Estes Space X Falcon 9 advertisement w/price

[kuririn]

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

Re: Falcon 9 with fairing:
The landing legs are foam stick on. The grid fins are printed on the pre applied wrap. I've heard some complaints that the wrap had wrinkles on it.

 

[gdjsky01]

Be a cold day in someplace when I pay $150 for it.

 

[justinwebb]

Comes in crazy amounts of bubble padding and wrapped in tissue paper

 

[OC-Patrick]

Comes in crazy amounts of bubble padding and wrapped in tissue paper

Do you think padding and paper justifies the additional cost Estes is charging to ship? The Saturn V, SLS and New Shepard ARF's were just fine when I ordered them. The display box must be something special I'm guessing.

 

[CalebJ]

Is it actually shipped from Estes in CO?

 

[justinwebb]

Is it actually shipped from Estes in CO?

Yes it did.

Do you think padding and paper justifies the additional cost Estes is charging to ship? The Saturn V, SLS and New Shepard ARF's were just fine when I ordered them. The display box must be something special I'm guessing.

Haven’t had a chance to open it as the wife took the pics when it came. The label says 7lb so it’s a heavy box. Its plastic sealed as well under the outer display package

 

[kuririn]

The article in Sport Rocketry shows a pic of it nestled in a black foam cutout in the box.

 

[markschnell]

Here's my take on this: It ain't for most of us that are members here. In the same way that most RTF rockets aren't either. This is a Space X thing. It will rise in value as a collector's item for sure.

Here's the thing to keep in mind - Estes visibility has just taken a MASSIVE jump. Their name is getting into people's view that would likely not know much about what Estes does. I won't be surprised if this doesn't end up being an incredible boost to them.

What that means is they will likely get a boost that will strengthen their company. That means they will be able to make more of the stuff that people like us WILL want to buy. I look at this rocket as the equivalent of a "loss leader" that grocery stores do. They will lose money on some products on purpose knowing that when customers come to buy that cheap product they'll end up spending a bunch more money. I'm not saying they'll lose money on it, I have no idea about that. But this is a PR kit, not for their dedicated base of super rocket nerds like us.

Will I buy it? Nope, too rich for my blood, not a RTF guy, and not a collector (that pile of rockets will all be built someday!). Am I glad they're doing it? You'd better believe it. Great move, Estes!!

 

[bibbster]

Well said, all the way around, Mark!

 

[techrat]

I'm of that mindset as well. One on hand, I feel like I'm missing out by not getting this thing, but on the other hand, I'd rather spend that $150 (really $180 with tax/shipping) on something that I will actually fly. Even $120 gets me a hell of a LOC kit that's technically beyond what I can fly right now since I'm not yet L1. Or I should invest that $150 in a Apogee Zephyr and have something that I know will get me my L1. I'm not a collector, I use and abuse my rockets.

 

[kuririn]

It ain't for most of us that are members here. In the same way that most RTF rockets aren't either.

Speak for yourself.

 

[justinwebb]

I bought it to join my space memorabilia that I have in my office, might fly it once for that reflown charred look. It will be at home with the Lego Saturn v and multiple Lego shuttles and Estes sls and Saturn v models.

 

[Scott_650]

Here's my take on this: It ain't for most of us that are members here. In the same way that most RTF rockets aren't either. This is a Space X thing. It will rise in value as a collector's item for sure.

Here's the thing to keep in mind - Estes visibility has just taken a MASSIVE jump. Their name is getting into people's view that would likely not know much about what Estes does. I won't be surprised if this doesn't end up being an incredible boost to them.

What that means is they will likely get a boost that will strengthen their company. That means they will be able to make more of the stuff that people like us WILL want to buy. I look at this rocket as the equivalent of a "loss leader" that grocery stores do. They will lose money on some products on purpose knowing that when customers come to buy that cheap product they'll end up spending a bunch more money. I'm not saying they'll lose money on it, I have no idea about that. But this is a PR kit, not for their dedicated base of super rocket nerds like us.

Will I buy it? Nope, too rich for my blood, not a RTF guy, and not a collector (that pile of rockets will all be built someday!). Am I glad they're doing it? You'd better believe it. Great move, Estes!!

Probably one of the best explanations of the possible “why” Estes pursued an agreement with SpaceX to do this model.

Contrary to some of the negative comments (a member on another forum is actively hoping it fails to “teach Estes a lesson” or something - his posts are not all that coherent) markschnell makes a good point about how this rocket will raise awareness of Estes.

 

[markschnell]

Speak for yourself.

You did see the "most of us", right? I was very careful to make that caveat. There was nothing absolute in what I wrote. When I was getting a PhD that kind of thing was beaten in my head (metaphorically speaking).

 

[kuririn]

You did see the "most of us", right? I was very careful to make that caveat. There was nothing absolute in what I wrote. When I was getting a PhD that kind of thing was beaten in my head (metaphorically speaking).

It's called a "tongue in cheek" statement.
Thought that was obvious from the emojis I posted.

 

[Patternflyer]

Estes SpaceX Falcon 9 Rocket

 

[mh9162013]

Great video, thanks!

Definitely confirms that this product is a collector's item first and foremost.

 

[markschnell]

It's called a "tongue in cheek" statement.
Thought that was obvious from the emojis I posted.

Thanks so much for that. That's a new phrase for me. .Ha! I tongue in cheeked you back!
FWIW - I should have just ended with the first sentence in my earlier reply with a few emojis tacked on. It had been a rough day.

 

[kramer714]

When you walk into the offices of any aerospace company or sub contractor, there are always display models, front entry lobby, conferences rooms, or in offices. I used to pick up display models for the 'marquis' projects my company worked on. My X-45A UCAV model is still at my desk 20 years later. These models are not cheep if they are high fidelity. More than once one I gave one of these models as a gift to an engineer or program manager that did a good job on our part of the aircraft. The new ownership of Estes came from that environment.

A display model for the Falcon will be well appreciated by the many folks that work (or have worked on) the Falcon. Having said that, none of the display models I have can fly, it would be cool if they could, question is would I fly them even if they could but fun to find out...

Good for Estes, trying to make rockets cool again, supporting the new space industry, and hopefully making a few bucks for Estes. Buy it if you like it, scratch build one if that is your thing, upscale it, do what you want to. I still don't understand the problem people have on here with RTF.

Mike K

 

[mh9162013]

When you walk into the offices of any aerospace company or sub contractor, there are always display models, front entry lobby, conferences rooms, or in offices. I used to pick up display models for the 'marquis' projects my company worked on. My X-45A UCAV model is still at my desk 20 years later. These models are not cheep if they are high fidelity.

I've seen those models and a lot of them definitely are not high fidelity. They look like they were made by someone who wasn't wearing their prescription eyeglasses.

 

[KennB]

When I visited SpaceX in Hawthorn a few years back, I was surprised to see how many desks were adorned with good quality Saturn V models. From what I could tell, very, very few of the employees in that facility were even alive with the last Sat V went up.

 

[OC-Patrick]

Nice video, thanks. I guess I'm not on the fence anymore.

 

[manixFan]

The boxes are great - I like there there are two and the inner is a duplicate of the exterior.

For some reason seeing both the Estes and SpaceX logo on the box just seems incredibly appropriate to me. I'm sure there are many in the aerospace industry who got their start flying model rockets. My son is certainly one of them. I think the combination of the two logos is a great testament to how important childhood hobbies and experiences can be in shaping a career path for a future in scientific/technology based fields.


Tony

 

[user 35280]

An actual discount code towards the purchase of the Estes SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket,
http://www.collectspace.com//news/news-110422a-spacex-falcon-9-estes-model-rocket.html

 

[DMehalko]

$180 shipped, and im in CO.... Ouch... Ordered one anyways, its neat haha

 

[techrat]

I'm thinking about scratch-building a Falcon-9 instead of buying the Estes desk-display. I figure a BT-60 tube and I'll fabricate the landing legs deployed to use as the fins rather than the clear plastic things. Also to avoid copyright infringement, I'll label it "SPACE-Y" rather than SPACEX. I don't know how many of you on TRF are familiar with MACROSS, the anime series (came to the USA as Robotech), but all their equipment was marked "U.N. Spacey" -- I've just now realized how ahead of it's time Macross was to have jumped from "SpaceX" to "SpaceY".

 

[Funkworks]

Ooompf ... now there's a scratch-building project to keep one busy for a while



More familiar, but less rocket-y:

 

[DMehalko]

Is it pricey, yes... is it nice? Yes...

 

[OverTheTop]

Looks nice, but not $AUD300-350* nice.

* = including currency conversion and international postage

 

[OC-Patrick]

...great video David, thanks.