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Airfix Saturn V Instructions

76.2k 232287168147825  3.8 years ago

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Table of Contents

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  1. Preface
  2. Basic Assembly
  3. _Detailing
  4. _Upright Stand
  5. _Staged Stand

Preface

Congratulations on your purchase of an Airfix Saturn V kit! This is a large kit intended for experts only. Only the most patient of users should build it, with a build time of 1-2 hours. Most pieces "click" together, but some require nudging, and rarely will parts clip.

The rocket is available for display as an upright fully stacked model, or a staged view on a horizontal stand. Please pick your variant below, as only one can be built per kit.

Upright Stand

Staged Stand


Basic Assembly

Color Coding Guide

The instructions guide will maintain this uniform guide of color coding to show how to assemble it:

The pink part is the part you should grab to remove the part (the pull part). The yellow will guide you on what part to remove, as well as the part code (see below).

Painting Guide

The following colors are used during the detail process and pre-painting. They are in this order:
[NAME] - [HEX] - [METALLIC] - [SMOOTHNESS]
1. NASA White: FFFFFF - 26 -20
2. Black Metal: 000000 - 100 - 0
3. Dark Gunmetal - 2E2E2E - 56 - 70
4. Polished Gray - 7F7F7F - 50 -84
5. Army Green - 004511 - 64 - 8
6. Navy Blue (Staged Stand Only) - 00005C - 64 - 8
7. Used on Decals (Just in Case): Solid Red - D00000 - 64 - 8
You may have noticed that I have already provided these colors.

Parts Guide

The instructions guide will refer to the following parts by their designations as shown below:


Basic Assembly Instructions

Step 1

We are going to start off by pre-painting all the internal parts, as once we install them they will not be easy to paint. Once you have pre-painted this we will be ready to start building.

Step 2

Remove A1 and A2 using the specified pull locations below. Make sure to sand and trim any excess plastic from the frame.

Step 3

Remove D2, D3, and E1.

Step 4

Place a new cockpit on A1. This will start construction of the S-I First Stage. Then place D2, D3, and E1 as shown in the second image. Use Fine Tuner if they are not centered. In my experience, only E1 needs nudging and it will clip with the engine fairings (sorry); D2 and D3 will align from the get go and "click" as long as you place them slowly and with the angle in the first picture. Make sure to save in case you mess up, as undo is not your friend.

In my experience, for the fuel tank bulkheads (D2, D3), it is best to place them at this angle as shown below. They will lock centered and you will easily be able to move them up and down without problems.

Step 5

Connect A2 to A1. This process is not as trick as it looks if you know the cheat, and the pieces are designed to click together- no FT is needed for this step.
First, nudge all the bulkheads out of A1 with 1 big nudge step as shown below.

Then, carefully attach A2 to A1 now that the bulkheads are gone, making sure they line up. This step is INCREDIBLY easy if you use the angle below and hold from the specific pink part.

Now, just nudge in the bulkheads again by going back your big step size. Hard part done.

Step 6

It is time to attach the F-1 engines to the 1st Stage. Take them off as shown below.

Then install them like this. You may need some nudging. Attempt to not rage.

Notice and remember that G-5 is longer than its fellow engines, and thus is the center engine. Gas Generators should face inward.
Congratulations. You have finished basic assembly of the S-I stage. Moving on!


Step 7

It is time to start the S-II stage. Remove B1 and B2, along with the remaining D bulkheads and D5 cluster engine mount. Use this guide for removal.

Step 8

Install the bulkheads and engine cluster on B1. If you hold it from the same angle as you did for A1 on the first stage, the bulkheads will click easily. The engine mount needs to be nudged into place though.

Step 9

Finish the S-II stage by connecting the B2 half. Use the same technique as the S-I stage. MAKE SURE to hold the piece I have outlined. This will make the two halves click easily together.

It should look like this when completed.


Step 10

The interstage is an easy step. Take off H1 and H2 as shown.

Then, attach them as shown. Done!


Step 11

The S-IV third stage is similar but smaller and thus a little more tricky than the other two stages. Start by removing C1, C2, F1, and F2. Notice C1 and C2 have a very unusual pulling spot.

Then, put the bulkhead and engine on C1 as shown. Make sure the engine does not stick out much or it will have to clip with the S-II stage. Unfortunately, these do not click in and will need to be nudged in.

Seal the S-IV stage using the exact same methods as before. Use the picture to find where to hold the A2 part and what camera angle to connect it. It will click.
S-IV Done!


Step 12

Here is the most annoying step. The CSM. It is so small that the game's connection system constantly freaks out every time you move the parts around. Good luck. Prepare to rage.
First, take out the pieces as shown J1, J2, K1, K2, K3.

Then, connect J1 to K3.

Attach J2 to K1. Then, make J1 very long using the fuselage editor. This is an unfortunate step that must be done to make the build easier. Then connect the long J1 to J2.

Shorten J1 to fit.

Attach K2 with the warp nudge strategy.


Done! Or is it...

Step 13

This is the unholy step. It is 100% optional and NOT recommended at all. You can totally screw up your CSM build. Attach L1-4 to the sides of the CSM. They are so small that the connections are always messed up. I did not do this step and neither should you.

The basics of the rocket are done!


_Detailing

Step 14

First, paint the S-I First Stage as shown.

Step 15

Then, nudge the fins in and paint them.

Take note of their location.

Step 16

Prepaint all the ullage motors and fuel lines white (parts M,N,O and P)

Step 17

Install the N5 and N6 fuel lines.

Step 18

Now that the S-I is complete you can use it as a guide to paint the interstage and S-II using an ortho camera.

Step 19

Install ALL the remaining ullage pods and fuel lines EXCEPT for O1 and O2 as shown below on stage 2 (S-II).

Step 20

Paint the S-IV. You don't need the S-II for reference.

Step 21

Install the last fuel lines (O1, O2) on the S-IV

Step 22

Paint the CSM and LES. ADDENDIUM or WHATEVER:
paint the CSM in the light gray color.

Step 23

Apply decals. You can do this symmetrically or "standard" so that the model appears with full decals from a vantage point. I had to cut decals for part count. By the way, shoutout to Destroyerz117 for making this font.

Congratulations! You finished the Saturn V! Now it's time to make a stand...


_Upright Stand

This stand has you mate all the stages together and put it on a flat stand to represent the stacked rocket. You can make some parts invisible to have a cross section model.

Step 1

You will need to mate the rocket stages. The S-I, Interstage, and S-II all click together nicely. Start by connecting the S-II to the interstage. Be patient and try it from the angle used in the picture.

Step 2

Attach the interstage-S-II combo onto the First Stage S-I. Just keep holding the mouse down and moving the curspr until you find the sweet spot where the pieces click together.

Step 3

Nudge the S-IV and CSMLES stages into each other and the rest of the rocket. Now it will be fully stacked.

Step 4

Assemble the stand and paint.

Step 5

Place the conical adapter on the rocket, and then move the conical adapter (Q2) to the stand. Done!


_Staged Stand

This is a horizontal stand that shows a staged view of the rocket.

Step 1

Remove all R and S coded parts.

Step 2

Assemble the base parts as shown, and paint all stand parts blue:

Step 3

The stage holders are in order. Start from the S-I with the S1 holder. Put the S1 holder on the stage, making sure it is centered, then mount that onto the stand. Repeat S2-5.

Have fun building! Don't give up!

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  • Profile image
    Pinned 3.8 years ago
  • Profile image
    34.8k WarHawk95

    @232287168147825 bruh
    My bad I was expecting the links to be here so I didn't see them

    3.8 years ago
  • Profile image

    bruh
    the links to them are in the build
    the size of these links are max header
    @WarHawk95

    3.8 years ago
  • Profile image
    34.8k WarHawk95

    Or can someone just upload both finished versions ? Too lazy to build it myself ngl

    3.8 years ago
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    120k belugasub

    This is fantastic

    3.8 years ago
  • Profile image
    8,988 ZWLenning

    the longest forum i ever did saw

    3.8 years ago