Part 1: First Look

MSRP: $115.00 The Saturn V was a multistage rocket used by NASA for the Apollo and Skylab programs between 1967 and 1973, with a total of thirteen launches. Werner Von Braun directed the design and construction of the Saturn V at the Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama. The lead contractors for this project were Boeing, North American Aviation, Douglas Aircraft, and IBM. The Saturn Vs were a towering 363 ft tall and 33 ft in diameter, tipping the scales at 6,699,000 pounds. Considering the dimensions of the actual rocket, this is a big model, even in 1/96 scale. The box alone is huge, measuring 40" tall by 9-1/2" wide by 6" deep, but the impression that you're getting into something big doesn't end with the cardboard box. It is stuffed full of styrene. There are 183 pieces in white, silver and clear, a small decal sheet with 3 decals, and an eleven page instruction booklet. A note on the side of box states that there are two pieces of black cardboard included that fold into supports. It seems the box is also a carrying/storage case for the completed model. This is not mentioned in the instruction booklet, so I will have to confirm this after the build is complete. The parts are nicely molded, with very little flash and good detail. There are four styrene sheets that roll into tubes to make up the larger sections of the rockets fuselage. These tubes are printed with the rockets markings, i.e. "United States", "USA", etc. These tubes will limit the amount of painting you can do on this model. There is a stand included with the kit, as well as a lunar landscape base. I mentioned earlier that there are only 3 decals included in the kit, but they are clearly printed. How much can you say about three decals? The eleven page instruction booklet breaks down the assembly into 41 steps, including directions for a nicely detailed LEM which will be hidden inside the rocket. The drawings in the instructions are very basic with little detail, and will probably make the assembly a little more difficult. There are also a few vague references to cutting clear plastic to "this size". I have found no references to what thickness or type of clear plastic. I'll have to figure that out when I get to that step. I would like to thank my lovely, and considerate, wife for providing this model for review, and IPMS for providing the forum. Stand By!

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