Estes2483 Phantom Blue Rocket-Building Kit, Beginner Flying-Rocket-Model Kit for Ages 10+

Bought it in the same purchase as another rocket (the Taser), so we got to do a comparison. The Phantom Blue was the clear winner. Assembly was easier, as the fins guide into slots that leave no gaps (the Taser did) so they did not move when we launched it. A note in the instructions prompted us to put some tape inside the nosecone to make it snug, which was a good suggestion, and the retention strap came already fastened to the fuselage (on the Taser we had to glue it in). The Phantom has flown straight and true on every launch, with perfect parachute deployment every time as well. Can't wait to use a more powerful engine.

This is a great addition to teaching rockets in science. Need to make sure you have a large area to fire off the rocket. My class used the football field.

Sleek. Tall. Easy to put together. This rocket shot straight up in the air leaving a white streak trail behind it, which helps you to follow where it is. The parachute deploys flawlessly. But make sure you're in a LARGE AREA. The atmospheric breeze carried our rocket to who knows where. But it was still awesome for me and my7yr old.

My son & I built this rocket in just a short time. It’s pre-painted and the plastic parts are pretty good quality. Everything fit together well and actually feels stronger than our first rocket that came with the launch kit. I especially love how the engine compartment unscrews. The only reason I gave it 4 instead of 5 stars is the packaging clearly shows the rocket as white and blue. But as you can tell from my pictures, it is actually a silver tube. Not a big deal, but it’s just odd. If your kid specifically wants that color they’ll be disappointed. Otherwise it still looks great and is solid. Just misrepresented colors on the box.

Assembly was easy. Always make sure you have the necessary tools and read the instructions. Once we got to launch we used the recommended "first launch" engine to gauge the direction it would land towards. Next we put in the C engine to get that altitude high... Not going to lie we lost sight of the rocket for a few seconds. Don't panic... keep an eye in the general area and soon enough you hopefully see the parachute helping the rocket fall gently to the surface.

The media could not be loaded. Works really well, we flew it five times on the first day with the C6-5 motors and had no issues. The rocket flew straight and true and very high. My 5 y/o helped me build and launch it, and he had a blast! I would recommend to anyone with kids.

It lasts a lot of launches.

This is a great starter, easy to put together. The only problem is the tube seems slightly weaker than others and it is starting to crease...this could be from a bad landing or a kid grabbing it too hard, but this has not happened with the others.