Latest Reviews

Lastest Rocketry Product Reviews

2024-12-01 - New Way Xarconian Destroyer

Kit Review by Jeff Curtis

New Way Xarconian Destroyer When New Way lost their source for square tubes, owner Rick Randol turned to cloning old Centuri and Estes kits. The Xarconian Destroyer is a complete but modern clone of the old Estes kit #1903.BT-55 I started with the motor mount. I notched the forward centering ring and threaded the Kevlar shock cord through the notch. I added a knot to the shock cord and glued the tag end along with the centering ring. Otherwise the motor mount is standard construction. ...

2024-11-24 - Loc/Precision R.A.M.

Kit Review by Jeff Curtis

Loc‌/‌Precision R.A.M. I was browsing the Animal Works web site and noticed they had a Loc R.A.M. kit in stock. R.A.M. is an acronym for Rage Assault Missile. It is 43" tall. As usual, I started with the motor mount. I used T-88 epoxy to attach the three centering rings. The shock cord mount goes throug the forward centering ring and was epoxied to the motor tube, The rear two centering rings were spaced to straddle the fin slots. II attached the shock cord to the Kevlar shock ...

2024-10-27 - Aerospace Specialty Products Aerobee 100 Junior

Kit Review by Jeff Curtis

Aerospace Specialty Products Aerobee 100 Junior The Aerobee 100, or Aerobee Junior, was first flown early in 1958. This vehicle was designed by Aerojet General to be an inexpensive rocket to fly payloads of 50 - 100 pounds up to 90 miles. Most of the 20 produced used a solid-fuel booster, but two were actually sea-launched as a single-stage rocket (which makes this model eligible for NAR Scale competition). Aerobee rockets have long been a favorite of scale modelers. This kit is 1.89" in ...

2024-10-19 - Rocketerium Maxtermind is a Winner

Kit Review by Jeff Curtis

Rocketerium Maxtermind is a Winner Rocketarium is known for their mid-power scale kits but this is one of their sport models with split fins. Rocketarium has great components and this kit is no exception. Construction was straight forward. I started with the motor mount I notched the forward centering ring and fed the Kevlar shock cord through that. I knotted the end of the Kevlar so it could not pull through the centering ring. Tag end of the Kevlar cord was then embedded in the glue on ...

2024-09-16 - Epic II disappoints

Kit Review by Kirk Groeneveld

Epic II disappoints OK, I gotta admit that I wasn't very impressed from the start...but I bought the kit off the rack at Hobby Lobby anyway. Someone else had posted pics of their flight on Facebook and I thought it looked interesting as an "Advanced" rocket kit. So I sought it out. First, at $14.99 I thought it was a little pricy. Gone are the days of the HL discount. You got to catch them on clearance if you want any sort of a price break. Mine was full price. I was a bi ...

2024-08-20 - Starlight Model Rockets Serion 3

Kit Review by Buzz McDermott

Starlight Model Rockets Serion 3 This was my first Starlight Model Rockets product. I picked up this kit at NARAM 65. This is also my first review so I hope I don't mess it up too bad. :-) liked this kit because it was a 3-motor cluster and I thought it would look good next to my Astron Ranger, Astron Cobra and Sunward Land Viper. I haven't been disappointed. The Seiron 3 is an excellent quality kit with a full color face card and very well written, clear instructions. The build is very ...

2024-07-07 - Estes Pulsar

Kit Review by Jeff Curtis

Estes Pulsar This is a 13mm minimum diameter rocket. I discovered this rocket when I set a goal of building all the rockets in the 1989 Estes Catalog. While not officially part of the Mini Brute series several rockets in the 1989 catalog fit perfectly with the other Mini Brutes. The Pulsar is one of these kits. Not often seen it shows up for sale once in a while. I started by cutting out the fins. The lines are not easy to see with die-cast balsa, but I managed to get all three free with ...

2024-06-14 - Lvl 1 HPR Certification

Kit Review by Alex Florianschitz

Lvl 1 HPR Certification Mad Cow Little John 4" for certification Flight, l;vl1 achieved on a 38mm H100w Solid Materials, easy to follow instructions. Beautiful Kit!!! Outstanding!!!! Not a single scratch on landing

2024-01-06 - Estes Pro Series II Panavia (clone)

Kit Review by Jeff Curtis

Estes Pro Series II Panavia (clone) The Panavia was a kit that was available briefly via the Estes web site. It was composed of left over parts from other Pro Series II kits. The Panavia used the same fins as the Argent. The Estes kits are almost never seen, but clone kits are available from Bad Boy Rocketry and Launch Lab Rocketry. This is a review of the Bad Boy Rocketry clone kit of the Panavia. Instructions are minimal and assume you have built other mid and high-power rockets. I started ...

2023-12-07 - Animal Motor Works Blue Baboon

Kit Review by Jeff Boldig

I bought this kit from AMW at LDRS 36 at MDRA. They told me it was the first Blue Baboon kit they had sold. It is a blue fiberglass 3 inch diameter kit with a black fiberglass nose cone and fins. It is a dual deploy kit with a 54mm motor mount tube.