The Saturn IB, designated the SA-1, first flew on October 27, 1961. As designed it was a three-stage rocket, but on SA-5 it became a two-stage vehicle. SA-6 represented the first launch of the Apollo Command & Service Module (CSM). Apollo 7 was launched aboard a Saturn IB, and completed a complete CSM test in October 1968. Two months later, the first Saturn V was launched with Apollo 8 at the top, headed for a Christmas rendezvous with the moon.

In May 1973 a Saturn IB was used to launch the first Skylab crew into orbit, followed by two more Saturn IB launches in July 1973 and November 1973. The final Saturn IB launch was in July 1975 as part of the Apollo-Soyuz Test Project.

Three Saturn IB rockets survive in “anything like a complete condition.” One is in Huntsville, AL at the US Space and Rocket Center, a second is in Ardmore, AL at the Alabama Welcome Center, and the final rocket (designated SA-209) is at the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex in Florida (a couple photos of the rocket that I took in April 2012 at KSC are included at the end of this review).

The Airfix kit is a reissue of an earlier model, using the same molds. The white styrene is cleanly molded, and there is little, if any, flash present on the parts. The instruction manual includes a page with color notations for decal locations. Full waterslide decals are provided, as is a stand for displaying the completed rocket. The stand has four raised buttons that fit into the centermost engines and provide the contact point between the stand and the rocket.

One neat addition is a small Lunar Module, never carried on a Saturn IB, but included for scale purposes. It can be displayed on the stand (no mounting point is molded on the stand for positioning purposes for the LM).

The completed model is about 16.5 inches tall, but I don’t know whether or not that includes the height of the stand. The base measures 5.75 inches x 4 inches.

Review by: Rich “Lonewolf” Dula

Entry created: December 13, 2012