Build Your Own Saturn V

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Posted by michael on Friday October 31, 2003 @01:16PM from the hope-the-parachute-opens dept.

Illbay writes "Space.com has a great story about a company in Colorado that has introduced an incredibly detailed scale model of the Saturn V rocket booster that flies a lot like the real thing! Apogee Components has "taken the time to research the actual vehicles and then used that information correctly in creating the kits," with a scientist from the team that designed the Delta 2 rocket on staff. I remember the old Estes model rocket version of the Saturn V back in the 60s, but they were not very detailed and very difficult to get to fly properly. Looks like Apogee might have a winner."

22 of 219 comments (clear)

Scale by momerath2003 · 2003-10-31 13:19 · Score: 4, Funny

Standing more than 62 inches (1.6 meters) tall and weighing about three pounds (1.4 kilograms) at launch, the most detailed reproduction of a Saturn 5 readily available today is 1/70th the size and 1/2,166,666th the weight of the original.

"It's just a matter of scale as far as the rockets are concerned. The laws of physics don't change,"

Try telling that to a 2-atom-wide model rocket.

The laws of physics are a tad different on the quantum scale. ;-)

--
I had but a simple dream, to destroy all humans.
1. Re:Scale by Rosco+P.+Coltrane · 2003-10-31 13:30 · Score: 1, Funny
  
  You couldn't build a scale model with only 2 atoms so this point is moot.
  
  You could build a pretty nice planetary model with 2 atoms though. Even with only one in fact.
  
  --
  "A door is what a dog is perpetually on the wrong side of" - Ogden Nash
2. Re:Scale by JabberWokky · 2003-10-31 14:13 · Score: 4, Funny
  
  You could build a pretty nice planetary model with 2 atoms though. Even with only one in fact.
  No, you can't. I won't Bohr you with the details of why you're wrong (or at least about 50 years out of date).
  --
  Evan
  
  --
  "$30 for the One True Ring. $10 each additional ring!" -- JRR "Bob" Tolkien
3. Re:Scale by Anonymous Coward · 2003-10-31 14:40 · Score: 0, Funny
  
  wooOOSH
  
  That was the sound of the guy's joke going right over your head.
4. Re:Scale by Buran · 2003-10-31 16:56 · Score: 2, Funny
  
  But on the Rutherford hand ... the atom model on the Greek 10-drachma piece was rather spiffy lookin'.
  
  --
  i am a soviet space shuttle
World's first by Rosco+P.+Coltrane · 2003-10-31 13:21 · Score: 4, Funny

Standing more than 62 inches (1.6 meters) tall and weighing about three pounds (1.4 kilograms) at launch, the most detailed reproduction of a Saturn 5 readily available today is 1/70th the size and 1/2,166,666th the weight of the original.

"It's small step for man, a giant step for Mini Me" -- Dr. Evil

--
"A door is what a dog is perpetually on the wrong side of" - Ogden Nash
what a troll by segment · 2003-10-31 13:21 · Score: 3, Funny

And I was getting all hot under the collar thinking about maybe pulling up in my model Vue tomorrow with 24's spinning, music flaring, DVD's behind the sear in a pimperrific three piece fohsachee suit, and you're talking about a rocket.
I thought you meant the car damnit

--
MoFscker
Why build your own Saturn? by Anonymous Coward · 2003-10-31 13:24 · Score: 2, Funny

They're affordably priced little cars. I'm sure buying the parts just costs more, and people haven't been building cars themselves for nearly a century.
Build your own Saturn V cheaper! by tsangc · 2003-10-31 13:46 · Score: 4, Funny

http://shop.lego.com/product.asp?p=7468 :)
Re:Very interesting by pi+eater · 2003-10-31 13:47 · Score: 1, Funny

So that's what that was!

I thought I was just closing in on a rave...

geek gear
Re:Not for long by pi+eater · 2003-10-31 13:50 · Score: 3, Funny

Just come practice your hobby in Canada, we'll allow anything! In fact, I think that my neighbour might be the world's newest nuclear power.

geek gear
Apogee .... by Anonymous Coward · 2003-10-31 14:01 · Score: 1, Funny

don't they make bongs?
Re:Not for long by HillBilly · 2003-10-31 14:25 · Score: 4, Funny

What are you going to do with a model rocket? Shoot down a model Space Shuttle Columbia?

Oh I'm going to be modded down for this one :)

--
"Go into the hall of mirrors and have a bloody hard look at yourself" - HG Nelson
This explains it by Anonymous Coward · 2003-10-31 14:33 · Score: 2, Funny

So, this is what Apogee have been up to... now we know why Duke Nukem Forever is taking so long.
Re:Scaling it up?? by Anonymous Coward · 2003-10-31 14:37 · Score: 3, Funny

so if we could blow it up,
Now ain't that an unfortunate choice of words!
scaled servers by skydude_20 · 2003-10-31 14:38 · Score: 2, Funny

even their servers were built to a minature scale, not the big real machines needed for a good ol' slashdotting...

mirrors please?

--
Jesus saves souls and redeems them for valuable cash prizes
Re:I NEED one of these by l810c · 2003-10-31 15:00 · Score: 4, Funny

I remember this one well, even though it's been 30 years. I actually finished it. It took me a couple of weeks.
We brought it down to the field at the end of the street. When it launched, it quickly shot up to about twelve(yes 12) feet and begun spinning in circles wildly in place at first then right towards us. Just missed my brother as he dove behind the dirt mound that it slammed into and shattered all my hard work.
Probably my poor construction that caused the misfire. And what a range of emotions in those few quick moments:
Surprise -> Scared Shitless -> Elation -> Sadness
Speaking of the Sadness after the crash, I just thought I'd mention this as I just remembered and it made me laugh again. A few years later my brother got into model airplane building. These things were a Ton of work. He brought his plane down to the elementary school as they had a nice wide open space. About 15 seconds into flight it banks left and smashes into a tree completely wasting it. He builds a second plane, back to school, 15 seconds, smashes into side of school.
Re:Good ol' rocket days by xyote · 2003-10-31 15:58 · Score: 3, Funny

See the movie October Sky? We were shooting steel pipes into the sky in those days (pre Estes). You took a keen interest in where those suckers came down. Mostly suger and salt peter fuel (hint don't cook this up in your kitchen unless you think soot from premature combustion is a nice decorative motif) but we had an Explorer post sponsored by IBM with geek IBM engineers as advisors with unlimited buget. Bad idea. Dialog right out of Real Genius. "Oh, don't breath any of that zinc powder. It's microgranulated and highly toxic". "Yeah, your finger will stick instantly to the strain gauge if you touch that new instant glue Kodak just invented. Let's get the razor blade and unstick your finger." "Aieeee...".
Just from reading the Slashdot headline... by questforme · 2003-10-31 17:04 · Score: 2, Funny

For the first milli-second I thought "Wow, a life size Saturn V Rocket!", the second thought I had was "I need more money and a bigger back yard". After half a second I caught on.
Re:Very interesting by bacon-kidney-pie · 2003-10-31 18:26 · Score: 2, Funny

How do they actually work out how much sound would pulverise a human skeleton? I bet Nasa has a whole file on that.
Re:blueprints are not lost by adeyadey · 2003-10-31 23:52 · Score: 4, Funny

To quote that article..

In years past, rumors have abounded that in the 1970s the White House or Congress had the Saturn 5 plans destroyed "to prevent the technology from falling into the wrong hands".

That seems doubtful -- it would be a formidable terrorist group that decided to build a Saturn 5 to wreak havoc on the world, or build a lunar base..

There is only one such group. Picture Blofelt sitting in a chair stroking a cat. "Ah, Mr Bond, we've been expecting you.."

--
"You lied to me! There is a Swansea!"
Re:I saw a Saturn V launch myself. by iCat · 2003-11-01 02:37 · Score: 2, Funny

Tell us about the ragtime, Daddy-O ;-)