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  Launching Steve Eves' 1:10 Saturn V (Page 1)

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Author Topic:   Launching Steve Eves' 1:10 Saturn V
Robert Pearlman
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posted 08-10-2008 09:41 AM     Click Here to See the Profile for Robert Pearlman   Click Here to Email Robert Pearlman     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
From the Canton Repository:
As a child, Eves watched the historic launch of the Saturn V in 1969 on TV. Eves was captivated with space travel.

"Nobody ever built a rocket that did what the Saturn V did for this country," he said. "It was a victory."

Decades later, the Saturn V is serving as inspiration for Eves' most-epic project: Launching a 1,700-pound rocket powered by nine motors. Projected to reach about 4,000 feet, the rocket, 40 inches in diameter, will be propelled by solid-rocket fuel, generating an estimated 8,000 pounds of thrust and blazing a 30-foot trail of fire. Assembled by crane at the launch site on farmland in Price, Md., the rocket will be attached to a 50-foot steel-framed tower.

Four military-style parachutes, each 28 feet in diameter, will bring the 20-foot stage back to Earth. The amateur rocket is a 1/10 scale version of the legendary NASA rocket.

Rockets Magazine is the main sponsor. Another sponsor is PPG Industries, which supplied the paint. The magazine's website includes a special section about Eves' project.

Mr Meek
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From: Chattanooga, TN
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posted 08-12-2008 11:04 AM     Click Here to See the Profile for Mr Meek     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
Am I correct in inferring that it's a single stage? That's going to be quite the feat. Are there currently any plans for any of the potentially interested cable networks (or production companies) such as Discovery to capture the launch on something other than a handycam?

Robert Pearlman
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posted 08-12-2008 05:21 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for Robert Pearlman   Click Here to Email Robert Pearlman     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
Indeed, it does appear to be a single-stage Saturn V:
The Saturn V will be powered by a matrix of nine motors: eight 13,000ns N-Class motors surrounding a central 77,000ns P-Class motor.
Note they are offering sponsorship of each motor and the sponsor gets to "keep the motor hardware" after flight. Only one N motor ($1,000) and the one central P motor ($4,000) remain available.

Jay Chladek
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From: Bellevue, NE, USA
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posted 08-19-2008 12:10 AM     Click Here to See the Profile for Jay Chladek   Click Here to Email Jay Chladek     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
Well, as I like to say when it comes to big rocket projects like this...

"It will either be spectacular or spectacular."

I don't know if I've heard of anybody who has tried a cluster firing of that many Ns at once (let alone Ns with a P motor). It is going to make one heck of a loud noise, whatever it does.

stsmithva
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From: Fairfax, VA, USA
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posted 08-19-2008 07:54 AM     Click Here to See the Profile for stsmithva   Click Here to Email stsmithva     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
That was smart of them to do a public unveiling well before construction is actually finished- it raised publicity and hopefully donations.

The launch is scheduled for spring 2009 in Price, Maryland- about 20 miles northeast of the Chesapeake Bay Bridge on the Eastern Shore. DC-area CS members: ROAD TRIP!

davidcwagner
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From: Albuquerque, New Mexico
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posted 08-19-2008 07:23 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for davidcwagner   Click Here to Email davidcwagner     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
Are there going to be any flown covers? I would pay to have some covers flown.

stsmithva
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From: Fairfax, VA, USA
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posted 08-19-2008 08:39 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for stsmithva   Click Here to Email stsmithva     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
That's a good idea. You could contact them on the website linked above to see if they are already planning on doing so, or if they would be willing to do so for a donation.

stsmithva
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From: Fairfax, VA, USA
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posted 03-25-2009 06:38 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for stsmithva   Click Here to Email stsmithva     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
I checked the project's website last night, and I see that they now have a launch date coming up soon: Saturday, April 25th.

The possibility of flown covers was mentioned above. There won't be covers on board, but if you click on "Memorabilia" at the bottom of the page, you'll see that if you donate $50 towards the project you will get a flown patch... designed and signed by collectSPACE member Tim Gagnon!

(I was serious when I proposed a road trip for local cS members, but now my wife and baby and I will be driving there and continuing east after the launch to Rehoboth Beach. Please let me know if you will be at the launch, though! Let's have a cS contingent there!)

history in miniature
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posted 03-25-2009 09:32 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for history in miniature   Click Here to Email history in miniature     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
80 lbs of propellant in the p motor! Are you coming to pick me up?

ilbasso
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posted 03-25-2009 10:18 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for ilbasso   Click Here to Email ilbasso     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
Dude, I am SOOOOO there!

teopze
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posted 04-20-2009 02:26 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for teopze   Click Here to Email teopze     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
Just thought some of you, particularly Apollo fans, might be interested.

Rocketry Planet: One man's quest to honor America's Saturn V rocket

On April 25, 2009, history will be made. At Higgs Farm in Price, Maryland, Steve Eves will enter the history books as the person who flew the largest model rocket in history. The rocket will weigh over 1,600 pounds, it will stand over 36 feet tall and it will be powered by a massive array of nine motors: eight 13,000ns N-Class motors and a 77,000ns P-Class motor. The estimated altitude of this single stage effort will be between 3,000 and 4,000 feet and the project will be recovered at apogee. In a special to Rocketry Planet, author Mark B. Canepa and ROCKETS Magazine wish to share Steve Eve's story with the readers here.

WAWalsh
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posted 04-23-2009 02:22 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for WAWalsh   Click Here to Email WAWalsh     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
In this age of computer, streaming video and digital cameras, is there any plan to broadcast the launch over the net?

Robert Pearlman
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posted 04-25-2009 12:05 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for Robert Pearlman   Click Here to Email Robert Pearlman     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
No live video (apparently internet access at the farm in Maryland is limited) but first reports via Twitter are that the launch was successful!

Robert Pearlman
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posted 04-25-2009 02:29 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for Robert Pearlman   Click Here to Email Robert Pearlman     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote

Robert Pearlman
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posted 04-25-2009 03:58 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for Robert Pearlman   Click Here to Email Robert Pearlman     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
Photographs by The Space Review's Jeff Foust (click on images for flickr set):

dwmzmm
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From: Katy, TX USA
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posted 04-25-2009 04:10 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for dwmzmm   Click Here to Email dwmzmm     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
Well done and great job, Steve and team! Makes me proud to call you a fellow model rocketeer!

Rob Joyner
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posted 04-25-2009 04:23 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for Rob Joyner   Click Here to Email Rob Joyner     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
What a sight! Just a little faster ascent than the real thing!

It looked like the parachutes almost got tangled! Was there a camera aboard?

328KF
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posted 04-25-2009 04:42 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for 328KF   Click Here to Email 328KF     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
I just got back from the launch, and it was quite spectacular. Much like a shuttle launch, the video and photos just don't do it justice... Steve's rocket was a monster!

I caught up with him at the landing site and he looked very, very relieved to have his model back in good shape (can't say "one piece", as it came down in three sections). The bottom section, comprised of the S-IC and S-II, landed standing upright in the field, looking like it was ready to launch again!

I don't want to put a guess-timate on the number, but a lot of folks turned out to watch this... very strange coming around the corner and seeing a few hundred cars parked out in the fields of the Eastern shore.

Since the launch is already pretty well documented, here are my landing site photos. It had the feel of being at a Soyuz recovery! Several astronauts (Bean, Cunningham, Lousma, Garriott, Kerwin) had signed the CM.

ShuttleDiscovery
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posted 04-25-2009 05:00 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for ShuttleDiscovery     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
WOW! I was amazed at how fast it flew off the pad, compared to the real thing! Great job!

Rizz
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posted 04-25-2009 05:46 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for Rizz     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
Way to go guys, that was very cool!

KSCartist
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posted 04-25-2009 06:02 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for KSCartist   Click Here to Email KSCartist     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
OUTSTANDING!

All they needed was Walter Cronkite doing the color commentary.

CONGRATULATIONS Steve and the entire team. Thanks for letting me play a small part.

SpaceAholic
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posted 04-25-2009 07:18 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for SpaceAholic   Click Here to Email SpaceAholic     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
Hope to see the model occupy a place of honor on display at NASM one day...what an incredible achievement!

ilbasso
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From: Greensboro, NC USA
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posted 04-25-2009 08:14 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for ilbasso   Click Here to Email ilbasso     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
I'm so sorry I missed it - we had a death in the family and I had to be out of town. Can you do it again for me next weekend?

CONGRATULATIONS!! Spectacular launch footage!

history in miniature
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posted 04-25-2009 10:02 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for history in miniature   Click Here to Email history in miniature     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
Even today, one small man, with one big dream, can still ignite the passions in us.
Way to go Steve.

Robert Pearlman
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posted 04-25-2009 10:22 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for Robert Pearlman   Click Here to Email Robert Pearlman     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
More photos from the launch: Steve Eve's One Tenth Scale Saturn V Rocket Flies

JPSastro
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posted 04-25-2009 10:58 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for JPSastro   Click Here to Email JPSastro     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
Were there any national media outlets there covering this outstanding achievement? If so, who, so I can be on the look out for any stories on the tube.

Congrats to all involved... Work of art, work of passion and dedication! BRAVO!!!

cspg
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posted 04-26-2009 12:25 AM     Click Here to See the Profile for cspg   Click Here to Email cspg     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
Here's another video where you see the rocket's ascent(!). Amazing!

AstronautBrian
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posted 04-26-2009 01:00 AM     Click Here to See the Profile for AstronautBrian   Click Here to Email AstronautBrian     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
That launch was awesome. However, I don't think I would want to be as close to it as some of those photographers were...

dwmzmm
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posted 04-26-2009 07:41 AM     Click Here to See the Profile for dwmzmm   Click Here to Email dwmzmm     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
quote:
Originally posted by JPSastro:
Were there any national media outlets there covering this outstanding achievement?
I read elsewhere the Discovery Channel crew were there.

mercsim
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posted 04-26-2009 06:06 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for mercsim   Click Here to Email mercsim     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
Congrats to Steve and all!

For other cS'ers, if you haven't been to a High Power Rocket launch, GO! Its a lot of fun and you won't regret it.

David Carey
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posted 04-27-2009 03:32 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for David Carey   Click Here to Email David Carey     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
So very cool! With build talent like that it's only a matter of time before we see another run with staged firing

Awesome work.

spaceman1953
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posted 04-27-2009 07:35 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for spaceman1953   Click Here to Email spaceman1953     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
Absolutely SPECTACULAR!

Congrats to all involved with this project... this should have been on the weekend network nightly news! Congratulations and thanks for sharing the video!

Apollo Redux
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posted 04-29-2009 02:11 AM     Click Here to See the Profile for Apollo Redux   Click Here to Email Apollo Redux     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
BRAVO!!!!! That was beautiful! A real labor of love.

A guilty pleasure to benefit from someone's hard work, and crazy monetary investment.

Terrific!

Saturn V
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From: Golden, Colorado, USA
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posted 04-29-2009 09:48 AM     Click Here to See the Profile for Saturn V     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
Congratulations!!! Nice pitch over after clearing the tower and a picture perfect landing of the S1-C!

I want one!

Perhaps Spacecraft Films will do a DVD on this Apollo mission, complete with 35mm launch footage and tracking cameras with commentary.

Great job!

Robert Pearlman
Editor

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Registered: Nov 1999

posted 04-29-2009 10:39 AM     Click Here to See the Profile for Robert Pearlman   Click Here to Email Robert Pearlman     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
Among the astronaut autographs on the model's CSM, was also the signature of one of our own, author (and cS member) David Hitt!

Photo credit: Gene Carl Feldman

stsmithva
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posted 05-05-2009 10:26 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for stsmithva   Click Here to Email stsmithva     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
A whole week late, I thought I'd add an eyewitness account to the launch. (Baby learning this week how to crawl = frantic childproofing of house = taking a week to get to this.) I'm not sure how much it will add to just watching the video clips above, but there might be some interesting details.

On Saturday, April 25th my wife Susanna, our son Benjamin, and I drove the 2.5 hours from the western suburbs of DC, around the Beltway, across the Chesapeake Bay Bridge, and into Maryland's Eastern Shore. I was worried about the visibility for the launch because it was quite muggy out - on a clear day one can see the Washington Monument miles up the Potomac as you cross the Woodrow Wilson Bridge, but that morning there was just haze.

The launch was scheduled for "between 12:00 and 2:00", and we tried to time our arrival carefully - too early and we'd be out in the heat for too long with a nine-month-old, but too late and we'd find a rapidly dissipating smoke trail. As it turned out, we got there ten minutes later than ideal - they were no longer allowing people to walk right up to the base of the rocket. It hadn't occurred to me that would be an option, so oh well. I was just relieved to see that the day had become clearer, and that after being sent back to a distance of 1,500 feet with everyone else, we had a fine view.

We spent the next hour listening to the occasional update being broadcast on an unused FM station, having a picnic lunch, and talking to some of our fellow spectators. I strolled over to talk to one of the launch team members, and instead fell into conversation with someone standing next to him. As we talked about our enthusiasm for the space program, I was happy to learn that he was not only a collectSPACE reader, but had also attended the November ASF event at KSC. In fact, he said "There was a guy there who had..." and then he proceeded to describe an item I'd brought. He'd been standing right next to me when I showed it to David Scott!

They sent up a small sounding rocket a few minutes before the launch, and confirmed that the wind was blowing slightly towards the crowd from the rocket. This meant (as the announcer warned over that FM station, coming out of dozens of car radio speakers) that they'd be launching this 36-foot, 1,600-pound rocket so that it would go directly over our heads before the parachutes deployed, so the wind would then carry it safely beyond us. Oh my. I did the tiniest bit of contingency planning of how to get my wife and baby under the nice solid GMC pickup parked next to us.

At this point I'll concentrate on the first YouTube video above, with the "WARNING Rocket Launch" sign showing. (If you are ever searching for it on YouTube.com, it was posted by "calendar16.") First, I like how two seconds before launch you see some cars about to pass by a few hundred yards in the background. If the drivers hadn't known about this event, I must admit I'd like to have heard their reactions to the launch. I'm guessing something along the lines of "Sacred poop!"

Now, in the quarter-mile-wide crowd of hundreds of people, dozens were filming it and there are a bunch of videos on YouTube. But upon later viewing, Susanna and I realized from the angle of this video (in my opinion the best one) that by coincidence the shooter must have been standing just about ten feet from us. Now, remember how the rocket reached apogee DIRECTLY OVER OUR HEADS, and for a few brief seconds had the potential to become a GMC-piercing giant javelin? Well, that aroused in me a mix of happiness that the liftoff had gone well, and slight I'm-gonna-need-new-tightie-whities concern. So that's my gleeful, maniacal laughter at 1:21 (you'll have to have the speakers turned way up, which could be a problem at 1:07) just before we saw the chutes come out. I sounded like a cross between a bloodthirsty pirate and a giddy schoolgirl. Most decidedly Wrong Stuff.

And that's my head at 3:44 that comes within a nanometer of completely blocking the excellent landing. I have no explanation for my hair, other than to say that I'd given my hat to Benjamin to play with.

Congratulations and thanks to those whose imagination, skill, and hard work made this wonderful day possible!

ilbasso
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From: Greensboro, NC USA
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posted 05-06-2009 08:45 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for ilbasso   Click Here to Email ilbasso     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
In case you don't follow the forum, unmannedspaceflight.com has been having an interesting discussion about the largest solar system object from which Steve Eves' Saturn V could achieve escape velocity! The consensus is that the rocket could escape from asteroid Juno, and Saturn's moon Mimas is about the largest moon in the Solar System from which this particular rocket could escape.

SpaceAholic
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From: Sierra Vista, Arizona
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posted 07-06-2009 08:15 AM     Click Here to See the Profile for SpaceAholic   Click Here to Email SpaceAholic     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
Steve Eves has made the decision to donate his Saturn V to the U.S. Space and Rocket Center. The permanent exhibit, which will be sponsored by Orion Propulsion CEO Tim Pickens will be erected early morning Thursday (9 July) in the Davidson Center for Space Exploration alongside the real thing, just in time for the Sixth Annual Apollo/Saturn Reunion to be held in the same facility Friday evening.

Should be a spectacular sight for those in attendance.

Mr Meek
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From: Chattanooga, TN
Registered: Dec 2007

posted 07-06-2009 09:31 AM     Click Here to See the Profile for Mr Meek     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
Awesome!

Just one question, though. The USSRC already has a 1:10 scale Saturn V (displayed in the Davidson Center next to 1:10 scale models of the Ares I and V). Has there been any statement from the museum regarding their plans for this model?

Atlantis
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From: Cullman, AL
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posted 07-06-2009 02:06 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for Atlantis   Click Here to Email Atlantis     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
I'm started to regret not going to the reunion this year. I've got a schedule conflict involving college orientation. Nevermind the fact that fact that UAH is just across the street.


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