Courier Model Rocket Kit

The Courier is an easy-to-build egglofter. If you're looking for something that will help you win NAR contests, this is probably not it, but for your first foray into lofting, and especially as a group build rocket, it's definitely up to the task. The instructions are simple and the components were good quality. If you're doing a group build, you'll like that the body tube is white, so the kids can decorate their rocket without having to paint it. You'll need a very sharp knife for separating the halves of the nose cone, so take your time and do it right. The peel and stick decals for the fins are very large (they cover most of the fin), so again take your time lining up the edge of the decal with the seam of the fin and body tube. Do your best to get the launch lug and standoff aligned straight up the body tube. The nose cone will come down separate from the airframe, so have extra spotters on hand for launches. You may need to add a round of masking tape on the nose cone shoulder, as mine was very loose. The nose cone looks really good after shooting it with a clear gloss coat; there's no need to paint it black. I use bubble wrap as the cushioning material for the egg inside the nose cone. It's always a good idea to first put the egg inside the corner of a Ziploc bag; in case the egg breaks, you won't open the capsule to a runny mess.