Reviews : Estes Protostar

I enjoyed this project, even if it wasn't entirely honest about what it would take to get those Alien Invader nose cone pods mounted on the tips of the fins. I would consider adding epoxy to the supplies needed to complete this rocket because no amount of CA/super glue is going to do more than tack the cones in place. Cutting the bottoms off of the three plastic nose cones that make up the pods is an adventure and likely more easily accomplished using a modelers razor saw. That said, it can be done with a utility knife if you use great care or if you do it like I did. After cutting the bottoms off I sanded the bottom of the cones to even them out, then tacked them in place at the tips of the fins using gel CA. Once they were mounted in this fashion I found it necessary to fillet them in place with epoxy. Probably more than Estes had in mind, but mine is bulletproof and I won't be reattaching any fins if it lands hard. In all honesty, the 18 inch chute should be plenty big for recovery of this bird, especially since I took the time to do the epoxy fillets. Though with the 24mm power, you might be chasing it for a while.