I’m looking to build a Saturn V model, and the two that I’m torn betwen are the big Revell 1/96 model or the Airifx 1/144. Obviously I’d love a big 4ft rocket, but some of the things I’ve read about it are putting me off slightly - i.e. the fact that the decals are pre printed onto the plastic, and the fuel tanks are not solid parts and you have to roll them up yourself. I should probably point out that I’m not really a proper modeller - I haven’t built anything since my youth, but I’m fairly handy. Has anyone who has built either of these kits got any advice on either?I’m wondering if big is not necessarily beautiful in this instance.
Hi Phil- welcome to the forums. I have the Airfix 1/144 kit, but have only assembled the main engines. Aside from the fact that there doesn’t seem to be a very accurate Saturn V out there from the info I’ve read, the Airfix kit looks servicable to me. If you’re handy with the basics of construction, you should be able to produce a resonable representation. It is a basic kit, though…all the parts are injection-molded (you don’t have to construct any of the parts from flat pieces of plastic), but there’s nothing fancy with the details.
If you get a recent reissue of the kit, the service module and interstage fairing dimensions have been corrected by Airfix. I believe that the service module has also been updated to the correct Block II configuration. I think the decals have been brought up to date as well, so you might not need the aftermarket sheet. I built an older kit, so I didn’t benefit from the improvements of the reissued version.
The engines are a real bugger to clean up, so if you don’t mind going to the aftermarket, Realspace Models makes the main engines wrapped up in asbestos lagging, which is representative of the launch configuration.
Something to consider. Space Model Systems is Rick Sternbach’s site. He is well known in the sci-fi industry and he has a Saturn V clinic that takes you though making the 1/96 Revell model into something spectacular. Here is the link: