mh9162013
Well-Known Member
Perhaps SpaceX promised to purchase a minimum number of units ensuring that Estes would at least recover a significant portion their development costs.
Estes Space X Falcon 9 advertisement w/price
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OC-Patrick
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no kidding! Ususally Estes will not charge shipping if you buy $50 or more, but my cart still showed the $23 shipping charge. What's up with that?
I would say the Shuttles were equivalent to the Dragon Crew capsule. The Falcon 9 booster would be the launch vehicle.
Granted, the Shuttles had the three engines fed by the external tank but once that was jettisoned, the ships were little more than big capsules that could not launch on their own.
Scott_650
Well-Known Member
Some very diplomatic responses to this post - for another short thread hijack I’d add that from a practical and fiscal viewpoint calling the STS “reusable” would be a stretch plus most of the launch components - SRBs and external tank - never achieved even salvage status much less becoming reusable. And the Orbiter cost a bit more per usable cubic divided by service life than the Dragon does…
Now back to your regularly scheduled critique of the Estes #2161 RTF Falcon 9…
Unless I'm totally confused here... the SRB's were recovered from the ocean and reused after STS flights.
Yes, but STS taught NASA that reloading large SRB cases isn't really practical, which is why SLS isn't bothering with reusable SRB's. I imagine they kept doing it with STS until the end of the program for political reasons.
Totally agreed there. I was just responding to the statement about them not being salvaged or refused.
Back to the model: some nice closeup images on SpaceX's page for the model: https://shop.spacex.com/collections/featured-products/products/spacex-f9-model
Clearly the details are finer than those on the 2160 Saturn V. I've not looked at the SLS model closely enough to judge that one.
Clearly the details are finer than those on the 2160 Saturn V. I've not looked at the SLS model closely enough to judge that one.
I'm not buying one, but those pictures really do start to justify the price for a collectors item.
OC-Patrick
Well-Known Member
So I contacted Estes customer service in regards to the shipping of this rocket, this is their reply:
Thank You for contacting Estes!
While it would normally be Free Shipping over $50, to protect the SpaceX Falcon 9 Estes took extra care in the shipping/ packaging to ensure it arrives undamaged, and this required us to charge for the shipping of that rocket.
Which I really don't have a problem with, but an additional $23 to protect a certain product? Don't they take care with all their items they ship anyways?
I'm actually on the fence on purchasing this directly from Estes, I don't know if AC Supply will be able to stock this. I'm having FOMO (fear of missing out). It's wait and see as to what others say about it when they receive theirs.
Didn't Estes previously say that it will only be available direct from them (and SpaceX)?
Scott_650
Well-Known Member
Scuttlebutt says that Estes and SpaceX will be the exclusive sources for the #2161 F9. Incidentally, the estimated shipping from SpaceX is roughly $5 less than from Estes.
Scott_650
Well-Known Member
You are correct - I tend to be wordy and instead of going on even more I wasn’t clear in my response. NASA did recover and reuse SRB sections - but as said by others it’s unclear whether it made economic sense.
OC-Patrick
Well-Known Member
yes - but is costs $0.01 more at $150 on the Spacex site. you win some you lose some...
Yeah….on both counts. That was why I posted the link. It does look good.
mh9162013
Well-Known Member
I am confident that if you buy this as a collector's piece, you will not lose money on your purchase. In other words, if you buy it now for $175-ish, there will be a time in the future where you can sell it and get all your money back, even after factoring for inflation.
I'm also confident that you won't just break even, but you'll make a few bucks, too. However, for $175, I can get a lot of enjoyment RIGHT NOW with other hobby-related purchases, such as model rocketry kits and supplies. I also believe that this enjoyment I can get right now will probably be worth more than w/e investment profit I make by purchasing this model.
But to each their own.
I've had a "display piece" of the Falcon 9/Dragon rocket for the past two years. Wider and longer than the Estes product, it flies on 24mm instead of 18 mm motors. Through the wall permanently mounted clear plastic fins. Free plans including 3D files and decal artwork are here:
https://www.apogeerockets.com/Falcon-9-Crew-Dragon-PlanI supplemented with decals for the Dragon capsule from a third party vendor. Also I didn't have a 3D printer so I purchased the printed parts from another vendor. Wish I could remember their names. I think the decal vendor had "Spaceport" in the name.
As for "highly detailed"?
I'll let you guys decide:
Estes SpaceX:
Plan built:
![1104220944[1].jpg](https://cdn.imagearchive.com/rocketryforum/data/attachments/461/461686-0fa45c14e4b7ca68d88e86618835d8fc.jpg "1104220944[1].jpg")
Estes/SpaceX:
Plan built:
![1104220945[1].jpg](https://cdn.imagearchive.com/rocketryforum/data/attachments/461/461693-d1f345fe5a1873ddbd0cee97fd41b2cd.jpg "1104220945[1].jpg")
The Estes model does have the tunnels that the plan does not, however.
I think I spent about $50-60 on parts for this.
If you have your own 3D printer then cut that in half.
Cheers.
https://www.apogeerockets.com/Falcon-9-Crew-Dragon-PlanI supplemented with decals for the Dragon capsule from a third party vendor. Also I didn't have a 3D printer so I purchased the printed parts from another vendor. Wish I could remember their names. I think the decal vendor had "Spaceport" in the name.
As for "highly detailed"?
I'll let you guys decide:
Estes SpaceX:
Plan built:
Estes/SpaceX:
Plan built:
The Estes model does have the tunnels that the plan does not, however.
I think I spent about $50-60 on parts for this.
If you have your own 3D printer then cut that in half.
Cheers.
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As an Este distributor, I can confirm we will not be able to get these. They are estes and space x exclusive products per a license agreement.
I will pass on this one. It will be in excess of $250 here, plus postage on top of that which I would guess at another $70 or more.
DEN
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I would be a little nervous flying a $+200 CAD rocket this nice and detailed. Wouldn't want it scuffed or damaged. I know the nose cones bang against the body during ejection charge chute deployment at times which could damage the paint. Not to mention the other possibility's for damage. At this price getting 2 (one for static display and one to fly) is not an affordable option.
Im thinking if the price point is too high and they dont sell well they may lower the price in the future to move unsold inventory.
Im thinking if the price point is too high and they dont sell well they may lower the price in the future to move unsold inventory.
astronwolf
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LOL you got that right. No chance of getting pre-release samples mailed to you from Ellis if you point out that the Emperor is, err... naked.
Oooohh but the box is so pretty!
I enjoyed two flights of the RTF Saturn V. The heart pounding, under powered, looping flight threatened to dash my $50 investment into plastic dust. I haven't flown it again. It's about what you'd expect for a heavy, hunk of plastic on an Estes C motor. No surprises here. Fine for some folks. But it's not the sort of model rocketry experience for me.
Estes came out with similar models - the RTF SLS and the RTF Blue Origin. I passed. I already knew what I'd be getting, and for the money, neither of those two RTF scale rockets I see as a bargain. It's just not something that will enhance the model rocketry experience for me. And I am not really a collector.
So now... with great fanfare, pre-release reviews, and endorsements from rocketry Illuminati, we now have the Falcon 9. For an unprecedented price of (gasp) $149.99. This is, afterall, an RTF rocket created for the most discerning rocketeer who appreciates quality. I apologize for not keeping a straight face. As far as I can tell, and as far as anyone has been able to tell, it's basically an RTF Saturn V/SLS/Blue Origin in ultra-slick packaging. At least price it an honest $150.00 fer cryin out loud.
Perhaps folks are unaware that there is a fairly decent market for SpaceX 'memorabilia'. A kit that is sanctioned by SpaceX is not the same as a homemade 3D printed kit, nor is it comparable to other RTF kits that don't have the same cachet. Ask anyone who bought a $30 SpaceX Falcon 9 kit how that turned out.
I get that a lot of folks have no interest in the model, maybe at any price, but certainly not at $150 + shipping. Anyone familiar with Estes will understand what they are buying, and it's not a museum quality model. But it is a decent, and most importantly, authorized model, of a revolutionary rocket that will look good on a desk, and the box on a shelf nearby. If that's not your thing, then great, more money for 'real rocket kits'. Do I feel dumb for buying one in the face of so many posts belittling the kit and price? Not in the least – in fact, depending on how it looks once I get it, I may buy a second one for my son, who in no small measure got his love of rockets by flying Estes kits as a young boy. I suspect for a lot of folks the meaning of the kit adds enough value to it to make up for the perceived shortfall in quality and details.
At least that's my take on it. I realize I seem to be in the minority here, but my guess is there are a fair number of folks like me who will vote in the affirmative with their dollars.
Tony
I get that a lot of folks have no interest in the model, maybe at any price, but certainly not at $150 + shipping. Anyone familiar with Estes will understand what they are buying, and it's not a museum quality model. But it is a decent, and most importantly, authorized model, of a revolutionary rocket that will look good on a desk, and the box on a shelf nearby. If that's not your thing, then great, more money for 'real rocket kits'. Do I feel dumb for buying one in the face of so many posts belittling the kit and price? Not in the least – in fact, depending on how it looks once I get it, I may buy a second one for my son, who in no small measure got his love of rockets by flying Estes kits as a young boy. I suspect for a lot of folks the meaning of the kit adds enough value to it to make up for the perceived shortfall in quality and details.
At least that's my take on it. I realize I seem to be in the minority here, but my guess is there are a fair number of folks like me who will vote in the affirmative with their dollars.
Tony
DEN
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I think if they didn't go so high end on the packaging and went with the regular RTF style boxes they use they could have easily put this at the $120.00 mark without affecting profits even with the Space X licensing fees. That classy looking high end packaging is very expensive to produce.
For those of you that don't know, a Space X Falcon 9 with fairing flying model kit that sold on their website a few years ago for around $35 is now going for upwards of $150 on EBay.
Something to be said for snob appeal and collector value.
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user 35280
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Coming soon.......posted at Jon rocket,
https://jonrocket.com/shop/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=1_38_2_131&products_id=7779
https://jonrocket.com/shop/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=1_38_2_131&products_id=7779
rharshberger
Well-Known Member
Probably not, from the sounds of it evidently its an exclusive deal only available from Estes or SpaceX, other distributors/vendors have already chimed in and confirmed that they will not be able to get this kit for their stock.
Funkworks
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I came so close to buying that. I was like:
"Isn't it the most popular one these days?"
"Why is it only $35 ... "
"... I must be missing something ..."
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Looks like the new 150 Estes offering has a lot more detail.
The old $35 dollar has flat decal grid fins. Unsure if the old 35 kit even has landing legs. Nothing on the box about molded landing legs, and landing legs aren't on the pre-applied wrap/decaled tubes. Oddly enough the landing leg locks are on the pre-applied wrap/decaled tubes.
https://www.ebay.com/itm/1552348497...YkE0pwjrEWHudCaJfrMOqRKJlG|tkp:Bk9SR8jsp4SKYQ
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