Model Rocket Building Blog 
Model Rocket Building Posts
Rocketry Product: Saturn Press - Saturn IV {Plan}
BMS Peter Alway Saturn V Kit (2011-05-14)
This isn't the first time I've built a Saturn V kit. There were two Estes 1/100 scale kits (#1236) in the 1970s, the Estes Semi Scale Saturn V (#1239) with the clear fins and the Dr. Zooch Saturn V. ... [Read More]
BMS, Peter Alway Saturn V Model Profile Part 1 (2012-12-14)I've built a few different versions of the Saturn V. While I get back to building the Dr. Zooch Saturn V, here's pictures of an earlier build of the BMS, Peter Alway Saturn V. This finished model ... [Read More]
BMS, Peter Alway Saturn V Model Profile Part 2 (2012-12-27)The engine mount is installed. Notice the engine bells are centered between the fin locations. Sealed, painted and glued hydrogen lines and tunnels in place. The finished lower end. [Read More]
BMS, Peter Alway Saturn V Model Profile Part 3 (2012-12-31)How the model hangs during descent with the Kevlar harness. A closer view of the upper section. Inside the Command Module are stacked pennies for nose weight. The finished model. I do ... [Read More]
Peter Alway Saturn IV Build, Part 1, Plans and Parts (2015-03-13)This model was from Peter Alway's Home Page. I can't seem to find it now! If anybody has a link, let me know. The website had plenty of sport and scale plans including a Vostok, Saturn I ... [Read More]
Peter Alway Saturn IV Build, Part 2, Small Details (2015-03-15)While I wait for the BMS order to arrive, the small details are made. I found the PDF files for the Peter Alway Saturn IV. They aren't online, I have them on my hard drive. If anyone wants to ... [Read More]
Peter Alway Saturn IV Build, Part 3, Small Details (2015-03-16)The four Antennas (Part U) are made from the discarded centers of the adapter rings. Whether die-cut or laser cut you'll want to square up the angled cuts on the outside. If your center piece is ... [Read More]
Peter Alway Saturn IV Build, Part 4, Details and Fins (2015-03-17)The Antenna Panels (Part T) are cut from thin cardboard. I doubled over some 110 lb. card stock to make it thicker. Glued stick was used. Two Antenna Panels were cut out and the edges ... [Read More]
Peter Alway Saturn IV Build, Part 5, Parts and Tubes! (2015-03-18)I had already started making the small details (last picture below) and fins using parts I had on hand. After I received my order from BMS, here's the remaining parts needed. There are seven BT-5 ... [Read More]
Peter Alway Saturn IV Build, Part 6, Engine Mount (2015-03-19)The engine mount should have been a standard assembly. The 20-60 centering rings were a little big around the BT-220 engine tube. In the past I've ran a line of white glue on the edge of ... [Read More]
Peter Alway Saturn IV Build, Part 7, Pre-Assembly Primer (2015-03-20)The six outside BT-5 tank tubes almost fit into the surrounding BT-60 tubes. Later on they will be glued 1/2" inside the BT-60s. The tubes were marked at the 1/2" mark. It's pretty easy to ... [Read More]
Peter Alway Saturn IV Build, Part 8, Painting Alternating Tank Tubes (2015-03-21)If you've ever built a Saturn 1B, painting those tank tubes is hard after assembly. This model has the alternating black and white tanks. I'll save some painting headaches and paint them before ... [Read More]
Peter Alway Saturn IV Build, Part 9, Gluing Alternating Tank Tubes (2015-03-22)Down the center of the BT-5 tank cluster is a 6 1/2" long BT-5. The ejection charge will pass through this central tube. I dry fitted two tubes between the 5/60 rings for a friction fit. Both the ... [Read More]
Peter Alway Saturn IV Build, Part 10, Shroud Fitting (2015-03-23)The 55/60 card stock adapter was fitted. Instead of two 55/60 rings I used three for some more support. The highest ring is right under the edge of the shroud. I didn't do a nested ... [Read More]
Peter Alway Saturn IV Build, Part 11, Details (2015-03-24)With a dry fit of the assemblies you can finally see how the model will look. The antenna panels were rounded before gluing onto the body tube. Two panels go on opposite sides centered ... [Read More]
Peter Alway Saturn IV Build, Part 12, Decals (2015-04-16)Okay - With the TLP Pershing finished, It's back to the Peter Alway Saturn IV! Decals are needed and had to be drawn up. These are a little like the Saturn 1B, the UNITED STATES is vertical down ... [Read More]
Peter Alway Saturn IV Build, Part 13, Planning The Lower Black Mask (2015-04-17)A coupler was used to join the upper and lower sections to spray the gloss white. Here's the model after spraying. The BT-5 tube center section was already sprayed and glued together. The ... [Read More]
Peter Alway Saturn IV Build, Part 14, Black Paint Mask (2015-04-19)To make sure the horizontal masks were correct, my straightedge was set into the root edge of the fin an a pencil line drawn. Look close and you can see the pencil lines. With the Scotch tape ... [Read More]
Peter Alway Saturn IV Build, Part 15, Cleaning Up Mistakes, Tips (2015-04-21)Mr. Clean Magic Erasers come in handy to remove paint over spray. These are also good for general rocket cleaning. Go light and easy with them, they can also remove the base paint color. The ... [Read More]
Peter Alway Saturn IV Build, Part 16, Cleaning Up Mistakes, Tips (2015-04-22)Goo Gone can also be used to pick up over spray, but it is more aggressive than the Mr. Clean Magic Erasers. Again, go lightly. There is still some black paint around the detail pieces. A little ... [Read More]
Peter Alway Saturn IV Build, Part 17, Upper Body Trim, Part A (2015-04-23)The upper black squares were easy enough. I could have masked and black sprayed but went the easy route with my favorite trim material, the Contact Paper blackboard covering. To make the ... [Read More]
Peter Alway Saturn IV Build, Part 18, Upper Body Trim, Part B (2015-04-24)The cut tape wouldn't fit tight under the small dowel details. I used my center punch to cut small relief areas to go around the base of the dowels. Here's how the vinyl looked after punching. ... [Read More]
Peter Alway Saturn IV Build, Part 19, Paint Fixes (2015-04-25)How did this happen? This will have to be re-shot. I didn't want to shoot everything again, so there was some selective masking. The surrounding areas were outlined with masking tape to ... [Read More]
Peter Alway Saturn IV Build, Part 20, Paint Fixes (2015-04-26)There was some rough spots around the card stock details. I didn't want to re-spray the white. Because the model will end up sprayed with a dull coat, I can get away with some touch-ups. The final ... [Read More]
Peter Alway Saturn IV Build, Part 21, "Lander" Disks (2015-04-27)Mr. Alway added some details into the nose cone to simulate a lander. Three center disks from a die-cut 5/20 centering ring is glued to the nose cone. The three disks are spaced 120 degrees ... [Read More]
Peter Alway Saturn IV Build, Part 22, Decals Part A (2015-04-28)Three UNITED STATES decals go down the white center tubes. This was one of the few times the decal center was right between the two words. Mark the tube center with a light pencil line Look ... [Read More]
Peter Alway Saturn IV Build, Part 23, Decals Part B (2015-04-28)The instructions say to: "Cut double grooves in the nose cone to represent recessed landing legs. Paint silver." It'd be pretty difficult to cut grooves into a thin plastic nose cone. You'd ... [Read More]
Peter Alway Saturn IV Build, Part 24, Decals Part C (2015-04-29)There are six round circle decals going around the top of the nose cone. Spacing and aligning these took some extra time. A paper strip was wrapped around the cone tip and the overlap marked. This ... [Read More]
Peter Alway Saturn IV Build, Part 25, Decals Part D (2015-04-29)Two small triangles go beneath the angled launch lug details. On the white side the triangle is black, on the black side it is white. The black decal was simply cut off an extra black decal ... [Read More]
Peter Alway Saturn IV Build, Part 26, Oops! (2015-04-30)Did you ever look at a finished model and think: "Something just isn't right?" That center section seemed long, and was! I cut both BT60 sections at 3 1/2" long. The bottom section is 3 ... [Read More]
Peter Alway Saturn IV, Finished (2015-05-01)A standard Estes tri-fold shock cord mount was used. A long 1/8" thick shock cord was attached to a 15" Odd'l Rockets parachute. The picture above was taken before the middle ... [Read More]
Alway Saturn IV Found! (2015-06-07)At the last R.O.C.K. launch on May 3, my new Peter Alway Saturn IV landed 50 feet up in a tree! Yesterday I walked over to the rocket eating trees. I looked up to see if it was still in the ... [Read More]
The BIG FIX, Alway Saturn IV, Part 1 (2016-01-23)My Alway Saturn IV sat in a tree for a month after a B6-4 flight last May. At the June club launch I found it at the base of a tree. It was wet and the soaked body tubes were squishy. CLICK HERE to ... [Read More]
The BIG FIX, Alway Saturn IV, Part 2 (2016-01-24)When exposed to the elements, you can see how the BT-5 tubes re-shaped the BT-60 lower fin can tube. Wood glue was dripped down the sides where the tube cluster would make contact. More glue was ... [Read More]
Coming Soon - BMS, Alway Saturn V (2018-05-22)The Peter Alway Saturn V kit is coming from Balsa Machining Service! CLICK HERE , look to the top center for the link Pre-orders are being taken now, shipping will start on July 1. This is a great ... [Read More]
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