Estes 2157 Saturn V

[Fred22]

Just got finished with the decals on mine, thought you would like to see it.

Of course I want to see it Your rocket looks terrific
Cheers
Fred

 

[DM1975]

Thanks guys, I was going to try and test fly it this weekend, but the weather is back and forth here so bad. Maybe next weekend will be better.

 

[Fred22]

Thanks guys, I was going to try and test fly it this weekend, but the weather is back and forth here so bad. Maybe next weekend will be better.

Wind is not your friend with this one
Cheers
Fred

 

[DM1975]

Yeah, that is what I am afraid of. Hopefully it will settle down here a bit. I don't mind losing(crashing) rockets, but it would be a shame to lose this one, especially on its first flight.

 

[user 13]

I use wire wrap wire with a wire wrap tool that I got from Radio Shack. I have 3 or 4 spools of the wire and the tool in my flight box if you don't get a chance to pick any up. I usually have a dozen or so igniters with the extentions already attached so you can have some of those if you need them.

Wrapping wire

Wire wrap tool

Thanks Bob,

I might have to take you up on the wire. I'm in Seattle and the local Radio Shacks are out of the wire and tool near me. When I get home I'll check the 2 local stores.

 

[Peartree]

Thanks Bob,

I might have to take you up on the wire. I'm in Seattle and the local Radio Shacks are out of the wire and tool near me. When I get home I'll check the 2 local stores.

Once upon a time somebody (maybe here) mentioned that instead of using wire wrap tools they use nichrome wire and add length to their ignitors using jewelry making crimpers and metallic crimpable beads. If I recall correctly, they used this method to tie ignitors together for cluster flights as well. I haven't tried it but I've been thinking about it.

 

[Fred22]

Listen guys my apologies but I have used clip whips with up to seven motors and ignited reliably. They are fun to put together as well
Cheers
gfred

 

[user 13]

I guess I should close out this thread. After lots of delays I finally got to launch my Saturn V on the 18th at the CMASS launch.

I got the swine flu for the April 25th launch, missed that. Then every other launch this year that I was home it rained! I thought I would never get it off the ground.

The last obstacle was the C/G. Moving the motor mount back and adding the 4 13mm motors along with the resin fins caused the C/G to be WAY to far aft. It took a l lot of mass to move it to the 17.5 in forward of the fin fairings that Verna suggested.

The final weight was 21.5 oz! The lift weight weight of the 5 motors combined was 26 oz, so I had a little margin. My final C/G was exactly 17.5 in forward. To get it, I needed to add almost 5 oz to the base of the resin capsule! This caused the capsule to separate on recovery.

If I was to do this again I would use a 4x18mm, 1x24mm motor mount. The extra lift power of the 18mm give more margin than the 13mm.

I got an estimated 250-300ft of altitude.

Other things I would do different would be to use a flat white for the base coat. It makes painting the top layers easier.
The LM shroud transition needs to be done very carfully, it's hard to hide the seem.

Thanks to everyone here who helped! I could not have done this as well by myself.

Now that I have launched my Saturn V, I'm going to retire it. I cant help thinking about a 3 stage SV. Maybe with fold out clear fins on each stage...

All this has been posted in different threads, I thought it might be helpful to also post it here.

 

[rocketguy101]

Beautiful! Congrats on your flight.

edit: I wish I had remembered the tip about the wire extensions--hooking up my Centuri Saturn V was a royal pain! -- trifocals, standing on your head, and nerves do not mix well hooking up a cluster

 

[Clonefan94]

I've got my Estes 2157, but haven't gotten the chance to fly it yet this year. I fly her on 2 D-12-3s and it really flies nice and straight. I did some upgrades to her over the winter as all of the recovery parts were getting a bit old. New Nylon chutes, nomex chute protector and kevlar shock chords.

I'm hoping to get out over the weekend to give her a go. She's got a ton of flights under her belt, I just hope the new Estes and Semroc kits come along pretty soon. It will definitely calm my nerves a bit.

I'll definitely post pics and video if I get out. I'm planning to do a whole timeline of the US space program flights. Starting with the Redstone, then go to the Atlas, to the Saturn 1B and then to the Saturn V. I may even close it out with the Estes Space shuttle. The one that flies with the external tank and solid rocket boosters.

 

[Fred22]

I guess I should close out this thread. After lots of delays I finally got to launch my Saturn V on the 18th at the CMASS launch.

I got the swine flu for the April 25th launch, missed that. Then every other launch this year that I was home it rained! I thought I would never get it off the ground.

The last obstacle was the C/G. Moving the motor mount back and adding the 4 13mm motors along with the resin fins caused the C/G to be WAY to far aft. It took a l lot of mass to move it to the 17.5 in forward of the fin fairings that Verna suggested.

The final weight was 21.5 oz! The lift weight weight of the 5 motors combined was 26 oz, so I had a little margin. My final C/G was exactly 17.5 in forward. To get it, I needed to add almost 5 oz to the base of the resin capsule! This caused the capsule to separate on recovery.

If I was to do this again I would use a 4x18mm, 1x24mm motor mount. The extra lift power of the 18mm give more margin than the 13mm.

I got an estimated 250-300ft of altitude.

Other things I would do different would be to use a flat white for the base coat. It makes painting the top layers easier.
The LM shroud transition needs to be done very carfully, it's hard to hide the seem.

Thanks to everyone here who helped! I could not have done this as well by myself.

Now that I have launched my Saturn V, I'm going to retire it. I cant help thinking about a 3 stage SV. Maybe with fold out clear fins on each stage...

All this has been posted in different threads, I thought it might be helpful to also post it here.

First off your rocket looks great and you are to be commended for doing the cluster. I dont know if i would retire the rocket just restrict to perfect launch conditions perhaps? The multistage saturn would be a neat project but it would be more then I could figure out right now. I hope you get it to work because it would look great
Cheers
fred

 

[Fred22]

I've got my Estes 2157, but haven't gotten the chance to fly it yet this year. I fly her on 2 D-12-3s and it really flies nice and straight. I did some upgrades to her over the winter as all of the recovery parts were getting a bit old. New Nylon chutes, nomex chute protector and kevlar shock chords.

I'm hoping to get out over the weekend to give her a go. She's got a ton of flights under her belt, I just hope the new Estes and Semroc kits come along pretty soon. It will definitely calm my nerves a bit.

I'll definitely post pics and video if I get out. I'm planning to do a whole timeline of the US space program flights. Starting with the Redstone, then go to the Atlas, to the Saturn 1B and then to the Saturn V. I may even close it out with the Estes Space shuttle. The one that flies with the external tank and solid rocket boosters.

Sounds like a great plan
Cheers
fred

 

[Verna]

Listen guys my apologies but I have used clip whips with up to seven motors and ignited reliably. They are fun to put together as well
Cheers
gfred

To each their own but we only use clip whips.

Verna
www.vernarockets.com

 

[Pantherjon]

Congrats on a nice flight! I was a little leery of your plan on using 4x13mm in not enough thrust to weight..But you pulled it off! My PMC Saturn V(1/144 scale BTW) is going up on 4x18mm and a central 24mm..Right now it weighs 14.8 oz empty, minus also the recovery gear and paint..Hopefully I will get it finished up to launch at our clubs launch in August..

I guess I should close out this thread. After lots of delays I finally got to launch my Saturn V on the 18th at the CMASS launch.

I got the swine flu for the April 25th launch, missed that. Then every other launch this year that I was home it rained! I thought I would never get it off the ground.

The last obstacle was the C/G. Moving the motor mount back and adding the 4 13mm motors along with the resin fins caused the C/G to be WAY to far aft. It took a l lot of mass to move it to the 17.5 in forward of the fin fairings that Verna suggested.

The final weight was 21.5 oz! The lift weight weight of the 5 motors combined was 26 oz, so I had a little margin. My final C/G was exactly 17.5 in forward. To get it, I needed to add almost 5 oz to the base of the resin capsule! This caused the capsule to separate on recovery.

If I was to do this again I would use a 4x18mm, 1x24mm motor mount. The extra lift power of the 18mm give more margin than the 13mm.

I got an estimated 250-300ft of altitude.

Other things I would do different would be to use a flat white for the base coat. It makes painting the top layers easier.
The LM shroud transition needs to be done very carfully, it's hard to hide the seem.

Thanks to everyone here who helped! I could not have done this as well by myself.

Now that I have launched my Saturn V, I'm going to retire it. I cant help thinking about a 3 stage SV. Maybe with fold out clear fins on each stage...

All this has been posted in different threads, I thought it might be helpful to also post it here.

 

[Micromeister]

Mark:
Congrats on the good flight.
I have to say though...Good golly man, you've spent all this time and effort on the model, FLY it!! and fly it often.
My original Saturn-V while still fight worthy was retired at our clubs Section Number 139 flights.
She went out with a great D12 flight in front of a couple hundred people at Goddars Space Flight Center on the 30th anniversary of the Apollo moon Landing...Good golly 10 years ago, Time sure flys when we're have'in fun LOL!!

Over all that time and all those 139 launches, Landings, repairs and even a cato or two, I've never once considered not flying it. Losing the LUT's was tramatic and very sad but it was only a way to make launching the Mighty Saturn-V more enjoyable.
I'm hoping to get my little red wagon in gear to build one of the other Saturn-V's I've got laying around doing nothing. perhaps your build thread will be the spark I need to get the process underway.
Light That Candle and Fly you Saturn-V Proudly, Thanks for sharing your build.

 

[user 13]

Thanks guys!

This build/thread is the best of our rocket community. The help and encouragement I got on TRF and YORF are the reason I got this rocket off the ground. I can't thank everyone enough. A special thanks to TonyPV for giving me 5 of his augmented igniter's with the extensions already on them.

Pantherjon, near the end I was getting Leary myself at the end.

Thanks Micro, I'm going to think about what you said. Maybe I will fly her again!

 

[tonypv]

Thanks guys!

This build/thread is the best of our rocket community. The help and encouragement I got on TRF and YORF are the reason I got this rocket off the ground. I can't thank everyone enough. A special thanks to TonyPV for giving me 5 of his augmented igniter's with the extensions already on them.

Pantherjon, near the end I was getting Leary myself at the end.

Thanks Micro, I'm going to think about what you said. Maybe I will fly her again!

Your welcome Mark.
Glad I could help you get it in the air.
BTW those are good picture.
Here's one of Mark hooking up the ignitors.

 

[user 13]

I forgot to post here, Tony took the photos also!

More scale to come, I've got all the parts together to clone the Estes K-21

Gemini-Titan, with a nice twist.

 

[Fred22]

Scale is good
Cheers
Fred