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Dragon 1/72 Saturn V


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I've been spending a fair bit of time working on making the F-1 engines the right size & shape. Early on I decided to make separate internal and external moulds for the engines, then combine them into a final mould. The internal one I made from scratch from modelling clay, while the external one is made by layering clay over the kit nozzle, then once the correct profile was achieved adding the exterior insulating cladding ( using plasticine to get the rough shape, which will be overlaid by self-adhesive foil ) before using it to make the silicone mould.

To convert the clay male internal mould into a female one from which to make a male silicone mould ( if you see what I mean ) I poured molten wax over the clay mould, which worked quite well :thumbsup:

Then last week, looking ahead to what to build after the 1/72 Saturn, I bought a Dragon 1/48 Apollo CSM, and realised that the 1/48 SPS nozzle is a pretty damn exact match for a 1/72 F-1 ! :weep: I could have saved a lot of time had I known this earlier, but too late now ( unless I screw up what I've made so far ).

Anyway, the pic below shows ( from left to right ) the 1/48 SPS nozzle, the exterior mould ready for the foil to go on ( when the paint dries ), the wax female mould for the nozzle interior, and the clay nozzle interior mould.

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Edited by MartG
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  • 2 weeks later...

Pics of the first set of engines which will eventually grace my model ( once I get the aft end of the stage sorted ;) )

Unpainted

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Painted

pi0m.jpg

I've also cast a couple of copies of the forward skirt, but I can't seem to get rid of bubbles in the internal ribs when casting ( the exterior casts fine though ) : ) More experimentation ( and vent holes ) needed there ;)

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  • 7 months later...

Well, after a bit of a hiatus thanks to other projects ( and moving house ), I've made some more progress on the Saturn V....

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On the left is the interstage having additional stringers attached ( the kit has half the correct amount ), and on the right is the scratchbuilt S-1C thrust structure with correct stringer pattern. Since taking the pic I've fitted the four umbilical panels and the aft heatshield.

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Interstage completed - currently submerged in curing silicone :)

Now, on with the engine fairings..... :)

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A little more progress this evening....

Umbilical panels added to thrust structure

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Engine fairing on right, still on its conical former. Ullage motor on left

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You're doing a great job! I have need of a 1/72 Saturn V to go with my Crawler build. I will be watching closely.

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A bit of a setback today - I normally use GP-3481-F RTV silicone from either Quantum Supplies or M B Fibreglass ( both highly recommended ) for moulds but this time I experimented with a different type of silicone ( it was £20 cheaper for the amount I needed ). Unfortunately this stuff doesn't flow as well as the 3481, and also sets very quickly - result is a lot of bubbles in between the stringers etc. and loss of surface detail :(

So I've had to order some of the tried & tested 3481 to redo the moulds for the interstage and thrust structure. Luckily the existing ones won't be a total loss - I'll just carve away the inner surface where it touches the master and pour in the 3481 silicone ( I've done this before when renewing worn out moulds ). Just annoyed at the delay as it will be the middle of next week before the new silicone arrives.

Anyway, on with the engine fairing - with care I think I may be able to do this with the cheap silicone as its surface detail isn't so fine

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While waiting for a delivery of silicone, I've started to look at the 2nd stage. The kit part for the lower skirt has stringers for its full height, whereas the real one has a solid band for the upper third of its length ( see pic )

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So I've started filling in the gaps. Once filled and smoothed I need to add more stringers as, like the S-1C skirt and Interstage below it, the kit part only has half the correct amount. :(

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  • 2 weeks later...

S-1C engine fairings on - I've used PVA glue to mimic the seals between the fairings and the stage body. When this dries the fairings need priming and painting, then the black roll pattern painted on.

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Starting on the 2nd stage thrust structure. The kit one is very like a scaled up Airfix one, with the same problems ( e.g. engines too far apart ) - about the only thing Dragon got right with it is the cone angle ! On the S-II the trust structure sits below the bottom of the LOX tank, which is visible through the centre hole. I've started by making a replacement cone from plasticard which fits inside the skirt and over the tank dome.

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The cone obviously needs a fair bit of work - another 168 b****y stringers for a start, plus the support for the centre engine, all the electronics boxes, fuel & LOX pipes etc.

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Fresh supply of Evergreen 0.5mm square strip from Arcane Scenery and Models means I can continue applying stringers to the S-II thrust structure ( I ran out on Thursday evening )

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About 1/4 of the way applying stringers - today shall henceforth be known as Stringer Saturday :)

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Re-doing some posts that seem to have gone missing from the weekend :(

All stringers applied - I can now be described as 'bog eyed' - today shall henceforth be known as stringer Saturday. Now to trim the edges.

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And after all those stringers, time for some holes - ring frame which helps locate the thrust structure in the stage body

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Starting to look like it should - still needs various equipment boxes, fuel pipes etc. adding. The final part will be cast in resin so the two ring frames will be cast as separate parts to make moulding easier, as will the fuel and lox pipes and electronics boxes

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MARTIN,

Really looks good! I also have visited your model site and found plenty of stuff I will need later on. Keep building my friend!

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