Although containing many inaccuracies, as it was based on a non-flying test vehicle, and photos of early "block" vehicles, the Revell Saturn V still makes for an imposing sight on your shelf or table. This particular example was built in 1969 or 1970 by "Young Me" and pushed the limit of my skillset at the time (tube glue, Testor's 19 cent paints, hobby store grade brushes applied by an unsteady hand - no masks).
Siting in storage for decades, I wanted to get it out and freshen it up for the Anniversary of the Apollo 11 landing. I decided to correct only the most grievous (in my eye) inaccuracies; repaint to match the SIC-6 flight article (Apollo 11 Mission) and use available decal sets and resin parts where needed to make my corrections.
We'll start at the Ground Level, with the SIC-Booster, and its 5 F1 engines. Fortunately, the aged tube glue and my inexpert assembly allowed for a clean disassembly. Where needed, the y were completely broken down and reassembled to correct alignment and flash issues, and contoured to reduce or where possible eliminate seams (Seen below in original paint, seam filing begun).
These would be repainted using a Testor's Metalizer finish. For the Space Nerds out there, yes, I realize that at launch, these were covered with batting which changed their look completely, but I like the detail of the F1's and chose to leave it as is.
Here they are reassembled, cleaned, and repainted, and mounted on the thrust plate (also repainted) at the base of the SIC. Now on to the first Modification - the engine fairings. In order to remove the non-prototypical "bumps" on the fairings, I would have to cut them off, fill them in, and smooth them, impossible to do without also removing the ribs - which were of the wrong number anyway...
Here is an original side by side with the first step - remove and fill. So how many ribs go back? Reviewing multiple period photographs, I could determine the number, length, and spacing (Of course they're all different!). As these are essentially truncated cones, I created a paper projection of the cone and laid out the rib pattern on it.
It was hand-wrapped around the fairing, trimmed as necessary, inked in, and scanned so I could print as many as I needed. The pattern was wrapped around the fairing, and a fine point Sharpie used to mark both ends of each rib. The ribs were made from styrene rod, cut to length, and glued down with Tamiya Extra Thin cement, my current styrene go-to.
The full length ribs were added first, and worked down to the shorter, next shorter, and so on, trimming away the template as needed. In this way I could also ensure that the spacing looked good even if slightly inconsistent. You can see the differences in the pattern. Hit it with some paint, add back some repainted fins and Voila!
I will note here that one of the keys in getting this and all subsequent painting steps correct is what I will call indexing. Where were the lines of demarcation between black and white around the circumference of the cylinder that make up the rocket? The major divisions were marked on the booster as I, II, III, and IIII, and the fins on the engine fairing as A, B, C, and D. You'll need to spend some time with period photos, the model, and the decal instructions to figure this out, and make some pencil marks (removed later) to ensure that it all lines up properly. Note in the photo below:
Before we mount those fairings, lets repaint the booster. Note: the font on the Revell fuselage was not entirely accurate for the vertical USA, specifically, the "S", but as this is getting entirely repainted, NP. Also, the extent of the black bands on the first stage no longer extended onto the middle section of ribbing on the man-rated stacks, due to some issues with temperature and icing, another reason to repaint. (as if brush strokes, wobbly lines, and plastic yellowing were not already enough). Let's mask those F1's and get painting. I used Model Master Classic White, which spayed on to give me a nice smooth finish. This took several coats to cover the old black sections.
I did not attempt to completely cover the black in areas that would eventually be repainted in black, but I did ensure enough overlap to guarantee a nice crisp line between black and white, and feathered it out to stay smooth. This process was followed on the second and third stages.
The black sections were masked and sprayed with Model Masters Satin Black without issue, except.the S-IVB aft interstage. The old pattern had to be completely obscured (many coats) and then rapainted over a cone projection, with ribs, and four maneuvering engine "bumps". Masking Madness.....
The decals provided a beautiful image of the correct pattern. But not to full size :-O
Back to Drafting. Create a cone projection drawing, full size. Create a template in paper. Place on the model and adjust for the model's irregularities. Then use the paper pattern to create a mask from Parafilm, which sticks without adhesive, and can be warmed and deformed to mask the ribbed section reasonably well. Spray black carefully, watching the angle of spray vs mask, and go light as you may until dry enough to apply a second pass to avoid bleed or drips. And cross fingers.
Perfect? no. But probably as good as you could hope for.
A lesson learned: I had decided to paint over the clear panel on the S-IVB forward interstage (LM Cover) both as a nod to authenticity and the fact that I had broken the clear panel years ago. So I cleaned it, used a bit of Squadron white putty to fill some cracks and sprayed it Classic White like the rest. Sadly, while moving the stack in my workroom, I managed to knock it loose - it fell and re-broke. As is the way with these things, it required more putty to re-fix that it did the first time around. Which required re-priming and then repainting. I use a lot of garden-variety rustoleum white primer, typically on miniatures. WARNING: Do Not spray this primer over anything with enamel already on it. You will lift the prior layer into a crazy-quilt of undesired wrinkles. You'll end up at square one.
And this is AFTER a lot of wet sanding. Don't be like me.
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To correct the inaccuracies of the original Revell CSM is more work than it's worth. Better to simply replace with an available correct substitute, in this case, the RealSpace Models 1/96 CSM w/ BPC.
I covered mine in bare metal foil after painting it white, a fiddly, delicate, and tedious procedure which yields a nice result.
You will need you original Launch Escape Tower, but the kit has everything else you need. The Vacuformed BPC is a little soft in its definition, but better than not having one. If you're not happy with it, 3d printed versions are available.
---To Be Continued---
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