Explorer X-13 Educators Pack (12)

In late 2011, I was looking to put together a low-cost ($10 for kit/glue/materials/motors/igniters) package to be used to teach the Space Exploration Merit Badge and discovered this kit. They're no-frills, but they fly great and the kids/Scouts can choose their own fin designs from several in the balsa sheets provided. I like that they're light enough to use a streamer for recovery, which means they don't float away. Parachutes plus even a slight breeze can result in lost or far-off drifted rockets and an incomplete Merit Badge (which requirements are that it has to be built and then launched/recovered twice). I'm teaching the same Merit Badge again in a few weeks, and will absolutely be using these kits. Even in single-rocket pricing, they're very affordable and we had no quality issues or damages, even though they were built and flown within a few hours. Note that the instruction have to be printed on your own (PDF is available here at HobbyLinc), which is one way they keep the costs down. Also, I don't recall if they recommend white glue, but I would highly suggest using a good quality wood glue instead. It takes a bit longer to dry/cure, but will flex a little bit more and perhaps save a few fin mishaps on recovery.