Airfix Sarurn IV 1:144

[borgershj]

I bought a kit from Airfix that I made together with my dad (he did the painting and decals) almost 40 years ago.

[borgershj]

The kit has a new cover, but the mold is probably still the old one. The fit is not very good, especially not on the main engines. A lot of putty, filing etc. I also added detail like the rods steering the outer four engines and some extra piping.



The inside I painted metallic and used green and red powders, motivated by photo's.

[borgershj]

I also added holes for pins (?) keeping the stages together (at least that is what I see on the foto's).

[borgershj]

Here you can see those holes in stage 2. Hope I did not make a mistake and these holes were added just for the exposition of the Apollo by the science museum!

[borgershj]

The part that separates stage 1 and 2. Added some fantasy inside to make it more interesting and hide some of the ugly seams. Not reality, I admit!

[borgershj]

Stage two aft and for. Again added a lot of detail, since the original Airfix model has practically none, except from the engines.

[borgershj]

Next follows a cone.

[borgershj]

Then stage 3

[borgershj]

I separated the computer ring that steered stage 1,2 and 3, build by NASA and IBM and communicated with ground station. We talk year 60 "computers" here. The astronauts had no control at all over the flight during the burning of stage 1,2 and 3. They were only in control after that.

I replicated the "blue boxes" (IBM?) you see on the picture very very roughly. But it gives the idea and might make the watcher wonder what these boxes are (computers and batteries).

[borgershj]

Then follow the cone that hold the lunar lander. I used the jigsaw to "open it", hoping to make my model look more interesting.

[borgershj]

Follows the lander. Detail added again and used metal foil painted gold to look more realistic.



The real thing (probably a replica)

[borgershj]

Follows the service module. The one that partly exploded at Apollo 13 (see the movie!).

This needs some extra painting yet.



And added detail again.



Aaaah, the real thing

[borgershj]

The astronauts and Command Module plus escape module already mounted temporarily "on a stick" on the wooden plank I will use to attach all parts.

Scraped plastic from the inside to open the windows (no glass, sorry astronauts)



Scraped also a lot of the poles away from the escape module



Ailgned (temporary)

[borgershj]

Ready for decals

[borgershj]

The kind of "exploded view" I intent for my model.



That is the idea. First try out.

[borgershj]

Getting ready for the final fit

[borgershj]

Finished. Not easy to take a picture of it to give a real impression.

[borgershj]

Now the only thing to do is find a place to hang it (vertically) on the wall. And high enough, to watch out for the kitty!





Bye

[Twokidsnosleep]

Superb modelling work
You have done a fine job and it is great to see something different made
Just excellent
Was the metal foil on the real lander gold and why??


He was from Holland...isn't that weird????



Goldmember reference from Austin Powers

[borgershj]

Thanks for your kind words. I think it was (at least the instructions in the kit said: paint gold), probably for reflecting the heat of the sunshine or cooling. This part of the lander is still on the moon so, if it is really gold, go collect it!

I know for sure gold plates where used to cool the computers (the ones in the computer ring on top of stage 3), I have read.

A perfect website on the Apollo is http://historicspacecraft.com/Rockets_Saturn_5.html. Note that some of the figures are "mouse over", so you can see the different stages and subparts more clearly.

Holland, the Netherlands, its all the same name over here You got places called so there? We actually got a tiny village called America in the Netherlands. Always a good joke: we are going to America for a holiday this year!

[borgershj]

And the thing on the it's final place in my already crowded study/modelling room. Not to high, so the astronauts are on about eye height. Hope it will not get slabbed on, so close to the light switch!



Think I regularly will lie down on the ground to look inside the engines from beneath, the best part I think!

Building it took not too much time in hours (I very roughly estimate 50 hours), but the kit was started a year ago. Must change my priorities in life

[Twokidsnosleep]

It looks good hung up like that, wondered where you would put such a large beast
I researched the gold foil and it was used on the lander and face shields to reflect light, heat and radiation away (hence shiny side out)
Gold is a "noble" metal that is stable and resistant to corrosion and break down and can be rolled into a very thin (single atom thickness) foil
So it WAS real gold..thin foil over a base material
It took a bit of google searching to find that info, most postings were about how the landings were all faked

Sorry about the gold member thing, just my weird sense of humour Just ignore me