Brief:   This is an E2X series - requires minimal construction time and no painting is required. Builds completely with plastic model cement. Produces a sharp looking military style rocket in about 1/2 hour! This is one of the new releases for 1999.

Construction: The kit comes packaged in a graphic intensive cardboard box. Inside the parts are bagged. My kit was part of the first production run and I found no errors in packing or instructions. The well illustrated instructions take you from opening the box to flight prep in 8 steps. The kit uses pre-colored & slotted body tubes in combination with plastic fins. Anyone that has built a plastic model kit and/or is familiar with the use of plastic model cement should have no difficulty building a rocket to be proud of! 

Finishing: The Estes E2X Series of kits require no painting so finishing consists of applying the peel & stick decals. The Heat Seeker kit includes a large decal sheet that really dresses up the rocket.

Construction Rating: 5 out of 5

Flight: This kit suggests the use of the following motors (& corresponding predicted alt.):

Flights on C6-5 have proven to be very exciting! The Heat Seeker flies straight and true. Estes' prediction of 800' appears to be about right.

Recovery: The 12" parachute is pre-assembled. We did have the original chute strip on a C6-5. The airframe landed on the field with no damage.

Flight Rating: 4 ½ out of 5

Summary: I like the looks and the performance of this kit. There is minimal time and money involved which translates into a "frequent flyer" for most people. My 6 year old thinks it's one of the coolest kits in the catalog. This would make a great rainy afternoon project to get some quality time with the kids!

Overall Rating: 4 out of 5