Can you buy ready made rockets

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jim1174

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A while back I was Looking at an online hobby store and I found a Lot of launch pads and remote controls but no rockets. Can you buy ready made rockets or are you supposed to make them your self ? Also what are some good places online to buy Rockets and stuff?
 
A while back I was Looking at an online hobby store and I found a Lot of launch pads and remote controls but no rockets. Can you buy ready made rockets or are you supposed to make them your self ? Also what are some good places online to buy Rockets and stuff?

As others said, there are some that are fully built. They’re called RTF, which means Ready To Fly. Most rockets are built from kits that include instructions and all the parts ready to go. That’s a good way to learn the basics.
Since you’re in the Bay Area you might want to come to one of the largest annual rocket launches there is, LDRS, which will be held next weekend at Helm, California. For more information go to https://ldrs37.org.
There will be vendors there with many different kits of all sizes, from large to small.
Welcome to rocketry!
 
Most Hobby Lobby stores sell Estes kits and you can get a 40% off coupon from their website to use in the store. For components, Balsa Machining is one of my favorite online vendors. There are also two local clubs, LUNAR and SARG. LUNAR launches from low to high power, but their season is over and isn't scheduled to start again until November. SARG launches in the Sacramento area, and has one more tentative launch scheduled this month, on the 26th.

https://www.hobbylobby.com/

https://www.balsamachining.com/#

https://lunar.org/

https://www.sargrocket.org/
 
I find it strange that an online hobby store would sell launch pads and controllers but no kits.

Anyway, if you buy something that requires building, follow the directions, and come back here with questions.
 
Like Steve said, rockets described as RTF are Ready to Fly (you might have to tie on the parachute, but they are pretty much ready). Rockets that are E2X are Easy to Assemble (X-semble?), which means you will have to glue some parts together, but you won’t need to paint the rocket. You can have one of those ready to go in a few hours, and give it a day for the glue to cure. From there, they go up in the amount of work and skill required, and most kits are labeled with Skill Level 1, or 2 or 3, etc. These kinds of kits are just parts — tubes, fins, nose ones, centering rings, motor mount tubes, parachutes, etc. You need to measure and mark the tubes, glue things together in the right way, paint the rocket, etc. You may need to cut a few things or sand some parts. It’s easy to learn, but it takes some time and effort. Some people really enjoy the building process.
 
Wildman, Madcow, PML, and Apogee rockets all have kits you can assemble. CS rocketry actually sells Loki motors if you want to try high power. In the Wildman Kits expect to supply your own chutes and shock cord items. Onebadhawk is a good shock cord vendor. Featherweight altimeters has a Raven altimeter highly recommend for multistage rockets. Apogee will have nearly everything. Aerotech and CTI are other wonderful motor vendors when you get tired of Estes motors. Rocketpoxy G5000, Hydrosol, and Contronics are good epoxy brands for high power. You can view those kits as some minor sanding and fitment required plus an open rocket sim then final assembly. Like an ARF in model airplane terms. Min diameter has jigs and you glue the fins to exterior of tube. Then glue the 1010 or 1515 rail guides on and glue the shock cord to nose and to body tube.

Nevermind your in CA. You can't own a Loki motor there. It's illegal or something in that state.
 
Wildman, Madcow, PML, and Apogee rockets all have kits you can assemble. CS rocketry actually sells Loki motors if you want to try high power. In the Wildman Kits expect to supply your own chutes and shock cord items. Onebadhawk is a good shock cord vendor. Featherweight altimeters has a Raven altimeter highly recommend for multistage rockets. Apogee will have nearly everything. Aerotech and CTI are other wonderful motor vendors when you get tired of Estes motors. Rocketpoxy G5000, Hydrosol, and Contronics are good epoxy brands for high power. You can view those kits as some minor sanding and fitment required plus an open rocket sim then final assembly. Like an ARF in model airplane terms. Min diameter has jigs and you glue the fins to exterior of tube. Then glue the 1010 or 1515 rail guides on and glue the shock cord to nose and to body tube.

Nevermind your in CA. You can't own a Loki motor there. It's illegal or something in that state.

Too much, Grasshopper. [emoji4]
 
I agree. He is at least a few weeks away from high power. :wink:

Maybe he can find a ready made HPR rocket!

I dont know if they still do it, but Aerotech was selling fully assembled kits for awhile. You could by a fully assembled G-Force! That always seemed to me like a lot of rocket just to hand someone who maybe had never built or even flown a rocket before.
 
If you go to Hobby Lobby, you can get the 40% off coupon good for one non sale item on your cell phone.

Google

hobby lobby 40% off coupon

Just mag up the coupon on your screen and show it to check out person.
 
A while back I was Looking at an online hobby store and I found a Lot of launch pads and remote controls but no rockets. Can you buy ready made rockets or are you supposed to make them your self ? Also what are some good places online to buy Rockets and stuff?

Do you want to buy a ready made rocket? If so, what are you looking for? I have a Hurricane 38 built but never flown, but that is jumping straight into bigger motors.
You will be missing out on a lot of the fun, the build. But some folks don't like building them I suppose.
Go to Hobby Lobby with the 40% off coupon and get a tandem launch set, something like that. Comes with a pad, controller and two rockets. One is E2X and the other is level 1 or 2, if memory serves. Good way to get started.
 
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