Saturn Scale Help.

[the mole]

I have a model of a Saturn V that is 14 inches tall. I am wanting to know what scale is it? :confused:

The Saturn V Dragon Model is 1/400 scale and it is 10 1/2 inches tall this is why I am asking, and I am not sure how to figure scale.

Thanks in advance for the help.

[mperdue]

I have a model of a Saturn V that is 14 inches tall. I am wanting to know what scale is it? :confused:

The Saturn V Dragon Model is 1/400 scale and it is 10 1/2 inches tall this is why I am asking, and I am not sure how to figure scale.

Thanks in advance for the help.

About 1:311 scale.

[the mole]

Wow that was fast. :eek: Thanks mperdue.

[luke strawwalker]

I have a model of a Saturn V that is 14 inches tall. I am wanting to know what scale is it? :confused:

The Saturn V Dragon Model is 1/400 scale and it is 10 1/2 inches tall this is why I am asking, and I am not sure how to figure scale.

Thanks in advance for the help.

Scaling is an easy skill to master with some practice in the math. It's a fraction or percentage, both of which are derived from division.

To determine the scale of anything you already have (model, drawing, etc.) you need to measure a dimension on the model and compare it to the same dimension on the prototype. For instance, the first stage of the Saturn V was 33 feet in diameter, or 396 inches. The main first stage body tube of the Estes Saturn V is a BT-101, which is just under 4 inches in diameter (3.96 IIRC, going from memory here but one can easily look it up on Semroc's website). Dividing 396 by 3.96 gives 100, so the scale of the Estes Saturn V is 1/100. Knowing the length of the REAL Saturn V, which was 363 feet (approximately) multiplied by 12 inches per foot, gives a total height of 4,356 inches (approx.) so dividing that by 100 means we would expect the Estes 1/100 scale Saturn V to be about 43.5 inches tall.

Now, say I want to design and build a BT-80 based Saturn V... since I know the first stage is 396 inches in diameter, and the BT-80 is 2.6 inches in diameter, I can divide 396 by 2.6 inches to get the scaling factor, which is 152.3, rounded. SO, the rocket would be approximately 1/152 scale, or about 2/3 the size of the 1/100 Estes Saturn V. Dividing the prototype Saturn V's height of 4,356 inches by 152 scale, means the model based on the BT-80 tube should be approximately 28.5 inches tall.

You simply do the same for every other part of the prototype to determine the size of the part needed on the model. For instance, the S-IVB third stage of the Saturn V is 260 inches in diameter (app. 22 feet). Dividing the 260 inch diameter of the real stage by the 152 scale of the model, means that the third stage of the model should be 1.71 inches in diameter. Now, there is no tube that is exactly 1.71 inches in diameter, but a BT-60 with a diameter of 1.64 inches is very close, only .070 inch smaller than it should be. A couple cardstock wraps should easily make the tube the correct size, or one could live with the slight undersize if it's a sport-scale model and not a finescale model.

Often, measuring the model and comparing those measurements to the prototype will turn up quite a few discrepancies... plastic models are oftentimes not extremely accurate and some latitude is taken when the model is made, and oftentimes specific prototypes can differ markedly from a generic model kit.

Hope this helps! OL JR :)

[jamjammer53150]

I usually ask my kids But It would be neat if someone a program that would do this

1. I measure the diamater of the BT from a blue print
2. I figure out what size model BT im using

Then have it remember whatever the conversion is , so I can measure say a fin from the drawing , then have it pop out the new measurement

Dose this make sense?

[luke strawwalker]

I usually ask my kids But It would be neat if someone a program that would do this

1. I measure the diamater of the BT from a blue print
2. I figure out what size model BT im using

Then have it remember whatever the conversion is , so I can measure say a fin from the drawing , then have it pop out the new measurement

Dose this make sense?

Sorta... I've seen scaling dividers that can do this...

They're a tool that you can set a movable pivot point to different positions along the beam, and then adjust the dividers so each point is at the end of the specific part you want to measure, and the other side of the dividers (opposite the pivot) will be in the exact proportion you need or want. They're shaped somewhat like an "X". Hope this explains it (sort of).

There are online proportion tables with different tube sizes that show the scale factors of the various tubes to each other for making upscales and downscales of various designs. I printed one off and saved it to my desktop awhile back, but I'm not at home and don't have access to my computer right now. A quick search in the archives or on the web will probably turn one up in short order...

Later! OL JR :)

PS... Actually I think the new version of Rocksim can do this... if you can find the design online, you can "automatically" upscale it or downscale it based on tube sizes and such "instantly". If the model isn't online but you draw it in Rocksim, you can then feed it through the upscaler feature or whatever...

HTH!

[jharding58]

I have a model of a Saturn V that is 14 inches tall. I am wanting to know what scale is it? :confused:

The Saturn V Dragon Model is 1/400 scale and it is 10 1/2 inches tall this is why I am asking, and I am not sure how to figure scale.

Thanks in advance for the help.

When you are dealing with scale it is a proportion that you are looking for - hence the acuracy of the comments on propotional dividers - once set. Your model is 14 inches. The original was 363 feet. 363 feet x 12 gives you inches. Divide by the 14 gives you the "scale" or proportion of the model.

The hard part can be scaling to a fixed proportion. If you have a BT you need to work with then you find the scaling factor by comparing the tube diameter to the original part. I had a build of a Vertikal sounding rocket which has a sperical payload shroud of 1.6 metre diameter. A ping pong ball is 40mm so I was bound to 1/40th

[Bill]

The hard part can be scaling to a fixed proportion. If you have a BT you need to work with then you find the scaling factor by comparing the tube diameter to the original part. I had a build of a Vertikal sounding rocket which has a sperical payload shroud of 1.6 metre diameter. A ping pong ball is 40mm so I was bound to 1/40th


Every time I see that rocket in ROTW, I ask when will NAR add a new HPR contest event: Scale Bowling Ball Altitude.


Bill

[sandman]

When you are dealing with scale it is a proportion that you are looking for - hence the acuracy of the comments on propotional dividers - once set. Your model is 14 inches. The original was 363 feet. 363 feet x 12 gives you inches. Divide by the 14 gives you the "scale" or proportion of the model.

The hard part can be scaling to a fixed proportion. If you have a BT you need to work with then you find the scaling factor by comparing the tube diameter to the original part. I had a build of a Vertikal sounding rocket which has a sperical payload shroud of 1.6 metre diameter. A ping pong ball is 40mm so I was bound to 1/40th

There arent any decals on that yet! :mad: