Sunday, April 26, 2009

Ultimate model rocket flies

A fellow named Steve Eves has launched and recovered a 1/10 scale Saturn V - 36 feet tall, 1600 pounds, flying on nine solid-fuel motors. It's a beautifully sculpted replica, different from the original in appearance mainly because of the large fins needed (since, unlike the real Rocketdyne F-1 liquid-fuel engines used on the moon rocket, its engines aren't gimbaled for steering). The altitude reached was over 4,000 feet. Eves' aim was to honor the Apollo-Saturn program, 40 years after it put a man on the moon.
Congratulations, Steve. It was a great endeavor.

Great videos at the NASAWatch title link: More information on Steve and his rocket at
http://www.rocketryplanet.com/content/view/2829/38/

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