large and small flags, and even a few tiny NASA meatballs for the crew's suits. Conclusion It's a welcome re-release, and although time has moved along, there's definitely still a market for it amongst those that want a nice desktop model, as well as anyone that will use it as a jumping-off point for a highly accurate model. When you see what can be done with it, and its finished size, it becomes quite tempting. Highly recommended. Revell model kits are available from all good toy and model retailers. For further information visit or

Hello everybody, attention please for all parents and grandads who want to surprise their children and grandchildren. LEGO's countdown for its NASA Apollo Saturn V model set is running ... The most powerful rocket ever flown will go on sale on June 1st, the set is approx. 1:110 and costs 119.99 EUR. Based on a fan submission to LEGO Ideas by Felix Stiessen and Valérie Roche (saabfan and whatsuptoday on the Lego Ideas website) , the 1.969 piece moon rocket stands more than 3 feet tall when assembled and can be separated into its stages. The set also includes microfigures to scale with the Saturn V, a lunar surface and an ocean surface to display liftoff to landing to present. Source: collectspace.com The two LEGO freaks first proposed their Saturn V in 2014. The project received its 10.000th vote in November 2015, qualifying for it for a review by Lego's professional design team. Finally their set was given the "go" to launch as an official product seven months later. After it was approved, the LEGO design team, Michael Psiaki and Carl Thomas Mirriam, took over the project, in order to ensure it lived up to LEGO quality standards. Source: shop.lego.com Source: collectspace.com Although recommended for kids from 14+, I think that my grandson Max with 12 will also create this awesome model, especially since the kit next to the 12 bulging bags also contains a superbly illustrated construction manual (182 pages), Source: brothers-brick.com otherwise the grandpa must help.

I came across a helpful site. I haven't seen anyone posting about or linking to it, but maybe it is well known to you guys that have been into space modeling for awhile. The site is called Hero Relics. http://heroicrelics.org/index.html There is a vast amount of info and pictures. The Space Race section seems bottomless. I found some very good drawings. This one will print out to over 75" and is over 60MB. It is a SV (AS-503) top to bottom. It might be a nice complement to Davis Weeks drawings or for some might be just the needed additional help. http://heroicrelics.org/info/saturn-v/as-503-inboard-profile.html I have also found many more drawings including a very large S1C drawing and Apollo drawings. And these drawings of the individual stages. http://heroicrelics.org/info/saturn-v/saturn-v-inboard-profiles.html Besides the Space Race section there is the Resources section which contains Space pictures and info and drawings.

I have been looking for info on the accuracy of this kit. Does anyone have any thoughts? The pictures I have seen look very good but I don't know how well it dimensions in terms of accuracy. Thanks for any and all input. Greg

SATURN V With Lunar Module AMT 1:200 The Saturn V rocket was the largest in the family of Saturn rockets developed by NASA for its Apollo and Skylab programs. It was a multistage liquid fuelled expendable launcher. NASA launched a total of 13 Saturn V rockets in total and it holds the record for the heaviest payload to low earth orbit of 118,000 Kgs. Even though this is the official record it has been said that weights up to 240,000 Kgs were carried (on Apollo 15). The Saturn rockets were developed under the leadership of Wernher von Braun, and Arthur Rudolph, who the Americans successfully removed from Germany after WWII under Operation Paperclip. Major industrial collaboration was needed on a programme of this scale with Boeing, North American Aviation, and Douglas Aircraft providing the aerospace expertise. IBM was to provide the computing expertise needed. The Saturn V would consist of three main stages, an instrumentation package with the Lunar Module (+adaptor), Service Module, Command module; and launch escape tower on the top. The first stage made by Boeing house 2000 tonnes of rocket fuel and liquid oxygen and generated 7600000 Lbf of thrust on launch via 5 Rocketdyne F-1 engines; stage one would run for 168 seconds getting the Saturn V to an altitude of 67km. Stage 2 built by North American Aviation would then kick in. Using liquid Hydrogen & oxygen through its 5 Rocketdyne J-2 engines 1100000 Lbf of thrust was generated. The last rocket stage 3 was built by the Douglas Aircraft Company and used the same fuel as stage 2. Stage 3 only had one J-2 engine though it burned for 2 ½ minutes to ensure allow for orbital insertion. On top of all three stages sat the instrument package designed by IBM. On top of the three main rocket stages sat the business part of the rocket. The lunar module adaptor covered the lunar module manufactured by Grumman Aircraft Engineering. This would take the astronauts down to the moons surface, and bring them back to the command module later. The service module made by North American Aviation sat above this. The command & service modules would orbit the moon while the lunar module went to the moons surface. This is where the crew would live on their journey to and from the moon. The command module would be the only part of the whole rocket to return intact to the Earth. This was fitted with a heat shield to survive re-entry. Lastly on the very top of the rocket was the Launch Escape Tower. In the event of a catastrophic failure of the rocket on launch the tower would pull the command module away from the explosion and allow it to land with its parachute system. To date the Saturn V is the only rocket to carry humans beyond low earth orbit, A total of 24 astronauts were launched to the moon between 1968 and 1972. Following the Apollo mission NASA created the AAP (Apollo Applications Program) which looked into missions which could be performed using Apollo hardware. Skylab was the only launch not related to the Moon landing program. The Saturn V remains to this day the tallest, heaviest and most powerful operational rocket system. The Kit The kit arrived on five sprues of white plastic. The rocket can be assembled as one part, or it can be made to come apart to revel all the different sections and internal modules. Construction seems fairly similar to how the real rocket was assembled. The first construction step is the rockets first stage. The five main engines are built up and attached to the engine fairing. The two sides of the first stage are joined together at the same time installing the to bulkhead for the Liquid oxygen tank. The interstage fairing is then attached. The next stage is shockingly the second stage of the rocket. The five engines are attached to the second stage engine support; this is then added to the second stage which is assembled from its two parts and the top liquid oxygen bulkhead. The third stage is is then assembled in exactly the same way as stage 2, but there is only one engine to add. None of the first three stages need to be glued together in order that the rocket can come apart to explain how it functioned. On top of the third stage is where it gets interesting. If you wish the rocket to be used for a display then the Lunar Excursion Module (LEM), the LEM housing, and the service module can be assembled at this point. The LEM housing parts should be be glued together if you want to display it open. Finally the Command module and escape tower are constructed and added to the top of the rocket. Decals A small decal sheet provides the National Markings for the rocket. The decal she looks in register and quite matt. There is no mention of the maker. Conclusion This should make upto a nice model of the Saturn V rocket without it being too big to display. If needed it can be made into a good instructional aid of how the rocket worked. Overall recommended if you want a smaller Saturn V in your collection. Review sample courtesy of UK distributors for If you would like more info on the Saturn V then please look at our walkaround

NASA Saturn V Rocket. All pics thanks to Mike Costello. Launch Escape System, primary contractor Lockheed Propulsion Company.

Second part of photos this time covering the Saturn V [/ URL] Enjoy Dan

hi,ive just seen this,looks very comprehensive,with damaged command module,plus splashdown diorama,have a look,dont know the price though? http://www.scalemodelnews.com/2013/04/year-1970-apollo-13-explosion-year-2013.html#more cheers Don