1469 Tandem X Rocket-Building Kit, Beginner Flying-Rocket Model Kit for Ages 10+, Includes Launch Pad and Controller

Part of the reason I give this product 5 stars is nostalgia. As a kid I built and flew model rockets just like these. But I couldn’t afford the cool launch pad and rod, so I used a block of wood and a coat-hanger that I had laboriously straightened. Worked great, and tons of fun! The other part of the 5 star review is heart strings. These many years later when, my 8 yo son sat on Santa’s lap, the rotund old elf asked him what one present he would like to get from Santa. My son looked a little nonplussed to have to come up with ONE thing, but he gamely said, “I’d like a model rocket, just like my dad had when he was a kid.” Seriously? There was zero chance he wasn’t getting this for Christmas! A few folks have given this set less than stellar reviews, mostly based on misunderstanding what they were getting. Model rockets are not toys and they are not preassembled. Model rockets are actual functional rockets. They require basic model building skills (measuring, cutting, gluing, and painting), and they require engines to launch. This is not a negative, part of the joy of this hobby comes with the building. Here is a list of basic items you’ll need in addition to this kit to build and fly your rockets: 1) Good quality white glue 2) Plastic cement (the stinky kind) Cement Glue Value Pack Testors 2-7/8 fl oz tubes 3) Paint. Spray paint works well for solid colors, but enamel paint is great for detailing Testors Promotional Enamel Paint Set 4) Brushes Testors Nylon Paint Brush, Set of 3 5) Masking tape 6) Fine sand paper 7) Razor knife 8) 4 AA batteries 9) Fire resistant wadding Estes 2274 Recovery Wadding 10) 2 sets of engines As model rockets go, these are actually very easy to assemble. Fins are usually the hardest part because you really have to be perfect in their alignment, but not on these rockets. The larger “Amazon” rocket has an injection molded fin assembly that just needs to be glued into the body tube. The smaller “Crossfire” rocket has balsa wood fins (*sniff* just like the old days), except these have been laser pre-cut for you. Even the body tube is pre-cut to accept the fins. Hard to go wrong. Quick primer on engines. They mostly come in 3-packs. Each engine is single use, then dispose of. They are real rocket engines and they burn pre-loaded solid fuel. The designation (example C6-5) tells you everything you need to know about the engine thrust profile. “B” engines are twice as powerful as “A” engines, and are half as powerful as “C” engines. The first number gives the average thrust (bigger is faster), and second number gives the delay in seconds before the ejection charge pops the chute. Engines come with the required igniters, but not the wadding. The flame resistant wadding protects the plastic chute from the heat of the ejection charge. Forget the wadding and your chute may melt, or even burn; not a useful recovery strategy! In a pinch you can get away with just using a regular tissue; it might smoke a bit as it falls, but will extinguish before reaching the ground. As a responsible adult trying to set a good example for my child, I bought the flame resistant stuff. I used B4-2 engines in the Crossfire rocket, and C6-7 engines in the Amazon rocket. The B4-2s were perfect, but the C6-7s have too long a delay and gave us a heart attack as the Amazon rocket turned over and looked like it planned to become a lawn-dart - before the chute eventually deployed! C6-5s would be a better choice here. My son loved launching these rockets! He was ecstatic when he almost caught the Crossfire rocket in mid-air as it was returning to earth. A video of his very first launch is attached. This little father/son rocket set is most highly recommended. Edit: I changed my title to make it clear that this is NOT a boy's toy, it is not scary, and it is not rough and tough. Any kid with an interest in engineering, or science, or just going fast and high, would probably love this product. Edit2: Youtube video of my son showing his mom how to use the launch controller and launch her very first rocket. Very exciting for the whole family! https://youtu.be/YOO3cI2NWvM

You won't get the Porta-Pad II and Electron Beam controller as shown in the picture, you'll get the Astron II pad and controller, which, according to the Estes website, is the newest launch set in their line-up. Doesn't really matter one way or another, unless you're purchasing batteries specifically for this set prior to arrival. The Astron II controller uses a 9V battery instead of the 4AA batteries that the product description tells you that you need. Also, you don't really need "plastic model cement," I use Loctite Control Gel super glue and it works great. I got this kit getting back into rockets after about a 25 year break. Didn't see the point in getting one rocket with a launch set when I could get two rockets for a couple of dollars more. I was really expecting to like the Crossfire more than the Amazon, because faster and higher is always better with rockets, right? Wrong. I built the Amazon first, since I'm a crawl before you walk guy. Used the super glue for everything except the shock-cord-to-body-tube attachment. Used white glue for that. Total building/decorating time was about half an hour, checking the instructions constantly to see what I was supposed to be doing. This is my favorite of the two in the set. It's big, it's easy to follow as it accelerates, and it's easy to track on the way down. After the last launch, I decided that I need to cut a hole in the parachute to speed decent, because I have varying wind layers where I live. I recommend the C6-3 engines over the C6-5 just because I don't really like watching my rockets nose dive for several seconds before the recovery system deploys, shortly after apogee makes me much happier. The Crossfire is a fun rocket. It goes high, fast, which is super cool. However, I've found that trying to go too high, too fast is a pain in the feet. I won't launch this rocket with anything more powerful than a B engine, because on every C launch it goes about 100' in the air and then careens to the side at about a 35 degree angle and I end up hiking forever to get to it. Which indicates to me that maybe C engines are too powerful for the stability level of the rocket. Every A engine and B engine launch has been straight as an arrow in the vertical realm, and I haven't gone more than about 50 feet to recover it. As for the launch system, it's decent and does what it's supposed to do. I was hoping that the two-piece launch rod was a screw together contraption that I could take apart for transportation and storage. It's not. It's held together with a roll pin, so you hammer it together and it doesn't come apart with any sort of ease. Which wouldn't be so bad if the joint didn't leave an uneven surface for a launch lug to catch on. I replaced mine with a 1/8" x 36" music wire. When I get something that needs the "Maxi-Rod" I'll go to my nearest home center and get a 3/16" metal rod for 1/4 the price of the Estes Maxi-Rod and it won't have a lip on it. Update 9/9/13: So I'm thinking that I may have gotten a bum set of C6-5 engines the first time. I had purchased two 3-packs of them, seperately for the different rockets. After the second time of chasing down the Crossfire I stopped using the C6-5s, leaving me with a leftover. Went out to launch the Amazon and lose some mini rockets and used the leftover engine. The Amazon went about 50' up then careened off creating a long walk for me. Intrigued, I decided to launch the Crossfire on one again the next week. The Crossfire on a C6-5 is impressive, as long as it's a good engine. Flight was beautifully straight, nearly out of sight. Make sure there's no wind and it's fun on C engines, I still stick to B engines, though, as I find them more fun with the better chance of recovery. As for the launch pad, apparently it's not designed for 3\16" rods. I got one and tried to install it to no avail. I ended up drilling out the rod holder about half way through. That way I can secure a bigger rod in the top part of the holder, and still have enough to hold the smaller rod.

Got this set for my son's 12 birthday. Thought it would be a fun project together. We decided to do the smaller white one first and started a Saturday afternoon. An hour into it he lost interest and I grow a bit frustrated with the slow process. Between the instructions and the little fragile balsa parts, cardboard tubes, straws and cutting just the right cuts and making sure everything is placed correctly, it was a 3+ hour project. The next day we spend another 1-2 hours on the paint and decals and where finally ready for the fun part. It worked great, but a word of caution, start with an A or B engine with a short burn, unless you have unlimited space. We started small and everything was fine, but on the 3 or 4th flight we got a bit bolder and tried a more power engine with a longer burn. It blasted out of sight and we didn't see it until the parachute opened. Even with a very light wind it still ended up +1/2 mile away in a different neighborhood (best estimate as we never found it). Fast forward 6 weeks. During the summer vacation, my son felt ready to try to build one himself. Less than two hours later he had the bigger black rocket completed and ready to launch. The difference is that the bigger rocket consists of just a few plastic pieces that are simple to glue together and they fit nicely and intuitively. Even the engine mount is simple and easy to operate. He had a great time building it and was proud to have done it himself. We went to fire it and it flew and work well. Again, the difference between the engines is surprisingly big. The smaller A engine was barely able to lift the larger rocket. The B engine worked well, but, of course, we had to try the larger C engine. Same result as the first rocket. Great flight but it went so high and came down so slow that we never recovered it (even a very light wind will carry it far!) So, the headline is also the bottomline. The little rocket is great if you really enjoy the building process itself and the intricate work. The larger is great if you want to fire rockets. My son actually build a second of the larger rockets and did it, by himself, in less than 45 minutes the second time around.

The Estes 1469 Tandem X Rocket Launch Set has been an absolute hit for my son and his grandfather! This prebuilt beginner rocket set is perfect for bonding over a fun STEM activity. The set comes with everything needed, including a launch pad system, making it easy to set up and use right out of the box. The rockets are well-made and durable, with simple assembly that’s perfect for beginners. Watching them launch is thrilling, and it’s so exciting to see kids (and adults!) learn about aerodynamics and basic physics in a hands-on way. The instructions are clear and easy to follow, which made the experience smooth and enjoyable for both generations. This set provides hours of educational entertainment and is a wonderful way to encourage curiosity, learning, and family time outdoors. It’s suitable for ages 10+, but adults will enjoy it just as much as the kids.

Great starter kit for the price, all you need is engines and a cup of coffee. 👍

Im not sure what some of these other "reviewers" are talking about. My kit was undamage, and factory sealed. I got what was on the box. Estes Tandem launch set, with the Crossfire and all black Amazon rockets. Heads up to these people claiming bait and switch, send it back. That's the beauty of Amazon. Simple build for both rockets, the black one is very easy, you just need some fast set glue for the fins and engine compartment. It also works for joining the tubes as well. The crossfire requires a bit more building, measuring etc. If you cant build this rocket, I suggest looking for another hobby. Its a great kit, and decent price considering it comes with the launch pad and controller. There is also some review by a guy named Ryan, who claims the crossfire does not have slots for the fins. This is not the case, there a definitely cut outs for the fins. Also feel free to repaint these rocket however you want. The depicted color schemes are just a suggestion, and both can be easily custom painted to whatever scheme you like. Cheers!

My 5 year old boy's face lit up unbelievably when he opened the package which contained this kit. This is pretty advanced for a child this age, but we broke it up into a couple of days and I did much of the menial labor. He still learned quite a bit from this and it was an incredible bonding experience that I'm sure you'll treasure forever as well. If I had to do it again, here's what I'd do differently: Have glue ready to go. Sure, I had wood glue (Elmers is fine) down in the basement, but no plastic model glue for the larger, black rocket which had plastic stabilizer fins and motor mount. Sandpaper: The smaller rocket uses balsa stabilizer fins and need to be sanded. The instructions show to taper the leading edges, but you should spend the extra time sanding the flat surfaces so the paint job you'll give it looks better. 120 grit or higher should be fine. This was my boy's first rocket. The last one I had built was 10 years ago with his older sisters. We should have started with the larger black rocket first, since it's easier. Its parts are plastic and snap/glue together and it needs no paint. The smaller rocket's pieces need to be snapped/cut out of the sheets, sanded, painted, etc. The motor mount assembly requires measuring, marking and carefully reading the instructions to get it built correctly. The rate at which the black rocket comes together is faster, which makes it easier to hold the attention of a young child. The price of engines is astronomical these days. The best bang for the buck (that I found) is the bulk pack (24) of engines/igniters/wadding for roughly $50 and will provide consumables for several excursions. The bulk pack I had included a "C" engine by mistake (can't wait to stuff that into one of these rockets!). The "B" engines really send the small rocket up there, so watch your wind speed and direction and compensate with your launch angle. Find a large, open space for this one! The larger rocket, could take a "C" engine since it's heavier. It gets up 250 feet or so with the "B". 5 stars for a great product! Bring a video camera so you can relive this over and over as I do. I put a video on youtube about this. Since links aren't allowed, search for "Jack's Introduction To Model Rocketry" if you want to see this product in action.

Rockets are pretty good! Make sure you check your launch controller when you first get it. I checked ours the day before our launch trip to the desert and the launch controller was dead. I had to take it apart and fix some of the internals. There was a little metal clip in there that makes contact with the armed lamp and is one side of the safety pin interlock. The clip was bent in a way that it did not make contact with the lamp PCB and did not get close enough to make contact with the interlock pin when inserted. Honestly, pretty much junk. If they'd have wired in a microswitch or something for the safety pin to actuate, it'd be far more reliable.

Product was excellent but packing was not good

Great kit to start with

Requiert un assemblage par un adulte. Il faut une bonne colle. Pour le décollage, d'autres achats sont requis.

This turned out to be the best gift. Going to be a whole family affair. Dad, brother, uncles and cousins are all scheduling time to enjoy. Plus they all jumped in to get their own so they can compete. Never seen a group of grown men and teenagers so excited!

NICE ROCKET EASY TO PUT IT TOGHETER KIDS LOVE IT AND I LIKE IT TOO