Revell Saturn V 1/144 Scale Model Build Summary, ref 04909 Apollo Moon Rocket
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- Опубликовано: 20 авг 2024
- This is a summary following my build of Revell's Apollo Saturn V (ref 04909) Moon Rocket in 1/144 scale.
I started this project back in 2017, and have already made a few videos documenting this build. Admittedly the videos weren't great quality with me voicing over pictures I took, so I thought it was a good time to do a video where I actually discuss the build.
I don't go into huge detail, so if you are considering building this Revell Saturn V (or the very similar Airfix offering) I would recommend giving those a watch.
The first thing to note about this kit is even though it is in 1/144 scale, it is huge - measuring about a metre in length. Being tooled in 1968 (before the Apollo XI trip to the moons!) it isn't up to modern standards - and was based on the pre-manned Saturn V vehicles. This is very apparent when looking at he instructions as the paint scheme is for the pre-manned Saturn V rockets - this would have been so easy for Revell to correct over the last 50 years!!! (Just an afternoon's work!) Therefore make sure you check reference photographs, and not rely on the instructions.
The model is great for an education tool as it can be separated into the individual stages to explain how man not only got to the moon, but returned safely. Unfortunately this is also the worst part from a modeller's point of view at is brings compromises to the design.
The modeller really has three choices when building this model:
A) Build the model as a single complete Saturn V, ignoring the internal details and sealing the parts together to fill the seams.
B) Build the model in a permanently separated state (like the Saturn V on display at Cape Canaveral) - which will require A LOT (seriously, a lot) of scratch building to correct and add the internal details required. This will also involve a lot of research too. The result good be amazing though.
C) Build as I have. The compromises will mean that you won't have a perfect model, but this can be outweighed by the hands on 'playability' and use as an educational tool.
Whatever option you will have an imposing model, and a definite talking point to any model display.
The world is crying out for an updated Saturn V in 1/144 scale - but that is unlikely to happen as many people are still happy to build this version. Manufacturers have missed the boat on the 50th anniversary of the Apollo XI moon landing, so if you are wanting to build Neil and Buzz's rocket you need to use this as the base model and do the research, modifications and scratch building yourself.
Loved this vid! My Dad secretly built this kit for me over the fall of 1969 and I woke up on Christmas morning to exactly this rocket (but with the plastic stand lol) under our 1960’s silver sparkle rotating tree :-) I was 5 y/o that year, a huge space fan, and I beat the hell out of that model….but my Dad loved seeing me love it and truly didn’t care that I destroyed it in a matter of days/weeks/whatever it was. The REAL gift was that sense of wonder coming down the stairs and seeing a Saturn V under my tree! Thanks for bringing this cherished memory to life bro!!!!
My son and I have been looking at examples for finishing this kit as he just got the same one. We love the way you finished this off. Thanks for the inspiration!
Thank you! Good luck with your builds!
Thank you for this video, Rob. I’d never had the urge to build this kit, or any other Saturn V kit.....and then I did....🤪😂😂 Well, I watched this video, had a rummage on eBay and found one of these kits for under £30 delivered.....and delivered it has been....an overnight job....bloody marvellous stuff!
I’ll just build it as a one piece rocket, which is all you really need and give it a light weathering.....
....anyhow, thanks for pushing my hand, I’ll look forward to building it in the new year. Happy Christmas to you! 👍🏻👍🏻
Fantastic to hear - and you got an absolute bargain!!
Unless you want to go crazy on the scratch-building I think a one piece rocket is the way forward, and will make it easier to hide all the gaps! 😉
Good luck, let me know it turns out, and have a great Christmas!
I was fortunate of fidning a mint example in box at a swap meet for 10 bucks such a steal and it seems fairly simple to build compared to the model cars i want to catch up on so im thinking of giving it a shot
Good luck with your build - hope it goes well! (And yes, it’s more simple - but plenty of issues to keep you busy!)
Hi Rob
I was 10 years old when they landed on the Moon - and one of the kids that build a Saturn V model back then. A Revell too as I remember so it must have been this one. Long gone as we kids played with them, but I do consider building one again - for display this time😊
You’re right about the lack of details, but there’s better models these days...
Yes, it would have been this kit; the mouldings and instructions are from mid-60's. It seems like Revell produced this kit (including the painting guide) based on the test Saturn V rockets so they could be in the shops by the time the manned missions were taking place. As long as you look at reference photos of the actual manned Saturn V rockets it's easy enough to make the changes.
Good luck with your build, and I hope it brings back some great memories.
What a cracking build. Looks like you had a lot of fun with this build. Thanks for sharing
Thanks Steve. I must admit it was fun at times - but also a real drag at others! ;-) Took quite a few coats of white paint (over black primer) and that took the enthusiasm away for a while. Glad I pushed through, even if it took three years to finally finish!
Outstanding , Rob ! It looks big for 144th. I have the old Airfix and just got Real Space decals for it. Hope mine comes out at least 20 % as good as yours . Love the base ! Take care , Tony
Thanks Tony! Yes, even at 1/144 scale it’s a pretty imposing model - really gives a sense of just how huge the actual rockets were.
Hope yours goes well. Haven’t seen the Airfix offering up close, but it was tooled around the same time so guessing it will be quite similar.
Not sure what the Airfix base is a like, but the Revell one was a lump of grey plastic and completely covered the engines - hiding the only real external detail! ;-)
Thanks again!
Great vids Rob, just starting a build of the same Revell kit - yeah pretty cheap on the detail but its going to look awesome when finished and standing in the corner!
Thanks! Good luck with the build - it is definitely a talking point towering above the rest of the models!!
Make sure you ignore the painting guide and check the photos of the real thing when you are painting it! ;-)
Nice Job, working on that kit right now. Its a fun old kit
Enjoy it - and you should end up with a pretty impressive model!
There is a 3D file freely avaliable that supplies parts to fix the second stage engines.
Well done!
Thanks for the information sir
Enjoyed your review.
Thanks, glad you liked it, and I appreciate the support!
Thanks mate, great info.
I appreciate the comment, and glad you liked it!
Great video bud!! But this kit in not only OLD.. but it is VERY inaccurate. The engines for example did not look like they do in the kit. They were covered with thermal protection. these are naked.
Looks like you'd be better off nipping down to B&Q for a couple of bits of plastic drainpipe. The castings look dreadful, even for an old kit.
That thought did cross my mind too!!! 😉🤣
Did the Saturn Vs that carried men to the moon have the American flag on the side? I read that they did not. Great video by the way. Thank you
Off the top of my head: I'm not too sure!
The kit in the box (and hence paint and decals) is based on the test Saturn V, and was in production long before man was landing on the moon. It appears that each Apollo mission had little variations. It doesn't help that quite a few books and documentaries use 'stock' footage and videos, so the pictures may be of a different Apollo mission.
I found an official NASA website which had pictures of the various missions, so tried to piece together my painting and decals to create the Apollo 11 scheme - and made sure I only used images and footage when I knew for sure that it was Apollo 11, and not another mission.
Saying that, it was piecing together a jigsaw of different pictures from different angles, so I may be wrong.
The S-II engines were absolutely disgusting honestly. Thats the only biggie I have with this set.
Completely agree, that weird plate they sit on - being void of any pipework, etc - is just bizarre. It briefly crossed my mind to detail it myself, but I quickly chucked that idea as I had really lost enthusiasm for the kit and just wanted to finish it.
For someone wanting to do a highly detailed display then it would be a good blank canvas, but some serious scratch-building skills would be needed - plus plenty of time and patience.
When filling the sections of the rocket along the seams what filler did you use and what grade of sand paper. I've just built it and it's quite gappy. Thanks
Hi Gary. The filler I used was called Squadron Green Filler (or Putty). However, I don’t think it’s available anymore. Do a search online for model filler (or putty) and you’ll see there’s quite few brands out there. Main thing is patience! Wait for the filler to dry solid (perhaps leaving over night) before sanding down. You may find you need to do it two or three times to get rid of the joins. (With mine I can still see some of the joins in certain lights).
I used modelling sanding sticks by Flory Models which don’t have a grade, but I started quite coarse, and gradually used finer grades until I was pretty much polishing the seam.
Hope that helps.
Thanks for the video. It convince me to don't buy this kit. Too cheap. lacks of details.
If you want a “blank canvas” so you can spend countless evenings scratch building details then this is the kit for you. 😉 The world is crying out for a quality Saturn V, but manufacturers will carry on churning out this 60 year old kit because people buy it without realising how bad it is!
unforternaly the service module is wrong size
It's a shame that this kit is based on the test Saturn V of the mid 60's. It's full of little mistakes and assumptions. Fortunately with some research you can use it as a basis to create something more accurate - if you have the patience and dedication! I had hoped that a company would release a newly tooled (and correct!) version for the 50th anniversary of Apollo 11, but with people still buying this old kit I guess they don't want to waste their money.
@@RobsModels I was lucky my nephew has a 3D printer so he printed me one the right size and other bits