Customer Reviews

Estes 1469 Tandem-X Launch Set

5 star:		(12)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

These are the first rockets I have purchased as an adult (I had one as a kid.....over 25 years ago), and I love them. This kit was nice for 2 reasons - it came with its own launcher, and there are 2 different levels of rockets to build. The taller "Amazon" rocket was much easier to build and took me around an hour or so to build (with the help of my 5 year old). The smaller one took a bit longer (plus the time needed to wait for the paint to dry).

Being someone who is completely inept at building things, I was able to build these rockets with very little difficulty. The launcher was very easy to set up and use, and after giving my boys a little instruction, they were able to launch them with me standing off in the distance. Of course they had a blast watching these 2 launch but even more fun chasing them down through a corn field once the parachutes deployed. As advertised, the "Crossfire" goes quite higher than the "Amazon".

After 9 launches of these 2 rockets and 3 other ones that I purchased at the same time, the boys were ready to go kite flying, but they are still well worth the money. Plus it's a great way for dads to spend time with their kids while building them and finally launching them into orbit!

I bought this starter set for me and my two boys (Ages 7 & 4) to build together and launch. The Amazon was quite easy to build, with only some plastic cement, sandpaper, and a hobby knife needed - everything else is included. Some of the parts (threading the parachute and shock cord) are a little hard for small children to handle, but they can certainly participate in the gluing and applying the plastic cement and labels. I haven't tried the Crossfire yet, but I do know it will be a little more complicated.

The included launch system was what sold this for me, as without it I would have been unsure of exactly what else was needed to launch. I reviewed beforehand to make sure that I purchased separately the engines (with igniters) and recovery wadding, as these are not included in the launch set. These aren't expensive - but you definitely want to make sure that you have everything you need before building, as it's no fun to start a project with your kids that you can't finish. Mine tend lose interest fast that way.

Launching was easy with the instructions provided, and the boys (and Dad) had a blast. Even a hard landing in the parking lot didn't damage the Amazon. The boys (and Dad) are interested in building more (at least for now), so we'll try to get a little more adventurous with the next one.

Pro: the package includes two rockets and thus it is more economical than buying two individual ones.

The assembly was a good experience (challenging) for a 5th grader, but he was able to assemble correctly and launch both.

Warning: there are no engines! Be sure to order. While this package and similar ones have good prices on Amazon, the engines don't (because of the shipping costs). You may be able to buy the engines at local stores to avoid shipping.

Overall a good experience (but not a perfect one). Four stars should suffice.

What a great combo! The larger "Amazon" rocket was built in about 30 minutes, and is one of my favorite rockets (I have six). It's large size and dark color allows for it to be seen throughout the launch all the way to apogee. The "Crossfire" requires some building skills, therefore between the two rockets, this combo is a great intro to model rocketry. The lightweight Crossfire is capable of some extremely high "out of sight" flights, which are always exciting. The launch pad and controller are cheaply built, but effective for these low power rockets (although I've also fired D and E engine rockets with the controller and pad).


Purchased through Amazon prime, I payed $26. If you bought the components separately, you'd pay a lot more. What you get is everything needed for a launch, minus the batteries and rocket motors.

This rocket set was exactly what we hoped for. I bought it for my son's 9th birthday and he was thrilled! My husband spent all afternoon putting it together and wasn't sure if it would work, but it took off just as it should have. Even the parachute popped out and worked as expected. Some of the parts on the rocket are very fragile, so make sure your kids don't get a hold of the packaging and immediately start ripping it open. Some of the parts are easily breakable.

Great rocket kit. Take heed though, avoid wind at all cost. Launched perfectly...and it was gone. Luckily there's a 2nd unit in the package.

These rockets were bought for my 6 year old this Christmas as a father son project. The kit included everything we needed minus the wadding and engines. Overall I was quite amazed at how far they flew. My son liked pushing the button for launch and I got a new memory to keep. If you doing this with kids be aware this will take a little time to complete. Start in the morning for afternoon launches or make it a two day event. It takes time for glue and paint to dry.

I had a great time putting these together and creating my own design. I still have to launch them but to be honest I think most of the fun was construction.

Whats great about this is its all in one from build to launch. The kids love them and with some luck and tlc you get many good launches. Great way to teach the kids about rockets, astronomy, propulsion,etc. The hands on approach to this is fantastic the kids get to see from the drawing board to launch. We make day long picnics out of it and the kids don't even no their learning.

Great price for this all included kit! I have a 5 year old boy and this is a perfect father son activity. The more outdoor activities I find, the more fun we have!!!! It also teaches patience, physics, and more. Way better than TV