7251 – SATURN 1B

Master Skill
(Formerly Skill Level 5)
The Estes Saturn 1B is a stunning 1:100 recreation of this rocket

of the Apollo era. Designed to test Apollo hardware, it later
served as crew launch vehicle for Skylab and the Apollo Soyuz
Test Project. Build and launch this Master-Level kit for
spectacular lift-offs and dazzling dual parachute recoveries.

TECHNICAL INFORMATION

Recommended Engines: C11-3, D12-3, E12-4, E12-6

Projected Max Altitude: 1000 ft. (305 m)

Recovery System: 1x 15 in. (38.1 cm) Parachute, 1x 18 in.

(45.7 cm) Parachute

Length: 26.8 in. (68.1 cm)

Diameter: 2.62 in. (67 mm)

Estimated Weight: 6.9 oz. (196 g)

Estimated Assembly Time: 10 Hours (painting and glue drying time
not included)

Fin Materials: Injection molded plastic

Decal Type: Waterslide

Launch System: E Launch Pad and Pro Series II
Launch Controller

Launch Rod Size: 3/16" Maxi Rod (sold separately)

Age Recommendation: Estes model rocketry is recommended for boys
and girls ages 10+ with adult
supervision for those
under 12, and rocketeers of all ages.


DESCRIPTION

Before there was the Saturn V, there was the Saturn 1B, the NASA
test bed for Apollo flight hardware. Versions of the Apollo
Command and Service Module, and the Lunar Module were all test
flown on the Saturn 1B while the Saturn V was still in
development. Even the S-IVB upper stage which served as the third

stage of the Saturn V was first tested on the Saturn 1B,
functioning as that vehicle’s second stage. The Saturn 1B would
eventually see service as the primary launch vehicle for Earth
orbit missions in the Apollo spacecraft.

One of the distinctive features of the Saturn 1B is the set of
cylindrical tanks that forms the rocket’s first stage. Resembling

a cluster of smaller rockets, the tanks are sometimes
misidentified as re-purposed Redstone missile stages. In fact,
these 70-inch diameter tanks were created using the same forms
that produced the Redstone rockets. So, while they share a common

lineage, they were not surplus rockets themselves. The tanks
fueled eight H-1 engines, four of which could gimbal to steer the

rocket while under power. Eight low profile fins ringed the base
of the rocket for guidance during atmospheric flight.

In February of 1966, the first Saturn 1B was launched with an
early version of the Apollo Command and Service Modules – no crew

was aboard. The subsequent Saturn 1B launch of Apollo 7 on
October 11, 1967 certified the Apollo spacecraft for human
spaceflight. It would be the last Saturn 1B launch for nearly
five years.

In 1973, after the final Apollo moon landing, the last Saturn V
was used to launch the Skylab Orbital Workshop. Three crews would

eventually be sent to live and work in the space station, each
launched aboard an Apollo Command Module carried by a Saturn 1B.
The first of the three Skylab crews lifted-off on Saturn 1B
vehicle SA-206 and stayed for 28 days. Their first task in orbit
was to repair Skylab after an accident at launch ripped away a
solar panel and sun shield. Led by Apollo 12 moon walker Pete
Conrad, the crew performed a dangerous EVA and successfully
rescued the space station.

The Estes Saturn 1B SA-206 is a stunning 1:100 scale recreation
of the Saturn 1B and Apollo spacecraft stack as it appeared in
1973 for the launch of the first Skylab crew. Every detail is
there, from the Launch Escape System atop the Apollo Command and
Service Module, to the first-stage H-1 engine nozzles (remove for

launch). Textured body wraps, injection molded components, and
other plastic formed parts add a level of realism to this
Master-Level kit that every scale modeler will appreciate. Launch

your finished model using one of the recommended Estes engines
for a spectacular liftoff and dazzling two-piece recovery under
dual parachutes. On display or in the air, the Estes Saturn 1B is

a marvelous addition to any fleet.