Originally Posted by CPMcGraw

Maybe I'm a little jaded , but I don't think it's meant as the "replacement" rocket so much as it is meant to be the second (or even third)rocket. I don't believe Estes is pushing their customer base in the "model" direction at all, but simply toward more RTF product. In fact, most of the "new" Estes products I've seen lately, even those meant for LHS's, have been RTF foamies. I have not seen an Alpha or a Big Bertha on a peg wall for some time; and when I hear of Hobby Lobby putting Outlanders on sale as "discontinued" or "closeouts", I think Estes may actually be encouraging the demise of kits altogether. Fits in with what my "Deep Throated Nozzle" contact at the the local shop told me earlier about companies "falling down" on the follow-up items. Estes may not be the only ones that have fallen down that hole, but they're certainly not making any visible effort to climb back up, either...




Been there, done that... Way too often; coulda floated a missile cruiser from the spittle...




I'll start a new thread on "Items Needed in a Deluxe Starter Set", so we can focus on this discussion. Maybe we can develop some of the printed literature there ourselves...