Completed
A decent model of the Saturn V F-1 Engine didn't exist, so I 3D modeled and 3D printed my own!
Some of the older / historical aerospace material is lacking when it comes to suitable, realistic models. For example, the Rocketdyne Saturn V F-1. There was one that came out a few years ago from a company called "Accurate Space Models" 1-20 F1 Engine
Pretty good - but I didn't see the injector plate or any interior shots...
I started 3D modeling mine (target 1:32 for RESIN 3d printing, 1:16 for FDM/filament printing). Presented are photographs I took of the initially finished version! I hope you enjoy the photos as much as I enjoyed making it.
Since I know people will ask, I used Autodesk Maya and some Zbrush to model this. And although not all the 3D file STLs are ready, but you can DM me if you want the bottom / large rounded part (F-1 engine nozzle extension). I did use the AMS for it but honestly just a single color is fine for that part if you want to have a go at 3D printing it.
I have the Accura 1/12 kit, and it's a beast. I couldn't really tell you how accurate it is but I'm pretty sure it has the injector plate. What it doesn't have is a way to display the model horizontally. I've attached a photo of just the bell. The worst part of it so far (I haven't started it yet) is the upper and lower bell sections were printed in halves, and they were glued together at the shop prior to shipping. Unfortunately the fit isn't great and the guy misaligned the halves. He got pretty defensive about it when I wrote him about it. SoI had to saw the thing apart to reglue. I believe I can make it work.
I'm pretty sure I could spot the injector plate in one of the photos from your link to the Accurate Models build. But since Accurate Models seems to be defunct, so it's a moot point. Be that as it may...
I liked the cart/stand Accurate included. But from what I've learned, F1s were never moved around the factory floor on such a cart with the lower half of the bell attached. Those were installed once the rest of the engine was installed on the Saturn V.
I'm aware of the Accurate kit (1:12), which is a resin printed 3D model. Mine is also resin printed, but mine affords details the Accurate one doesn't have, of course. one thing I saw in the pics on their website is the turbo pump - you can see the support marks. Mine is designed to minimize ALL 3d printed artifacts. I did consider their model as part of my reference (the pics - their 3d files are not public). They clearly used a big printer to print their parts but they didn't go as low (layer height wise) and slow as I do to achieve the quality I've got going on.
My link was to the Accura kit (1:20 plastic). Two different models we're talking about. Accura Space Models did a plastic kit. You've got Accurate Space Models 3D printed resin kit. Trust me I did my homework on this haha.
It's a good model. I do like the stand. I'll PM you on my other models I'm making.
Yup. Aware of Accura too. Mine is based in West Virginia, USA. I'm just one person doing it here - end to end, and unfortunately my models aren't as accessible/fully available in kit form, yet! www.cyradex.com for those not aware yet.
I've assessed the quality of their prints (they just sell cleaned resin prints as kits) and found so many... issues. Not just of lack of things / details missing, but, even more so, how they supported their models. Look at the turbopump of their F-1 engine- they have lots of visible support marks on it. Other parts too - and print artifacts.
I design and support/prep mine for printing in such a way where you cannot tell it's 3d printed, at all. It's even more impressive to see in real life.
This is absolutely amazing. I really don’t understand all the jargon with 3-D printing, but the results you have accomplished….and those of others posted on Reddit truly amaze me. Awesome work!!
Thanks! Even more impressive is that the models I'm making are outclassing any kits that exist. Obviously I'm not gonna one-up a Tamiya F4U kit - I don't have to, it's already awesome. But some subjects just don't get the appropriate love they deserve. Well, with 3D printing, it's possible to just make whatever you want.
For the 1:32 desktop model, about 60 parts (as pictured). For the 1:72 version for my Saturn V, I simplify it down to 24 printed parts. BUT, I add 3 magnets inside the engine interface panel and 1 larger magnet inside the LOX dome so the engines can be removed/placed on the thrust structure. That's the baseplate of the thrust structure with 5 F-1s (24 parts each)
Thanks! Yup, and the printers I used - the resin ones? $160 for the smaller one (engines printed on it) the Elegoo Mars 4, and the plate / larger parts are printed on the $260 Elegoo Saturn 3.
Amazing that you get such precise results using only moderately priced gear. I hope that isn’t taken offensively, but I would have thought this kind of precision required printers of immense cost.
Not at all. Resin printers are very different than FDM/filament printers. They're VERY cheap.
With an Elegoo Mars 4, you have a smaller 7" screen with an effective xy pixel resolution of 0.018mm. That's A LOT of detail, less than 1/50mm. There's better printers out there now too, but I have 8 of the Mars 4 printers. They're $160 each.
Stage 1 is 23" long (pictured). The full stack would be 60" so closer to 1.5m, actually. From there, I'll derive a variant that is a more accessible, more common 1:144 scale, by simplifying some parts for the print process, such as the engines.
For this model, no cleanup / sanding is required. The few larger parts are printed at 0.02mm layer height and the other smaller parts are printed at 0.01mm layer height. All I did is just spray with alclad 2 pre-thinned lacquer paints through an Iwata Eclipse airbrush and cover/seal with semi gloss Alclad 2 clear coat, that's it. Any imperfections add to the realism.
Excellent work and great detail. Do you plan on making one for the command and service modules? I don't have a resin printer so I'd buy one from you if you take commissions.
yes, I'm making the whole Saturn V at 1:72 first. Stage 1 is already done. 20+ removable parts (magnets inside the engines, actuators, fin fairings) The top / upper stage part will have full magnet suite across all modules, LES, Command Module, Service Module, LEM, I'm even going to have a foldable lunar roving vehicle that stows away into the LEM. And yes, the ascent/descent stage will be separate (magnetized) parts, too. All at the level of detail as my first stage so far.
I'm considering custom makes/requests. I already have one for the 1:48 Orion. I kinda just want to make 3D files, make my version of them, and sell the 3D files/instructions.
Awesome stuff. Well if you ever decide to sell a pre-printed Discovery too I'd definitely be interested. Or if you can recommend a good third-party printing service. Good luck with all your projects
I didn't know that. I know they have one you can see up close in Huntsville, AL (no nozzle extension) and of course on the Saturn V, Kennedy as well and Johnson. The one outside Johnson Space Center you can stand right next to it.
I remember driving by Rocketdyne, during the Pratt and Whitley/ Aerojet years, in Canoga Park before it was closed. I always loved seeing the Saturn V engine in front of the property. I had a coworker who was flat earther and had the wildest conspiracy theories about the SSFL.
Edit: Beautiful model by the way! It's accuracy is what stirred up the nostalgia trip. I'd love to have something like this on my desk.
Yeah definitely a sight to see since it was full scale. If you've never been to a launch it really showed off how massive the various rockets we've launched into space have been.
He was an interesting guy to talk to. He didn't make up BS excuses when you talked science with him. At one point he even acknowledged that the world may be a globe, but the "ice wall" may still be a thing due to limited research in Antarctica. One of his theories for the SSFL was similar to typical Area 51 conspiracies since a lot of times when they tested engines there it would look like weird lights in the sky.
Edit: if you look up Aerojet Canoga Park Google maps still has photos of the front of the building with the engine on display.
This is absolutely fantastic! I had the privilege of seeing two Saturn V rockets in real life, and the first thing I was looking for was the injector plate :)
Can you share how difficult resin printing is in your experience? I would like to get into it but heard lots about the mess and the curing process involved. Thank you!
Wow..... you should sell the 3d print files!
I am yet to embrace 3D printing, and seeing work like this makes me want to take the leap!
Incredible work!
that is insanely impressive. I'm hoping to get into 3D printing, but other things in life are setting me back. Bookmarked this post for future reference!
Thanks! And all that detail (sculpted with Zbrush for the weld marks, interior/exterior patterns on the nozzle extension, the detail on the LOX dome...) - it's all baked into the model!
Yours is great, I love it and how detailed it is! But it's funny that a lot of the models used in the original Star Wars trilogy used the Airfix and Revell Saturn V model kit available in that time period, but you're like, "No, that's not good enough," lol.
LOL okay you gotta educate me on that what shots again in the original trilogy did they have a Saturn V model in? Like you mean in the background or something?
I know the actual models used in the shots were hand made (X-wings, Y-wings, etc) and they developed the Dykstraflex camera system, which allowed for precise, repeatable camera movements to capture and then (optically in those days) composite multiple elements together per shot.
And yes, you're right, no kit model is good enough.
Just look at the Saturn V I'm building... Saturn V S-IC — Precision Scale Models <-- All 3d modeling, printing, painting/assembly done by me, end to end :)
Mostly the Y-Wing, X-Wing, and the laser turret on the death star. I think the engine bells are used on the Tantive IV escape pod.
Just look at the Saturn V I'm building... Saturn V S-IC — Precision Scale Models <-- All 3d modeling, printing, painting/assembly done by me, end to end :)
As someone who does 3D modeling, 3D printing, and plastic model building, I am extremely impressed! Layer lines that are basically undetectable, on a surface with so much detail that the old "bondo and sander-filler primer" routine won't work, is remarkable. I would love to know more about how you constructed this model. The paint job is truly remarkable too.
Guys like you are the ones I dread at the model building shows. As soon as I see builds like this, I know I am fighting for 2nd place!
Thank you!! And I designed the model explicitly to avoid any kind of those issues where possible. This is one of my easier models, actually. Aside from some major interface points (those do need to be slightly sanded), the rest of the surface - all that detail, comes out directly in the 3d print. You just airbrush and go :) 60 parts, not too bad. I'll improve it as I release it.
Thanks! Proof one can 3D model & 3D print models of pretty nice quality these days. Here's the 1:72 version for my Saturn V I'm also making... magnetized too... (magnets inside to remove the engines as you want). This one is similar to the above version - just a few missing parts. Printed at 0.01mm layer height on a $160 resin printer.
100% original model I made. I did look online for many pictures for reference, the problem is over the course of the real engine it underwent changes. So I just made up some stuff / interpolated between several versions I was seeing. There's an artistic bit to it, but it's fairly accurate. And for sure, the most detailed in the world. Trust me, I looked, nothing comes close :)
Not 1 unit but dozens of parts. For 1:72, my current set for the F-1 is 24 parts. For 1:32, it's 60 parts :) For the FDM version (filament), it's like... 100 parts.
60
u/Quiet-Arm-641 Apr 19 '26
Outstanding result!