Father and Son

The Rocketry Forum

Help Support The Rocketry Forum:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.

GeorgiaCrawler

New Member
Joined
Sep 23, 2015
Messages
1
Reaction score
0
I'm new here so here is a little history. When I was in college I worked at a Hobby store where I became interested in model rocketry. Since I lived in PA there wasn't really a lot of good place to launch and since this was well before the internet clubs were impossible to find. I build about 30 estes kits and had a blast but when I was done with college (I left the hobby store) other things became more important, so I left the hobby. A few years ago I was out shopping for Christmas gifts and found myself in a hobby shop once more. I purchased a rocket kit and gave it to my son (he was 6...). We (I) built the rocket and launched it at the local football field. Even with the relatively small rocket the wind took it and it got caught in a tree. My son thought it was the coolest thing ever but with the tight launching constraints, we never fired again.

Now my son is 12 and while asking him what he wanted for his birthday he mentioned rockets. I quickly dismissed this due to the issues we had before but it stayed in the back of my mind. I did an internet search and found a local club so I think we are going to get into the hobby. The next launch is on October 10th and I was hoping to take my son to watch. With that all said, what should I look for in a starter rocket? Should I go with a estes kit or should I go with something a little more advanced that will last us a long time?

I appreciate any help.

Thanks

Shane
 
My kids are a bit younger at 7 and 9 but the favourite rocket at most launches is still an Estes snitch. Enjoy LPR and work your way up as you feel the urge. Surf the net with him and let him go through Apogee rocketry's website, Estes website and erockets.biz . from that you should get a good idea of where he would like to head and after a few kits you can start looking to some of the aerotech, wildman etc kits which will allow you both to increase your skills and engine range.
Having said that I got my TRA L1 using an Estes Leviathan and many others have used the Estes pro series kits to progress to MPR.
I am now building 3 Big Daddy kits with my boys so we can try to drag race them at an upcoming launch.
There is heaps of options out there now and the option to scratchbuild is also there, but to keep kids interested I find it best to involve them as much as possible in kit choice.
 
Welcome Shane. Rocketry is a fabulous hobby to share with son or daughter.

Estes kits are fine for any introduction to rocketry. You'll find a wide selection on their website and a clearance sale through the end of the month. If you want something on the "bigger" side Estes now has a Pro Series that utilize 29mm motors like the last three on this page: https://www.estesrockets.com/clearance?p=3. Beyond Estes another typical early choice would be Aerotech, LOC-Precision or Binder Design kits which tend to use marginally thicker body tubes and fin stock. Saying that, they are quite a step up in price, so you may want to stay with the Pro Series for a while.
 
IMHO - Your son showed great interest when you two did that first launch and even though it wasn't a good ending, it's telling that he thought "it was the coolest thing ever" and even remembered it and asked for it 6 years later. If I were you, I'd spend everything I could afford to support that interest and share that time with him...keeping in mind that he'll turn teenager soon and at that age many kids suddenly think it's not cool to hang with parents. Enjoy that time when they're young since it'll be past before you know it. Just my :2:

I'd also suggest getting the Estes Tamdem-X starter kit (can find for about $20-$25 on Amazon or a chain craft store like Hobby Lobby or Michaels discounted with a coupon). I has an easy to build large Amazon with plastic fins, a small and cool looking balsa fin Crossfire and a launching base. This was the set that got me started about 2 years ago and has pretty good reviews. I love that it gives you a taste of easy, harder, big and small.
Link on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B002VLP67S/?tag=skimlinks_replacement-20

Also if at first you don't succeed, learn and launch again! Best luck to you and your son and may all your launches be good ones! :)
 
Last edited by a moderator:
I did the same thing with my children about 10 years ago.

I would get him an Estes rocket, an "Almost Ready to Fly" or one that is simple. I would go with a body tube size about 1.33 inch. A B6-4 is a good, all-around motor for rockets of this size. Remember to get some wadding. Baby power (the kind with talc, not corn starch) is good to put on the chute, and can make a nice "cloud" when the nose cone pops if you put a bunch in.

Here is a snippet from the 2014 Estes catalog of what I'm thinking of:

Estes.Almost.RTJ.2014.jpg

Here is a link for the .pdf file of the Estes 2015 catalog:

https://www.estesrockets.com/media//catalogs/Estes_2015_Catalog.pdf

Most rocket guys are friendly and helpful, which is one of the reasons I like the hobby. Tell that this is your first time to a club launch and that you are not too sure what you need to do. They will guide you and what the process is.

Welcome to the forum and enjoy the ride!

Greg
 
Welcome! And word to the wise: although clubs usually have big fields, people still lose kits there. The secret is not so much what rocket to get as it is what motor to use. For low power, use streamer recovery instead of a parachute. Don't use a C engine unless it is a really low-wind day. Fly smart, and any rocket will last years.

BTW, there are some great low power vendors out there besides Estes. Estes is like McDonalds--they're everywhere, and you always know what you're going to get. But shop around for Quest, Flis Kits, Dr. Zooch, Sirius, Pemberton Technologies, Balsa Machining and others.

Good luck, and most importantly, ENJOY!
 
I did an internet search and found a local club so I think we are going to get into the hobby. The next launch is on October 10th and I was hoping to take my son to watch. With that all said, what should I look for in a starter rocket? Should I go with a estes kit or should I go with something a little more advanced that will last us a long time?
I appreciate any help.
Thanks
Shane

Club launches are great and I look forward to them. It's much more fun to fly with others.
While some are suggesting MPR, I'd start smaller and then have something bigger to work up to.
You mentioned something more advanced that could last longer.
For longevity, I'd shy away from thinner tubes (BT-20 and BT-50 models) and get something
in the BT-55 or 60 size. Those tubes are much thicker and will last longer.
A 24mm (BT-50) diameter engine mount will take both black powder and composite engines when you are ready.
 
Welcome back to the hobby and TRF! I'm a 35 year old newcomer to this hobby myself. A few months ago I purchased the Estes Silver Arrow launch set. I never would've imagined the beast it would unleash. I've worked my way up into mid power and even have a high power kit built, but won't launch it until next year. The great thing about this hobby is that you can go as far, as fast and as high as you (or your budget) want. Today it's too breezy for any mid power stuff in the field I fly, but I'll still have a blast launching low powered kits on B and C motors. Grab that low powered rocket bull by the horns, master it, and move up from there. And have fun with your son!
 
In 2012, I bought an Estes Silver Arrow Starter Set. Flew it at a sports field. Let the kids push the button and chase the rocket. I had never heard of the NAR, Tripoli, or high power. I thought a 29mm F was the biggest motor you could get. Today I am Level 2 and flying 54mm motors. Who'da thunk it?
 
Welcome aboard. I'm relatively new here, too. My 9-year-old daughter attended a rocket camp last summer, so I started by helping her. She had an Estes Wizard that needed some fixing. We also lost some rockets to the rocket easting trees, but we tried not to get too discouraged and found a bigger field. My daughter enjoys shooting them off, but doesn't have a lot of patience with building them, so I usually do the boring stuff like sanding or filling balsa. It sounds as if you have quite a bit of experience, but get something you think your son would be able to build with a little help.

I also let my daughter look through the Estes catalogue, and pick some rockets to build together--the biggest was the Partizon--and sure, maybe the paint has some runs or the fins are a bit crooked, but they fly fine and we have fun.

IMG_2937.jpg
 
Fun is the name of the game. No two people approach rocketry the same way. Some love to spend hours and hours getting the perfect paint job; some love scratch-building; some love huge rockets, others smaller minimum diameter. Do what makes you happy!

My kids are 6 and 4, and just ready for rocket building yet. But I'd like to get them some RTF for Christmas.
 
Back
Top