Well I've kind of started on my pair of Airfix Saturn V kits ( 1 to be built as standard, the 2nd as Skylab ) - looking at them I got to thinking that they could do with the 1st stage engines being replaced with ones with the insulation fitted as on the flight items. While there are reasonable replacement engines available in 1/96, the only 1/144 ones didn't look particularly accurate to me ( and the engine bells aren't hollow ), so I've made my first foray into resin casting.
My efforts used a modified Airfix F-1 engine as the master, from which I made a two part silicone rubber mould - two part so I could make the engine bell hollow as per the original kit engines. I also made a new aft heatshield for the engines to attach to, as the kit item has ribs which aren't there on the real thing.
The kit of parts
As test fitted, after painting
Now to have a look at the 2nd stage thrust structure - the best I can say of the kit item is that it isn't as bad as the Monogram one ! The kit one has the engines too far apart, and doesn't show the fuel pipes or electronics boxes
Raw casting above left, painted and with kit engines fitted above right - also has a heat shield ( brown ) cut from plasticard.
Also, when Airfix fixed the SM to the correct diameter, they didn't do anything with the CM, which means it doesn't fit the Boost cover anymore ( and looks very undersized ). They also persisted with the original SPS engine nozzle, which is the wrong shape. So, a couple of castings to fix those problems - the new CM fits the revised BPC and the nozzle is now the right shape.
http://thumbsnap.com/s/rhkb0Dmb.jpg[/img]|http://thumbsnap.com/v/rhkb0Dmb.jpg"]
Now to have a look at the 3rd stage.....:thinking:
BTW If anyone is interested in any of these sets just drop me a line
My efforts used a modified Airfix F-1 engine as the master, from which I made a two part silicone rubber mould - two part so I could make the engine bell hollow as per the original kit engines. I also made a new aft heatshield for the engines to attach to, as the kit item has ribs which aren't there on the real thing.
The kit of parts
As test fitted, after painting
Now to have a look at the 2nd stage thrust structure - the best I can say of the kit item is that it isn't as bad as the Monogram one ! The kit one has the engines too far apart, and doesn't show the fuel pipes or electronics boxes
Raw casting above left, painted and with kit engines fitted above right - also has a heat shield ( brown ) cut from plasticard.
Also, when Airfix fixed the SM to the correct diameter, they didn't do anything with the CM, which means it doesn't fit the Boost cover anymore ( and looks very undersized ). They also persisted with the original SPS engine nozzle, which is the wrong shape. So, a couple of castings to fix those problems - the new CM fits the revised BPC and the nozzle is now the right shape.
http://thumbsnap.com/s/rhkb0Dmb.jpg[/img]|http://thumbsnap.com/v/rhkb0Dmb.jpg"]
Now to have a look at the 3rd stage.....:thinking:
BTW If anyone is interested in any of these sets just drop me a line
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