I purchased this set because I expected it would make a good display piece, it represents something real and one of our best achievements, and to mark the recent anniversary of the moon landing (I do know about the moon landing set released recently and may acquire that eventually).As others have said, the subject is pretty symmetrical and so assembly becomes repetitive at points. At the points where multiple instances of the same assembly were required, I did them in parallel rather than in sequence, making for less going back and forth in the instructions.The little mini-sets - the moon landing and the splashdown back on Earth - were a nice bonus.Others have critiqued the amount of visible detail on the completed assembly. The one in particular I agree with ... MoreI purchased this set because I expected it would make a good display piece, it represents something real and one of our best achievements, and to mark the recent anniversary of the moon landing (I do know about the moon landing set released recently and may acquire that eventually).As others have said, the subject is pretty symmetrical and so assembly becomes repetitive at points. At the points where multiple instances of the same assembly were required, I did them in parallel rather than in sequence, making for less going back and forth in the instructions.The little mini-sets - the moon landing and the splashdown back on Earth - were a nice bonus.Others have critiqued the amount of visible detail on the completed assembly. The one in particular I agree with is the lack of detailing on the command module near the top ofthe stack. It's just plain white with no detailing to it, which I feel is an unfortunate oversight.I worked on assembling this set over two evenings, spending a few hours per evening. I made a point of having Apollo 13 playing on the TV one of those evenings and took a break from assembly to watch the launch sequence - one of my favourite movie scenes!In the end, I'm pretty satisfied with this set. It looks great, and the stages go together and separate easily. Despite the minor exterior detailing quibble, I have no reservations in recommending this set.

"Straight to the Moon"

tl;dr: This set is amazing.This set is the current pinnacle of the marriage of concept, design, and execution. (It must be an interesting marriage!)The Saturn V is such an iconic part of NASA's history and this set does that history justice. Whether you know it from the Moon missions, from movies like Apollo 13, or even from the classic MTV opening. From the excellent manual including historic information and photos, a timeline of the mission, and information about the fan creators and Lego designers that brought the set (if temporarily) to the Lego store shelves to the minute details, this set is a thrill to behold.The design is a lesson in the flexibility and versatility of Lego as a construction system. Existing pieces used in innovative ways to help ... Moretl;dr: This set is amazing.This set is the current pinnacle of the marriage of concept, design, and execution. (It must be an interesting marriage!)The Saturn V is such an iconic part of NASA's history and this set does that history justice. Whether you know it from the Moon missions, from movies like Apollo 13, or even from the classic MTV opening. From the excellent manual including historic information and photos, a timeline of the mission, and information about the fan creators and Lego designers that brought the set (if temporarily) to the Lego store shelves to the minute details, this set is a thrill to behold.The design is a lesson in the flexibility and versatility of Lego as a construction system. Existing pieces used in innovative ways to help achieve the curves of the body, a well-developed core to support the skin where every piece has a purpose and the use of multiple colors helps to ease the intricate build, and the multiple ways to play with, display, and teach with the finished model.One of the challenges that Lego faces with intricate models--I am looking at you, Millennium Falcons--is the scale. From my understanding, at 1 meter tall, this model is roughly 1:110 scale, and the nano figures provided fit into that scale. This scale allows for some broad brushstrokes of details while also allowing minute details in the F1 engines. Almost any AFOL will appreciate that there are no stickers in this set. Everything is printed and there are some really nice prints: the LM hatch, the American Flag on a clear 2 x 1, the USA markings on the rocket.In terms of usability, the model is solid with the only weak points I (and other builders) have found being the LM attachment inside the cowling which is a single stud and the fins which are a little finicky. The stages come apart easily yet the model also feels solid overall. It is possible to teach a timeline of the Apollo 11 mission with this model, from launch, to separation of stages, to docking the CSM and the LM, to the moon landing/launch, then returning to the CSM, then splashing down. Alas, I don't know if there are any Lego parachutes, though that might be one of the few additions that I would have liked to see. There are wee dioramas for the moon landing with the aforementioned flag and for the splashdown including the addition of flotation devices.What are the flaws? Some of the building is finicky and some of the building is repetitive. Even with the variation in color, sometimes it can be a challenge to get the proper alignment of some elements. Because the pieces still attach, it may be several steps into the future that you realize that you are one stud off. When you correct the error, you are likely to say, "Oh, so that's why that was hard to connect" as the proper placement snaps into place. Some additional detail illustrations may have helped. In terms of repetition, there are a number of elements that are made 4x or 2x and if you are a parallel building like me, it makes for a relatively quick build. I took four hours, though that was with stops for photos and the occasional adult beverage. For AFOLs, there are a number of intricate interconnections involving small pieces that may tax your eyesight and challenge your manual dexterity. That being said, once built, the set is solid and I have no plans to take it apart and to integrate the pieces with my collection at large. It will likely live most of the time on the three stand pieces they provide and eventually pass on to my wee Lego building 5 year old twins.In summary, an amazing set, intricate details, great display, play, and teaching value that is an interesting, if at times finicky and repetitive build.

A legendary rocket, in a smaller scale

Always was hoping lego would bring back this set. As soon as I saw this set on Amazon, I knew I had to get it.Assembling this set was straight forward with the included build instructions (Which also doubles up as a collectible, since the beginning has a brief history of the Apollo program, the Saturn V and a typical Apollo mission profile).Some parts were challenging, but nothing a little help from my local lego store couldn't solve.Lego's attention to detail on the Saturn V is absolutely superb.They managed to capture the lego version of the Saturn V just as the real Saturn V was. Everything down to the umbilical connections were captured with unwavering detail.The thing that really caught my eye is the sheer size of the lego Saturn V, which stands 39 ... MoreAlways was hoping lego would bring back this set. As soon as I saw this set on Amazon, I knew I had to get it.Assembling this set was straight forward with the included build instructions (Which also doubles up as a collectible, since the beginning has a brief history of the Apollo program, the Saturn V and a typical Apollo mission profile).Some parts were challenging, but nothing a little help from my local lego store couldn't solve.Lego's attention to detail on the Saturn V is absolutely superb.They managed to capture the lego version of the Saturn V just as the real Saturn V was. Everything down to the umbilical connections were captured with unwavering detail.The thing that really caught my eye is the sheer size of the lego Saturn V, which stands 39 inches (3.3ft, 1m) tall when displayed vertically, just as massive as it's real life counterpart. According to unconfirmed sources, the lego model of the Saturn V is 1:110 scale.If you don't have the room to display it vertically, you can display it horizontally with the included horizontal stands.All in all I really enjoyed building the Saturn V and can now enjoy the model that sits in my room.

Even more amazing than I expected!

I was very excited for this set but waited a while and convinced myself I didn't need it only to be surprised with it for Christmas. This is astounding! The level of detail, the intricacy of design, how it all comes together is just incredible. I cannot think of another set in this price range that comes remotely close to the care and attention to detail put into this set.There is a lot here and the assembly is very methodical. Unless you are very attentive to details you will almost certainly need to do some backtracking and need the brick tool it comes with. I've completed the bottom stage so far and had to backtrack a few times, most crucially the shrouds for the engines which need to be folded in before you add the base for the fins. The instructions are ... MoreI was very excited for this set but waited a while and convinced myself I didn't need it only to be surprised with it for Christmas. This is astounding! The level of detail, the intricacy of design, how it all comes together is just incredible. I cannot think of another set in this price range that comes remotely close to the care and attention to detail put into this set.There is a lot here and the assembly is very methodical. Unless you are very attentive to details you will almost certainly need to do some backtracking and need the brick tool it comes with. I've completed the bottom stage so far and had to backtrack a few times, most crucially the shrouds for the engines which need to be folded in before you add the base for the fins. The instructions are meticulous and precise but do leave you to assume radial symmetry for placement of the outer portions.Some of the longer portions of the outside require some dexterity and care to get firmly in place so patience is definitely required. I can't imagine any set even at twice the price matching the satisfaction of completing this one if you love space/rockets.Probably the best value for a LEGO set you will ever find.

Fantastic kit, detailed and weighty model

I happened to see this kit advertised, I can't remember where but when I investigated more and discovered what it was about, I decided to check out the official Lego site.It was a strange feeling, it was like being swept back almost forty years, I remember being fascinated with this rocket as a child, I loved playing with my Lego, it was only limited by your imagination and the amount of Lego I actually had. In those days, the lego components available was limited, hence your imagination came into play. I remember one particular evening, playing with my Lego, I actually built what I now know to be my version of the Saturn V rocket, it took most of my lego to do it, I was absolutely chuffed when my grandfather commented on what I had built, and even more chuffed ... MoreI happened to see this kit advertised, I can't remember where but when I investigated more and discovered what it was about, I decided to check out the official Lego site.It was a strange feeling, it was like being swept back almost forty years, I remember being fascinated with this rocket as a child, I loved playing with my Lego, it was only limited by your imagination and the amount of Lego I actually had. In those days, the lego components available was limited, hence your imagination came into play. I remember one particular evening, playing with my Lego, I actually built what I now know to be my version of the Saturn V rocket, it took most of my lego to do it, I was absolutely chuffed when my grandfather commented on what I had built, and even more chuffed that he recognised what I had created. Adults don't usually share the same level of imagination a small child has at their disposal.The feelings and memories of that night came flooding back, so much in fact, that I decided to purchase the kit from John Lewis.The kit was delivered a few days later, now I'm an adult, other things took priority so it wasn't until a few more days that I was able to start building the kit. I set myself up, comfortable chair, clear work area, extra lighting, and my glasses and most important……. Peace and quiet.Opened the box and familiarised myself with the twelve bags of components and the comprehensive instruction book. Opened bag one, started to build and I was whisked back to that night four decades ago, I was that child again, I was fascinated by the level of detail actually hidden inside this kit. I can see why people have commented on the strength that this kit has. I sat there for about six hours, watching this fantastic model take form. I couldn't leave it alone, I couldn't stop, I was totally enthralled by what I was building. The instructions were clear and concise, but I did make a few mistakes, I sometimes drifted off with my levels of concentration and shifted the model by 90 degrees, so my advice is look at the photographs in the book carefully, use the join lines of components that are paired/mirrored as a datum. They are subtle, but important.When I completed it, I was absolutely overwhelmed by the detail, the height, weight and the size of this model. It was actually fun to build, and therapeutic, for the last six hours, I was back being that child again. No worries, no cares. Admittedly you do need to concentrate a little, but considering the last time I built a Lego kit was a car, part of the technical range from the 1990’s, I don't think I did too bad.I would have no hesitation in recommending this kit to others, it was fun to build, and the finished kit is certainly a conversation piece. Mine will be on display in my study, and probably played with by my nephews when they come to visit, the good thing about Lego is, it can be put back together when it's “ broken” no harm done!!Well done to the team responsible for the original idea sent to Lego and the developments that took place before the final production runs.

Huge step for Lego

When I first read that this set was coming out and after I had seen the pictures of this fantastic ideas set I knew I had to have it! Luckily we had already planned to go to Legoland the week it was released and I was fortunate enough to get one.First of all the box art is stunning! As a huge fan of anything to do with space, NASA etc. I really loved the detail and effort which had gone into the box and I think it really stands out on the shelf!As for the build I wanted to make sure I took my time to really take it all in and enjoy the building process of this incredible model, so I spread it out over the course of 3 days, probably about 7-8 hours of building time.The build is split into different sections and you basically build up and up and up! What ... MoreWhen I first read that this set was coming out and after I had seen the pictures of this fantastic ideas set I knew I had to have it! Luckily we had already planned to go to Legoland the week it was released and I was fortunate enough to get one.First of all the box art is stunning! As a huge fan of anything to do with space, NASA etc. I really loved the detail and effort which had gone into the box and I think it really stands out on the shelf!As for the build I wanted to make sure I took my time to really take it all in and enjoy the building process of this incredible model, so I spread it out over the course of 3 days, probably about 7-8 hours of building time.The build is split into different sections and you basically build up and up and up! What surprised me was just how much goes into building the interior which you don't get to see, so the build is pretty intricate but enjoyable and very interesting at the same time. Each section is very solid, so you don't need to worry too much when holding or moving it, but obviously as you keep adding each section on you do need to be more careful because this is such a tall model, another thing to mention is there are NO stickers in this set, everything is printed which I love because you get such unique and cool printed pieces which any Lego fan would love.Even though I had seen the information on how big this set was, it wasn't until it was complete when it really blew my mind as to how MASSIVE this is, I also own the tower of orthanc and was kind of expecting it to be roughly the same size...nope this is even taller than that! Luckily you get to build 3 little supports for the model which allows you to display it and keep it steady.Finally you get 2 smaller builds to go with it, the first one which is my favourite part of this whole set is s build of the actual moon landing where you get a tiny US flag and 4 astronaut micro (nano) figs which are the same as the ones you get in the Helicarrier, This little build even looks good as it's own tiny display model. The second build represents the landing back on earth with the inflatable in the water which is also a nice touch.One last thing I'd like to mention is how cool the instruction manual is, it's designed like a NASA blueprint and it comes with info about the original fan designer, the Lego design team and the actual mission itself and gives you the different stages of the mission which the Saturn V took, again the manual itself is something which Lego fans would really love to have as it's so cool.I would give this set a huge 5/5 and would recommend this to every Lego fan as it's absolutely amazing, easily one of my favourite Lego sets ever!You won't be disappointed! :)

Impressive build, but few questions remain

I thought about buying this set for years until Lego quit producing it and I thought that was that. It was a great surprise to discover that this was back in stock so I didn't hesitate so much this time and bought it for myself almost instantly.It was a satisfying build as always with bigger Lego sets, but even after finishing this I still have some questions about some parts of its instructions. I wrote about this to the customer service, but I didn't get a reply, so I just mention this here again: what is depicted on page 94 (instruction No. 156), seems to be unachievable since there just isn't space for a brick combination placement like this. Maybe Lego can review that part of the instructions?That step is also the one thing that made me put this set on hold ... MoreI thought about buying this set for years until Lego quit producing it and I thought that was that. It was a great surprise to discover that this was back in stock so I didn't hesitate so much this time and bought it for myself almost instantly.It was a satisfying build as always with bigger Lego sets, but even after finishing this I still have some questions about some parts of its instructions. I wrote about this to the customer service, but I didn't get a reply, so I just mention this here again: what is depicted on page 94 (instruction No. 156), seems to be unachievable since there just isn't space for a brick combination placement like this. Maybe Lego can review that part of the instructions?That step is also the one thing that made me put this set on hold for almost 3 weeks, because due this I encountered problems with instruction No. 236 and 237 on pages 130 and 131, respectively. Sure, I found out that had missed a brick in each of these brick combinations and was trying to place them in a wrong way at first, but even after correcting it, I still am not completely satisfied with the result of the relevant part of the set. Doesn't look as neat and flush with the surface as it should be.Then again, anything isn't loose and it is a great set for displaying. Its length is crazy impressive.

One word: what a landing!

Ok, so this was a set I absolutely wanted. I finally recieved it as a Christmas gift, and what a gift!I cannot express easily all the good points, so lets list them would we?- very large set with maybe one of the best price value (with the Hogwarts Castle). It really towers all the set I have today and even the Hogwarts Castle may blush next to it although it has three times the amount of pieces.- very complex and genuine build that you don't want to mess up with as it can be difficult to put some pieces together once you have a big chunk of reactor in your hand. The "roundness" of the set is well thought and, without any stickers, the printed pieces really stand out. The building looks delicate at first, but once build, it is rather solid build.- very ... MoreOk, so this was a set I absolutely wanted. I finally recieved it as a Christmas gift, and what a gift!I cannot express easily all the good points, so lets list them would we?- very large set with maybe one of the best price value (with the Hogwarts Castle). It really towers all the set I have today and even the Hogwarts Castle may blush next to it although it has three times the amount of pieces.- very complex and genuine build that you don't want to mess up with as it can be difficult to put some pieces together once you have a big chunk of reactor in your hand. The "roundness" of the set is well thought and, without any stickers, the printed pieces really stand out. The building looks delicate at first, but once build, it is rather solid build.- very modulable as the "real one" with the 5 different stages of flight, docking, landing, which makes it also easy to transport, which I did because I wanted to display it at work.- easily displayable on the supports- strong playability but better to play it as a responsible adult or child ;-)- a collector lego that is not to joke with as it is very well designed and, overall, beautiful.- nice building instruction with a little history behind this set.A few bad points, however:- some part of the build are really difficult to maintain in place until you solidify everything later on... and sometimes instructions can be confusing (but when you are excited to build, how can you do?)- the module is a bit fragile to play with

Relive the Apollo Moon Landings as a rocket scientist!

I bought this product to celebrate the 50h anniversary of Apollo Moon landings with my family. The quality of the final product is simply superb. LEGO undoubtedly makes one of the best educational and inspirational sets and this one is an outstanding one.The attention to detail is breath taking. Every little feature such as doors, panels, fins, rocket engines, down to even pipes and handles has been crafted with astounding precision. The pieces fit together beautifully and the fully assembled rocket is impossible to miss!Each part of the rocket fits together precisely and comes apart with ease, this is a perfect set to demonstrate to kids how NASA executed this outstanding mission.Quality of the pieces and overall construction is amazing. it feels real, is ... MoreI bought this product to celebrate the 50h anniversary of Apollo Moon landings with my family. The quality of the final product is simply superb. LEGO undoubtedly makes one of the best educational and inspirational sets and this one is an outstanding one.The attention to detail is breath taking. Every little feature such as doors, panels, fins, rocket engines, down to even pipes and handles has been crafted with astounding precision. The pieces fit together beautifully and the fully assembled rocket is impossible to miss!Each part of the rocket fits together precisely and comes apart with ease, this is a perfect set to demonstrate to kids how NASA executed this outstanding mission.Quality of the pieces and overall construction is amazing. it feels real, is perfectly balanced and symmetrical, definitely a lifelike scale model. The instruction manual is very well written with easy to follow instructions, offering hours of fun and one great masterpiece for display.I would definitely recommend this product to anyone that wants to relive the spirit of space age and inspire the young generation to take up career in science and technology. Putting the set together with family brought me as close to being a rocket scientist as practically possible!

Space History

I was thrilled when The Lego Group decided to reissue this set as I was really disappointed that I had come back to Lego too late to get it. It had been on my "want list" for a while and in the end I decided just to take the plunge and get it. I hadn't realised that it was not just the Saturn V rocket model but also included a small Lunar Landing Craft and the Landing Capsule which are nice little builds in their own right.The rocket itself uses some build techniques that were new to me and highly effective. I was worried in the early stages as it does look as though the exterior is made from tall curved pieces but these are merely internal structure and the outside uses tiling to create the heat panel effect. ALL of the detailing is via pre-printed bricks so NO ... MoreI was thrilled when The Lego Group decided to reissue this set as I was really disappointed that I had come back to Lego too late to get it. It had been on my "want list" for a while and in the end I decided just to take the plunge and get it. I hadn't realised that it was not just the Saturn V rocket model but also included a small Lunar Landing Craft and the Landing Capsule which are nice little builds in their own right.The rocket itself uses some build techniques that were new to me and highly effective. I was worried in the early stages as it does look as though the exterior is made from tall curved pieces but these are merely internal structure and the outside uses tiling to create the heat panel effect. ALL of the detailing is via pre-printed bricks so NO stickers which is definitely a bonus.Build Time on this was extended because I got over confident and did not read the instructions properly so had issues connecting Stage Two in to Stage One and it took me a while to realise I had a 1x4 out of place which was why they would not connect. The connections are really secure and yet allow you to break the rocket apart easily should you wish to display it in stages rather than one huge rocket. When I say huge, I mean HUGE. Yes, the decription tells you it is just under 39.5 inches tall but somehow until you have built it the true size just doesn't compute. There are 3 "braces" included in the build so you can display it on it's side - good job too as that is pretty my only option at the moment.As a final touch can we just talk about the piece count? 1969 - just how cool a detail is that!Number Of Pieces: 1969Approximate Price Per Piece: £0.06Build Time: 5.5 Hours