Reviews : Estes Bull Pup 12D Model Rocket Kit

I've seen an Estes Bull Pup 12D launch before in light winds and it wasn't pretty. 1st, Estes only has 1 long launch lug in the middle of the BT-55 body tube, split the lug in 1/2, attach one body diameter from front and closer to the back on the BT-55 body tube, making sure they align and do not bind. This is a safety issue and will eliminate almost all wind cocking. 2nd, If your launch rod is too short, use higher impulse composite motors. 3rd, No engine retainer, but can be upgraded to a plastic screw type, from a fin can, in an Estes Mix-N-Match 50 Kit. Swapping out the stock engine tube and re-centering for the tail cone/boat tail. Rough up the plastic mounting area and use epoxy, or CA, leaving enough room for the screw nut retainer to fit and it will fit tightly, after some sanding. It'll also be stronger than the stock mount and won't eject the casing at deployment. 4th, swap out the clay counterweight, for epoxy and BB's, or Lead pellets, of appropriate mass, it's more stable and won't shift or deform under G-loading. After opening the bulkhead for access, in the nose cone, scratch up the interior of the nose cone, the rougher, the better, just like the fin can. 5th, since it's so short of an air frame, install an ejection baffle and your chute won't melt. 6th, replace stock rubber shock cord, with 90 of 80 lbs. nylon braided fishing line, nylon parachute slightly larger than stock, for the increased mass and a 3 Nomex parachute protector. This will give your Bull Pup 12D a more professional appearance, stable flight and more reliable recovery.

I bought this rocket a couple of months ago and purposefully delayed writing a review because of some trouble I had with the rocket. Getting all the fins to line up perfectly is a bit tedious, especially if you're using slow-drying glue. I would recommend epoxy or model cement, definitely not wood glue as they recommend in the instructions. If you somehow do manage to get the fins to line up straight using wood glue, without any doubt they will fall off on landing after a flight. The engine mount lacks an engine hook. The first time I flew it, my engine was seated too loosely. This made for an erratic flight path and the engine becoming a projectile after it fell out after blowing out the parachute. You can fix this problem with putting a piece of masking tape on the engine- it provides just enough friction to keep it in place. Finally, the kit comes with clay to put in the tip of the rocket to balance out the weight. MAKE SURE YOU GET IT PACKED INTO THE NOSE CONE! You'll need to enlarge the access hole to make this possible. Otherwise, you'll have an unstable flight with the possibility of the rocket flying at your head! That being said, I finished it with Krylon Aluminum gray paint, with the decals, and it looks awesome. Learn from my experience, and you'll have a great-looking, great-flying rocket. I'd recommend B6-4 engines AT LEAST, if not a C engine of your choice. It's small, but heavy for its size.

A great semi-scale kit, but a few things to know about. First, if you build even slightly heavy (extra paint, snap swivel, baffle, etc.), you're best off using at least a B engine. Second, the packaging won't tell you how to use all the decals, although you'll get a spiffy looking rocket either way. Third, the motor is installed with friction fit, but you can modify the kit to use a retainer ring or motor hook. Just keep in mind that this will hinder the scale looks. Finally, when installing weight into the nose, use epoxy to hold it in, as warm weather will soften the clay and it'll sometimes come loose or shift which can dramatically reduce the stability of your rocket.

This is a great little rocket to add to your collection. No suprises here - it was pretty much as I expected. Not hard to build - the most difficult thing was applying the decals only because there are tons of them - but that what makes this so great looking. I used a white gloss paint over the entire rocket. It comes with a little clay/putty that you push into the nose cone. I suspect this is for CG purposes. You'll need something much slimmer than a pencil that the instructions show. I used the end of a coat hanger but you could also use a launch rail. This is a beauty and I think you'll enjoy making it

I got mine from hobbylinc.pro over Christmas and have recently assembled it with the following modifications: I replaced the 18mm motor mount with a 24mm mount and lengthened the body tube by about 8 inches (with a body tube and connectors bought here as well) to compensate for the additional engine weight. I finished the rocket in Chrome spray paint and the stock decals made it look great! It did require a few lead split-shots epoxied in the tip of the nose cone to prevent instability. The boat-tail and canards give this bird a special look - add one to your fleet!

This rocket was my first scale model, and the rocket that got me back into the hobby. It flies great (just make sure to add the NC weight) and is a relatively simple build if you know what you're doing. It flies relatively straight with an occasional slow spin, but it looks amazing on your dresser, display stand whatever!

Another great offering from Estes. Nothing can be the price on this scale model. I gave it a four-star because it requires friction fit to put in the motor. If you use an engine hook, it becomes a much better rocket. It is doable to put in a hook and well worth the upgrade.

I have been flying Estes rocket since childhood. I have purchased a rocket kit to start off a new generation of flyers. The kit is very good quality and is a pleasure building it with the young kids.

This thing EXPLODED in my FACE before I launched it!! So cool. I preformed well after my eyelashes grew back. Totally recommend it.

Had this rocket when I was young my first rocket Great looking kit to have. MUST Have

Flys great. Decals and paint are a little tedious