Estes 2019 Catalog Soon!

[dpower]

I suppose that at almost 69 I'm considered by most to be an old f**t, but I've now been model making in all it's various forms since 1957.

Oh the joy of carefully broken razor blades and the scars on both my fingers and Mother's kitchen table....and the smell of dope (paint type) and diesel fumes transport me back over 60 years.
But now, relishing a new direction, I've finished a Mercury Redstone, Bullpup, Nike X, and almost finished an Airborne Surveillance Missile.

Just awaiting some motors and wadding to arrive and it might just be all cisterns go, it'll be a nice change from RC Aircraft , boats, helicopters, and not forgetting my Amateur Radio.

73 to all

Bill

Welcome (back?) to the hobby, and TRF Bill. There are a lot of us old f**rts here, and a wide variety of ages, which is great. While I mostly prefer builder's kits, I still occasionally build an E2X when I just need to fly something! Estes has been getting better ever since the end of the Barry days, and hope they continue to bring us new complex kits as well as stuff to bring kids into the hobby, *and* stay profitable for the long haul.

-Paul
(Partial to 42, but 73 is pretty cool).

 

[Swany]

Estes just uploaded the 2019 catalog on their website:
https://estesrockets.com/wp-content/uploads/Catalogs/Estes_2019_Catalog.pdf
Much improved layout compared to the last several years IMHO. There are some very cool additions, including a two-stage Big Bertha !

 

[Rockyt]

A couple of things I noticed, I like the Beginner, intermediate,etc. tag being pobvious, and not level 1, etc. makes it a very easy read, but I am amazed at the number of ARF or RTF models they sell.

In addition, I am a bit perplexed by them saying grades 5-8 are 'younger kids' and they need a plastic fin can because they're "not quite ready for the challenge of gluing on individual fins yet." I remember doing just this, as a science assignment in 8th grader and my son has been doing this since he was 6. I understand children vary wildly in skills, but to make such a blanket statement as they do on page 43 seems almost...demeaning.

The double ringer does look very interesting though...I'd just need a different paint job.

 

[blueapplepaste]

I think the E2X kits are great. My first launch set had plastic one piece fins (this was 25 years ago, but would be considered E2X today) and it got me hooked. Mostly because it made assembly easy and foolproof. I remember when I built my first "real" kit, it was a disaster. The fins weren't on straight, the finishing job was sub par, and it flew like crap because of that.

Looking back a lot of it was because I just didn't know what I was doing and was impatient as an 11 year old. There was no internet to look up tips/tricks/techniques. Had my first kit been a "real" kit, I would have built it, launched it, and then trashed it and probably never touched the hobby again as it would have been a subpar experience.

Plus lots of kids may not have access to areas to sand, paint, etc. The E2X kits absolutely have a place in the hobby.