Estes 1225 Alpha Rocket-Building Kit, Intermediate Flying-Rocket-Model Kit for Ages 10+

The Estes Alpha is an excellent entry point to the hobby of model rocketry. It is a nice size, easy to build with minimum tools/supplies, a great flyer, and pretty forgiving of beginner building skills. Be sure to use a white or yellow glue like Elmers (School Glue is fine!) and not super glue, plastic model glue, or hot glue. Sandpaper is great for the fins, but not necessary if you aren't concerned with the appearance of the final product. A hobby knife is great, but a sharp pocket knife or kitchen knife will do. A ruler is a must, as is a pencil, pen, or fine-tipped marker. Paint is optional, but a good paint job lowers the rocket's resistance to the airflow and lets it go higher on a given engine. No engines or launch pad or launch system are included with this kit, but those can be purchased separately, or together with the Alpha kit if you get a STARTER SET. Pro Tip: use the lowest powered engine for your first flight to ensure you get the model back in one piece. Proceed to fly again and again with higher powered engines as you gain experience with flying your rocket. Disclaimer: I have been building and flying model rockets since 1968, and gave Estes Model Rocket Demonstrations at various Illinois hobbyshops from 1976 thru 1985. I'm no rocket scientist (actually, I'm a Software Engineer), but I know my hobby. Good Luck and HAVE FUN!!

I love these Estes rocket kits and this is a perfect kit for a new rocket fan! I got this for my 11 yr old and with the help of his 16 yr old brother, construction was very fast and straightforward. Model Rocketry is a really fun hobby and this kit is a simple and fun way to get started. The pricing is perfect - it would be hard to get just the parts alone for this price, and it comes with instructions and suggestions for making it look nice so it's well worth the price.

A classic Estes rocket.. Everyone should have one on their bookshelf or mounted on the wall. Yes..I do think it's overpriced..but it is the classic "Alpha". Get a "Big" or "Little" Bertha to round out the the wall display. "Big" or "Little" Bertha is easier to assemble cause the parts are much larger ....just saying. It flys great and very fast..just use "A" engines for small football field size launch areas. If you use a "B" engine it will go out-of-sight and you may lose it....just say'n. If you use a "C" engine you "will" lose the rocket as it will disappear into the sky..you won't even see the smoke from the tracking charge in the engine.

Successfully assembled and launched! Fun. The pictures are deceptive - only one photo when you scroll all the way down shows that everything is unfinished cardboard and balsa and you can paint it. Also disappointed in the balsa durability. One fin broke on first launch but that’s life. But a good kit for a beginner.

We bought this for my son for Christmas and just now (July) got around to it. It was a little more of a build than I thought it would be, definitely not a project for someone who likes things to be “snap into place” you will be gluing and cutting. We chose different colors than the recommended and had to trim up the stickers. Recovery wadding, a launch pad, and an engine pack are all extras you will need but after reading other reviews, we had purchased them too and were ready. It took us about 30 minutes of work plus glue and paint dry times. You won’t be launching the same day you start! The launch was worth the effort. Very exciting! We almost lost it in a tree on launch 2, so make sure you are in a big open field, or are ready to call it a day after one shot. Since it was less than $15 to order another, it’s worth the risk. We will be ordering more engines for now and more rockets when we have time to build them. To wrap it up, this is a great project if you are patient and are looking for some good quality hobby time with a kid. Good luck!

This is a good rocket kit. It is as expected for your typical rocket build. Good quality kit. Paint and dry time is the most time consuming part of it. I will say we launched three of these rockets the same evening. We used a C6-7 engine to launch them. It goes pretty high. Hard to see at that height and we unfortunately lost the first one. The second two we were able to dial in the angle of the launch rod and landed the third 5 feet away from the launch pad. But be prepared if you get this kit and the C6 engines it will go high and may be hard to find if there is any wind. Great build and am buying another to replace the one we lost.

I read all the one and two star reviews. People seem to struggle with building a model rocket, get frustrated, and leave a bad review. Building a model rocket with wood (balsa) fins for the first time, or even the tenth time, will challenge your crafting skills. The Estes Alpha has been the basic, beginner, introductory model rocket kit since 1967. Little has changed in this product since that time. Before 1967 plans for the Alpha were available for people to follow along and build. The Estes Alpha has helped many, many people get started in the model rocketry hobby for almost 60 years. It is not "cheap piece of junk." Here are some tips for building the Alpha - more power to you if you find a better way. 1. If you are planning on building this rocket immediately and flying it on the same day, that might be difficult for beginners to do. Choose a model rocket kit with a plastic fin unit like the Alpha III instead. 2. You will need the ability to patiently and carefully glue wood and paper materials together. 3. Fins are glued on one at a time - glue one on, set it aside where it won't be disturbed, wait to dry, then glue the next one on. 4. Ordinary white glue, like Elmers Glue All, is highly effective. Choose any glue you want, but you really do not need a "high tech" solution for what glue to use. 5. You will require some basic tools for hobbyists - a hobby knife, metal ruler, sand paper, white or wood glue are a good starting point. 6. Carefully read the instructions before starting. 7. Building model rockets is a teaching tool - you will learn some basic modeling skills, and you may be challenged to troubleshoot and solve problems when the process seems to fail. Don't get frustrated and throw the Alpha into the trash bin. Figure out what you did wrong and fix it. 8. Learn if you are lucky enough to have a model rocketry club in your area. Reach out to them for help, and to find a place to fly your rocket.

This rocket was a huge hit. We launched it over and over until it burned up (wadding failure) Great great purchase.

Easy to construct and everything that was needed was in the kit. I haven't flow it yet.

Haven't tested yet as it is a Christmas present for my boys. But from the other reviews, it seems like it was worth it to buy as a starter kit. I also like the fact that they are re-usable. Keep in mind that a launch pad and 'engine' are not included, which makes sense as then the package would be labelled as a dangerous good. But didn't think of that at the time of purchase.

Terrible value, haven't launched it but I'm worried for the structural integrity though.

not what was discribed