Fins on the Saturn Rockets

[Michel Van]

Thanks Proponent

would around 931,6 kilogram
removed, it could increase the Payload by 88,72 Kg or 195.59 lb.

Source
Harry o. Ruppe
Die Grenzenlosen Dimension der Raumfahrt 
Band 2 Werkzeuge und Welt
page 147

[truckmen]

...
The fins provided stability for Apollo spacecraft during planned crewed flight abort modes...

This was discussed by Von Braun himself in Sept 1964 Popular Science, page 68:

http://books.google.com/books?id=MiYDAAAAMBAJ&lpg=PP1&pg=PA68#v=onepage&q&f=false

"Suppose a large launch vehicle such as Saturn V has a serious autopilot failure at the most critical part of its ascent through the atmosphere...if high inherent aerodynamic instability assisted in rapidly increasing the angle of attack, structural overload might break up the rocket before the astronauts in the Apollo Command Module, triggering their escape rocket, could put a safe distance between themselves and the ensuing fireball in the sky...In Saturn V...the fins reduce the aerodynamic instability enough to make sure that the astronauts can safely abort"

...and, as a side note, I just learned a little bit about how to twist strips of wood into artistic shapes using liquid ammonia. Amazing what you can learn from the forum. :-)

[AS_501]

Somewhere and long ago I read that the Saturn V fins were not really necessary, but were installed to appease Von Braun.  But maybe that was fake news of the day!

[Hog]

...
The fins provided stability for Apollo spacecraft during planned crewed flight abort modes...

This was discussed by Von Braun himself in Sept 1964 Popular Science, page 68:

http://books.google.com/books?id=MiYDAAAAMBAJ&lpg=PP1&pg=PA68#v=onepage&q&f=false

"Suppose a large launch vehicle such as Saturn V has a serious autopilot failure at the most critical part of its ascent through the atmosphere...if high inherent aerodynamic instability assisted in rapidly increasing the angle of attack, structural overload might break up the rocket before the astronauts in the Apollo Command Module, triggering their escape rocket, could put a safe distance between themselves and the ensuing fireball in the sky...In Saturn V...the fins reduce the aerodynamic instability enough to make sure that the astronauts can safely abort"

...and, as a side note, I just learned a little bit about how to twist strips of wood into artistic shapes using liquid ammonia. Amazing what you can learn from the forum. :-)

It IS amazing what can be learned from the vast knowledge base here at NASASpaceFlight.com, besides spaceflight.  I've always been a proponent of an off topic forum, even more so during the current international pandemic.