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Revell 1/96 Saturn V, New Ware & RealSpace mods - Apollo 11 AS-506 (image heavy)


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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:

4-quadrant-e1623632863998.jpg

 

The upper part in isolation:

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The area around the S-IVB aft interstage:

Saturn-V-mid-e1623632807747.jpg

 

And the S-II aft interstage:

Saturn-V-low-e1623633708666.jpg

 

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.

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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.

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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".

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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:

S-IVB-1-e1623632741556.jpg

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Here it is with the instrument unit and lower part of the SLA attached:

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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.

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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.

S-IC-1-e1623633741438.jpg

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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.

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LM-2-e1623633676525.jpg

 

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!

 

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That's super cool! What a great build and great post. 

 

With just weeks to go until the 50th anniversary of Apollo 11 I'm kind of amazed there isn't more scale model action of space stuff at the moment. You have certainly made up for it a bit with this! 

 

I'm currently building - with my four year old kid - the old Tamiya 1/70 CSM-LM kit. We did the gold foil tonight - lots of fun.

 

Congrats on your fantastic Saturn V!

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7 hours ago, bianfuxia said:

That's super cool! What a great build and great post. 

 

With just weeks to go until the 50th anniversary of Apollo 11 I'm kind of amazed there isn't more scale model action of space stuff at the moment. You have certainly made up for it a bit with this! 

 

I'm currently building - with my four year old kid - the old Tamiya 1/70 CSM-LM kit. We did the gold foil tonight - lots of fun.

 

Congrats on your fantastic Saturn V!

Thanks. I'm also a little surprised that there isn't more Apollo activity going on - while I was working on this model, I was expecting to see other Saturn Vs popping up here.

Good luck with the CSM-LM.

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Very lovely build - the attention to detail is wonderful!  It's not easy correcting all the old Revell kits - but you've done very well indeed. There are indeed builds and lots of activity going on - check some of the other forums (arc) and collectspace. This is my Dragon 1/48 CSM.

 

Great blog as well - really enjoyed it.

 

 

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25 minutes ago, RET said:

Very lovely build - the attention to detail is wonderful!  It's not easy correcting all the old Revell kits - but you've done very well indeed. There are indeed builds and lots of activity going on - check some of the other forums (arc) and collectspace. This is my Dragon 1/48 CSM.

 

Great blog as well - really enjoyed it.

 

 

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Thanks for the kind words about the build, and the blog. :)

I see I made my first blog post about this particular build in August 2016, so it seems I've been working on it for three years! (Admittedly, I was building other kits as well, for the sheer relief of building something that didn't need drilling, filling, sanding, measuring, marking and detailing every step of the way.)

 

That's a lovely CSM.

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Some builds seem to take forever  - glad you stuck with the Saturn V.  I'm currently struggling along with the old 1/96 Revell Apollo-Soyuz - So I appreciate the reworking you did to fashion a very nice Block II CSM. There are dedicated Space modelers out there - but they seem to be few and far between.  The ARC realspace forum is usually pretty busy and has some hard core folks about. Oddly many are fellow Canuks. Hope you didn't mind the picture - was not intended to sway your post. I was also intrigued with your Lindberg "Moonship" done as Von Braun intended - another nice build!

 

Best - Ret

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On 7/3/2019 at 2:02 AM, RET said:

Some builds seem to take forever  - glad you stuck with the Saturn V.  I'm currently struggling along with the old 1/96 Revell Apollo-Soyuz - So I appreciate the reworking you did to fashion a very nice Block II CSM. There are dedicated Space modelers out there - but they seem to be few and far between.  The ARC realspace forum is usually pretty busy and has some hard core folks about. Oddly many are fellow Canuks. Hope you didn't mind the picture - was not intended to sway your post. I was also intrigued with your Lindberg "Moonship" done as Von Braun intended - another nice build!

Well, I cheated with the Block II CSM and used a resin replacement from RealSpace, with some pretty minor modifications. While applying the Bare-Metal foil was interesting, I think I'd use Alclad if I did it again. What did you use on your CSM?

 

Glad you liked the revised moonship. I also have von Braun's original lander concept in the stash, and will probably build that some time this year, as part of my Apollo 50th anniversary celebration.

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The Realspace looks real good - fine job.  I've never used Alclad but see a lot of folks using that with very nice results. Personally it kinda worries me - not sure I'd be able to obtain a very good application. The CSM I did was with BMF, which I have been using a lot lately, then scribe detail into it.

 

Look forward to seeing your Von Braun lander - will look for it.  If I can I'll try and post some more of my builds - it seems real space doesn't get too much exposure here.

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Hi Hamiltonian.

 

When I saw the first picture I thought: oh my God, he has built 4 !!!!

 

I have thought about building it but its size has stopped me from doing it.

 

You have done a very good job. Good built and good painted.

 

Andrés S.

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1 hour ago, Andrés S. said:

Hi Hamiltonian.

 

When I saw the first picture I thought: oh my God, he has built 4 !!!!

 

I have thought about building it but its size has stopped me from doing it.

 

You have done a very good job. Good built and good painted.

 

Andrés S.

Ha, one was enough. Thanks.

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@Hamiltonian your Saturn is looking very fine and the details in your blog also helped me a lot as i am building one at the moment and this one is almost build out of the box!

Not going to post over here as it is for a surprise group build in wich i am going to pose it with the Rockets lighted with smoke and all.

That also saves me on detailling the other inside parts of the segments, it  saves me a newware detailset as well..

 

Thank you for posting this ,

 

cheers, Jan

 

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19 hours ago, janneman36 said:

@Hamiltonian your Saturn is looking very fine and the details in your blog also helped me a lot as i am building one at the moment and thos one is almost build out of the box!

Not going to post over here as it is for a surprise group build in wich i am going to pose it with the Rockets lighted with smoke and all.

That also saves me on detailling the other inside parts of the segments, it  saves me a newware detailset as well..

 

Thank you for posting this ,

 

cheers, Jan

 

Glad you found it useful. :)

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  • 7 months later...

A delayed update to this build. One thing missing from the New Ware detail set was the pair of LOX vent outlets on the forward skirt of the S-IC stage. I'd intended to scratch build these, but got distracted by other things and forgot.

I remembered the other day, and set about adding them. At the same time, I felt I needed to do something about the completely bare LOX tank dome of the kit S-IC.

s-ic-tank-dome.jpg

It at least has the right number of gores in the right places (in contrast to the horrible tank dome of the S-II), but it lacks the prominent piping for the LOX vents and the gaseous oxygen distribution line.

So I knocked together a few details from styrene and brass.

s-ic-scratch-parts.jpg

Here are the external LOX vents in place:

s-ic-lox-vents.jpg

And the newly tarted up tank dome:

s-ic-tank-dome-detailed.jpg

The arrangement isn't perfect, because the kit's forward skirt is a significant fraction of an inch longer than it should be at scale, so the interior pipework doesn't quite match the exterior vent positions.

So that's me finished this kit, again. At least until I get around to rebuilding the CSM!

 

 

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