Agreed (about the kits being nice and the low price). I can't believe the low prices. WalMart must've committed to a crapload of these kits to get the price that low.

Yeah...think about it......with the Taser Twin @ $5.96......you get a cloned Sky Hook (albeit no parachute) and the booster for the Apogee........ :D

You know, in a way it sucks about the parachutes. But I look at it like this....I have a 6 year old that is gonna build the Crossbow with me, me doing most of the work and all. But I want to get him more interested in rocketry, and sitting with me is a good way. But HE can color the parachute how ever he wants. He likes to draw, so I will let him sit down and do whatever pleases him, and it will be one-of-a-kind that he can call HIS. There is a good side to the madness.
Still don't like the gov't though

But that's just a temporary thing, right? I don't recall seeing the details, but I assume there was an issue with getting the material/dye to meet CPSIA. Is that correct? I figure it was just a timing thing and that eventually we will see a return to printed chutes.

Basically, Estes had to put something in the box, so they made an "executive" decision and went with plain white.

The only thing bad about it is its visibility against the sky, but it should function fine and be readily spotted on the ground.

As for me, almost all the chutes I take out of kits go unopened into the bottom of my chute stash. About the only time I open a new one is to replace one that got shredded, lost or melted. I imagine it's that way for man of us old far...er, BARs, so the plain white chutes have even less impact on us

Doug

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That's really odd since in all the stores I've seen 'em, they've had four of each.....(well, before my purchases anyway).

Ya know, that thought occurred to me, too. Several here have mentioned 4 of each, and the one store I spotted them in had the same (4x4=16). I suppose that's the initial stocking mix agreed to by W*M and Estes. It could be that, due to real-world manufacturing results, that there weren't quite enough of some kits causing some stores to be short.

If you've ever worked on a production line, and pushed the end of a run thru the line, you know that you never quite hit your target right on. There will always be a little more or less from the budget. This usually has to do with the fact that not all the sub-components come in the same bulk quantities, that some units get inadvertently destroyed or damaged during production, and that some units get pulled for quality.

Doug

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The wonders of snap swivels. Thanks to whoever invented them and to whatever rocketry article or tech note I read as a kid which recommended putting the parachute on a snap swivel.

Mike D. in his dedicated thread mentioned giving up rockets for fishing. It's fun to think of the overlap in hardware. I use snap swivels, wire leaders (as shock cord anchors), and sinker weights.

I have never painted 5 rockets at the same time before, and I hope never to do it again. I used one can of primer yesterday between these four rockets and my Blue Bird Zero. I have been real busy so my models have been on the back burner. I was hoping to have these done in the next couple of days, but in-laws have altered that plan. I will probably finish by next week some time. So far these builds have been real easy and fun. I applied 3 coats of balsa sealer to the balsa, primer and one top coat. Now I have to mask 2 of the rockets and paint the other colors. My Testors Inca Gold came in today so I will give it a try.

I like the balsa nose cones and transitions.

Scigs,
Those look Great! Wish my Walmart stocked the Crossbow and Star Stryker. They just don't understand...
Nothing but C6-3's, 5's, and 7's, also.
Clueless, just clueless! :mad:
And they couldn't care less................
Allen