Bull Pup 12D Model Rocket Kit

This is a great little rocket to add to your collection. No suprises here - it was pretty much as I expected. Not hard to build - the most difficult thing was applying the decals only because there are tons of them - but that what makes this so great looking. I used a white gloss paint over the entire rocket. It comes with a little clay/putty that you push into the nose cone. I suspect this is for CG purposes. You'll need something much slimmer than a pencil that the instructions show. I used the end of a coat hanger but you could also use a launch rail. This is a beauty and I think you'll enjoy making it

I bought this rocket a couple of months ago and purposefully delayed writing a review because of some trouble I had with the rocket. Getting all the fins to line up perfectly is a bit tedious, especially if you're using slow-drying glue. I would recommend epoxy or model cement, definitely not wood glue as they recommend in the instructions. If you somehow do manage to get the fins to line up straight using wood glue, without any doubt they will fall off on landing after a flight. The engine mount lacks an engine hook. The first time I flew it, my engine was seated too loosely. This made for an erratic flight path and the engine becoming a projectile after it fell out after blowing out the parachute. You can fix this problem with putting a piece of masking tape on the engine- it provides just enough friction to keep it in place. Finally, the kit comes with clay to put in the tip of the rocket to balance out the weight. MAKE SURE YOU GET IT PACKED INTO THE NOSE CONE! You'll need to enlarge the access hole to make this possible. Otherwise, you'll have an unstable flight with the possibility of the rocket flying at your head! That being said, I finished it with Krylon Aluminum gray paint, with the decals, and it looks awesome. Learn from my experience, and you'll have a great-looking, great-flying rocket. I'd recommend B6-4 engines AT LEAST, if not a C engine of your choice. It's small, but heavy for its size.

Another great offering from Estes. Nothing can be the price on this scale model. I gave it a four-star because it requires friction fit to put in the motor. If you use an engine hook, it becomes a much better rocket. It is doable to put in a hook and well worth the upgrade.