MPR/HPR kit pricing question

[kandsrockets]

K and S Rockets is in the middle of getting ready to release a few kits and would like to know if you would be willing to pay a little more for a kit if it included an Aeropack retainer, Kevlar recovery harness, high quality chute/streamer and all of the hardware required to build the kit. Please give us your comments.

 

[JAL3]

Speaking for myself, the answer would be yes. For many of the others I know in my club, it would be jsut the opposite.

Its one of those win some, lose some situations.

How difficult would it be to offer the basic kit and then an "upgrade pack"?

 

[kandsrockets]

Speaking for myself, the answer would be yes. For many of the others I know in my club, it would be jsut the opposite.

Its one of those win some, lose some situations.

How difficult would it be to offer the basic kit and then an "upgrade pack"?

I would prefer to not have to package multi items, this is the reason I ask.

 

[JRThro]

I would prefer to not have to package multi items, this is the reason I ask.

Could a hypothetical "upgrade kit" be produced that could be used with more than one rocket kit?

 

[kandsrockets]

Okay here we go, I do not want to have add on kits just to much stuff to store. The question is would you pay a little more for a kit that gives you everything you need (except motor, motor harware, electronics and glue/paint). This would give you a one stop kit, no need to go and buy extra parts to build it.

 

[troj]

I think it's a definite plus, and if I agreed with the component selection, it would cause me to encourage folks looking at kits to consider them that much more.

-Kevin

 

[RandyM]

Since it's a definite yes or no answer, I myself would say no. Most of the Mid and High power kits cost enough already.

Even though you don't want to do it that way, the upgrade option is the way to sell the kits.

 

[Mikus]

If you add more to the kit than people want, you risk pricing yourself out of the sale.


My $.02 since you asked.

 

[JAL3]

For me its still a yes but I think overall it would be no with the people I know

 

[Chuck Taylor]

It is a yes for me as long as the cost of the retainer, harness, chute etc.. does not cost me more than buying them seperately.

 

[kandsrockets]

Okay here is what is in our kits. Heavy duty body tubes, heavy duty couplers, heavy duty motor tube, tubular nylon harnesses with sewn end loops, Laser cut or router cut fins and centering rings, plastic/fiberglass nose cone (this depends on the size of the nose cone), nylon chute and recovery mounting hardware. What am asking about is upgrading the TN to Kevlar and adding a Aeropack retainer to the kit at a very low increase in price. Now on large HPR kits you will have the option to buy a chute since these will not come with a chute and what I mean by large is 4" dia and larger.

 

[Buckaroo]

Okay here is what is in our kits. Heavy duty body tubes, heavy duty couplers, heavy duty motor tube, tubular nylon harnesses with sewn end loops, Laser cut or router cut fins and centering rings, plastic/fiberglass nose cone (this depends on the size of the nose cone), nylon chute and recovery mounting hardware. What am asking about is upgrading the TN to Kevlar and adding a Aeropack retainer to the kit at a very low increase in price. Now on large HPR kits you will have the option to buy a chute since these will not come with a chute and what I mean by large is 4" dia and larger.

My answer would probably be yes, but only because what you've described above is almost exactly what I would look for in terms of hardware/upgrades.

By way of a more general answer I would tend towards no, simply because most of the kits I've looked at, I end up looking at the price plus what it will cost me to swap out the couple of items that I don't particularly care for. :confused2:

That's a tough one to answer with any kind of conviction...

 

[troj]

Okay here is what is in our kits. Heavy duty body tubes, heavy duty couplers, heavy duty motor tube, tubular nylon harnesses with sewn end loops, Laser cut or router cut fins and centering rings, plastic/fiberglass nose cone (this depends on the size of the nose cone), nylon chute and recovery mounting hardware. What am asking about is upgrading the TN to Kevlar and adding a Aeropack retainer to the kit at a very low increase in price. Now on large HPR kits you will have the option to buy a chute since these will not come with a chute and what I mean by large is 4" dia and larger.

Sounds like a nice setup; something I'd recommend folks take a serious look at.

-Kevin

 

[Pantherjon]

I think I would find myself in the 'yes' camp..Yes, I COULD swap things in and out of different rockets(chutes/rigging/etc) but it can get confusing leading one to launch a rocket you took the chute out of for another rocket and forgetting you did that and launch it without the chute. But, for me, the biggest thing for the kit would be a compelling design, one that has that certain 'cool' factor..

Which reminds me..I need to get that Wrath of Fire kit built..I think I have the instructions PDF on the computer here somewhere!

 

[als57]

I'd probably be in he yes camp too for a small price increase. A deal on purchasing the chute for larger (4"+) kits would be nice as well.


Al

 

[Daedalus]

The choice of Aeropack + kevlar + a decent chute is a very good option and if it is less that the price of the individual items would probably encourage people (especially beginners) to buy the full spec. kit.

From a personal perspective:

The kevlar upgrade would be a plus for me so I would pay a premium for that.

I would not be that bothered about the inclusion of the retainer as I use Rowse retainers for almost everything and so the higher price of including a quality retainer that I don't really want would tend to put me off.

I like to have a selection of decent chutes but once you have, say, a couple of chutes of a given size do you really want to be buying more of them? again it would be better to offer it as an optional upgrade.

So for me the best base kit would be kit + decent hardware + kevlar + decals and then retainer and chute as upgrade options.

 

[ben_ullman]

Scott let me throw this out there:

Someone like me and my dad who have been flying for 5-6 years and have ALOT of **** (you saw LDRS Camp :roll: ) I wouldn't be interested in anything but a base kit. Reason being is I have bunches of shockcord and parachutes. the Aeropack may be the only thing but I have a few of them sitting around too.

The kit you offer would be a SMALL turnoff for me because I COULD use some extra stuff I would end up beefing it up and adding an Ebay etc. So it would depend on the base price to begin with

Just my :2:

Ben

 

[kandsrockets]

I like to thank everyone for there comments. I need to do some thinking on what we are going to do but it looks more like having a base kit with option to upgrade may be the way we will be going. Again thanks

 

[Patch]

For some of us that are just getting back in the hobby, I would say yes, I would be interested as long as the price doesn't go through the ceiling. All the things you are suggesting are what I would need.

 

[MarkII]

It would absolutely positively be a yes for me. Those are exactly the things that I would want to add to any MPR kit that didn't already have them. I am very mindful of the fact that this will be a Mid-Power kit, not a high-power kit. Although overall price is a bit of an issue for me (small rocketry budget), I do also look at what value the kit provides. If the kit uses quality parts and represents good value for the price, it is a winner in my book. Based on what you have posted, this appears to be exactly what you are shooting for.

MarkII