If you want to begin to get into mid-power and possibly high-power rocketry, the Aerotech Initiator is probably the simplest way to get started. It is a rugged mid-size rocket kit that has a lot of features you'd typically find in beginner-level starter sets. Because of this, the rocket goes together very quickly and easily.
It has the great classic shape that everyone admires. From its 5:1 ogive nose cone, to the cranked trapezoidal shaped fins, this is beautiful rocket. The rocket is also colorful to look at. You just paint the nose cone red, and everything else white. The decals do all the rest of the decoration.
First, this kit uses pre-molded plastic fins. These are not wimpy fins though; They are extra thick to increase the durability of the rocket so it can survive those hard landings.
Second, it uses pre-slotted tubes and through-the-wall fin tabs to ensure that the fins are attached at the right angle and with the correct spacing. The precision alignment and spacing of the fins helps to keep the rocket on an arrow-straight trajectory. And the tab on the fin also increases the strength of the fin joint so that your fins will never simply pop off.
Finally, it has a simple white and red paint scheme, so you can move straight to flying the rocket without much painting time.
| This kit comes with these features: |
|---|
About the only drawback to the kit might be the assembly instructions. They could be clarified a bit more with better illustrations. We rank the Aerotech Initiator in the top 5 percent as far as kit quality goes. Most manufacturers don't put as much money into the development of their products as Aerotech does with its kits. You can tell that a lot of effort was put into the development of this kit by the amount of time and money that was spent to produce the plastic fins and the unique motor mount system. Aerotech has even patented the fin-lok system (U.S. Patent 5,004,186) and the plastic ejection baffle with the steel mesh (U.S. Patent 5,054,397). The manufacturing of the centering rings used in the kit also requires a special hydraulic punch because the resin reinforced paper is so tough. |
|
|
The long airframe tube has been pre-slotted so that the fins are evenly spaced around the tube and to ensure that they are perfectly straight. This is to ensure the rocket will fly as straight as an arrow when you launch it. Besides slots for the through-the-wall fins, there are slots for through-the-wall launch lugs! Again, the purpose of this is to make sure the two launch lugs are aligned perfectly so there is no binding on the launch rod. |
 This kit comes with a lightweight plastic nose cone. The most noticeable feature about it is how long it is. Pinocchio would be jealous of the length. The exposed portion is a full 13 inches long. |
 As mentioned above, the centering rings of this kit are made from a very tough resin impregnated paper. They must require some type of hydraulic punch to create them, because the edges are crisp and clean and don't have the burn residue that you'd get from a laser cutter. Each ring is also notched to fit over the metal engine hook. |
|
There is also a molded ejection charge retainer piece that holds in the metal baffle. This also has a dual purpose, to act as the anchor for the elastic shock cord. |
Heat sink baffle system: Aerotech calls this patented ejection baffle the labyrinth system. Essentially it uses a steel mesh to absorb the heat of the rocket engine's ejection charge. After a number of flights, it does also collect residue from the ejection charge, so it should be inspected to make sure air can still flow through it. |
 Aluminum screw-on retainer: Now comes with screw-on retainer included! This makes it easy to swap out rocket motors between flights. |
 Molded plastic launch lugs: While they are square in shape, they work great on a round 1/4-inch launch rod. There is also a small tab on the bottom side of the part that engages the small pre-cut slots on the main airframe tube. To our knowledge, the Aerotech kits are the only ones that use through-the-wall tabs on the launch lugs. |
 Molded plastic fins: What is cool is that they are pre-airfoiled and don't need any sanding. They have a sleek, knife-edge molded-in shape with a wide molded-in fillet on the root edge for more adhesive surface. Just think of how much time this will save you during construction. Attach them to the rocket, and they are ready for paint. |
|
NOTE: This kit no longer has the engine hook pictured - it comes with an engine retainer instead. |
 Large, sticker-type decals: Just cut them out and put them on your rocket. It will look great without a lot of hassle on your part. That is what you want in a rocket, right? |
 Lightweight nylon parachute: Aerotech uses the lightest weight rip-stop nylon cloth that we've ever seen. It almost has the feel of a silk chute. This allows it to be packed in a very tight space, even though there is plenty of room in this kit for a big chute. It is one chute you'll probably steal if you need a parachute in a smaller rocket that doesn't have enough room. Been there... done that!Elastic shock cord: The black elastic has a high-tech look to it, and fortunately, Aerotech has not skimped on the length. That means there is a miniscule chance of nose cone snap back. |
Pre-molded Fin-Lok™ rings: The rings serve a couple of functions. First, they hold the engine hook to the engine tube. They also have receptacle to hold the tabs on the fins. The part that is patented is the little hook that grips the molded ridge of the fin tab. That allows the fins to snap into place.
When all the fins are attached to the engine mount, the system transfers the flight forces evenly, making a very strong engine mount. It is engineered just like a real aerospace research rocket.Use the chart below to help determine which motor to use for this kit.
Estimated Altitude Predictions generated using RockSim
|
F20W-7
#62007 |
AeroTech
Single Use |
White Lightning
|
First Flight
|
797 ft
(243 m) |
See Motor
|
$45.99
2 pack |
|
F42T-8
#64208 |
AeroTech
Single Use |
Blue Thunder
|
Blue Flame
|
727 ft
(222 m) |
See Motor
|
$45.99
2 pack |
|
|
G77R-10
#77610 |
AeroTech
Single Use |
Red Line
|
Red Flame
Restricted: 18+ |
1685 ft
(514 m) |
See Motor
|
$27.81
|
|
G78G-10
#77310 |
AeroTech
Single Use |
Mojave Green
|
Green Flame
Restricted: 18+ |
1841 ft
(561 m) |
See Motor
|
$27.81
|
|
|
F62T-M
#66062 |
AeroTech
29/60 |
Blue Thunder
|
Requires Spacer
Restricted: 18+ |
577 ft
(176 m) |
See Motor
|
$16.04
|
|
G54W-M
#67054 |
AeroTech
29/100 |
White Lightning
|
Requires Motor Mount Modification
Restricted: 18+ |
1188 ft
(362 m) |
See Motor
|
$19.25
|
|
|
G77R-14
#67077 |
AeroTech
29/120 |
Red Line
|
Requires Motor Mount Modification
Restricted: 18+ |
1684 ft
(513 m) |
See Motor
|
$21.39
|
|
|
F40W-7
#64007 |
AeroTech
29/40-120 |
White Lightning
|
Restricted: 18+
|
1121 ft
(342 m) |
See Motor
|
$16.04
(HAZ) |
|
|
G76G-7
#77507 |
AeroTech
29/40-120 |
Mojave Green
|
Restricted: 18+
|
1906 ft
(581 m) |
See Motor
|
$18.18
|
|
Delay* given is recommended for calm wind conditions. Please double check with your RockSim file. Note: These motors (HAZ) are shipped with a HAZMAT fee of $28 on top of the standard UPS/FedEx ground shipping costs. (Learn More about HAZMAT Fees). These motors are non-returnable due to shipping regulations. If you are purchasing an age- or certification-restricted motor, please email or fax us a copy of your ID, or NAR or TRA membership card as soon as possible so we can get your order shipped promptly. We will keep note of your status on file, so you only have to do this once. If you are not certified, please see our information page for additional details on membership and high power certification. YOU MUST BE AT LEAST 18 YEARS OLD TO PURCHASE RELOAD KITS. 18+ - You must be at least 18yrs of age to purchase ths motor. Rocket motors are sold separately from the kit. For more help in selecting rocket motors, see our video tutorial. If you're unsure, start with the "First Flight" recommendation or the one with the lowest altitude, then go up from there. For other motors that are not tested or not listed here, download the Initiator RockSim file and load it to see if it will work in this rocket kit. See also Technical Publication #28 for guidance on selecting appropriate rocket engines other than those listed in this chart. |
To see how the Initiator looks and performs with each motor configuration, download the FREE RockSim design file.
This file can be opened with the FREE demo version of RockSim. Both Windows and Macintosh versions are available.
What is a RockSim Design file?
The RockSim software gives you a lot of information about the flight characteristics of this rocket: how high, how fast, where it will land, how will it react to wind, etc. The "design file" is intended to save you time. All the parameters (size, shape, weight, fin design, etc.) of this rocket have already been entered into the RockSim program, and saved as an electronic database file. You can just open it up in your copy of RockSim and start loading different rocket motors to run launch simulations. It's fun and educational to see the rocket zoom skyward, even before you built it. For more information about RockSim and to download a FREE 30-day demo version, click here.
- Pencil
- Ruler
- Scissors
- Masking Tape
- Hobby Knife - X-Acto with #11 Blade
- Adhesives - 5-Minute Epoxy or super glue
- Adhesives - Wood Glue
- Long Dowel To Spread Glue Inside The Body Tube
- Finishing Supplies like sanding sealer, paint and sandpaper (200 and 400 grit).
- Launch Pad & Controller - See FAQs tab for recommended choices.
- Recovery Wadding - Disposable | Reusable
- Rocket Motors - See the motor selection tab.
- Fix-It Epoxy Clay for fillets - optional, but recommended
Yes. You can get the rocket, the launch pad, and the controller as a complete system and save some money too. All you have to order separately are the rocket engines. Click here for more details.
Since this is a big rocket, you'll need very stable launch pad. The Aerotech Mantis Launch Pad will work great!
Watch this YouTube video - How to Select Model Rocket Engines
We encourage you to learn the proper motor selection technique. Please watch our YouTube video that will walk you step-by-step through the process
Random Selected Reviews:
Michael Blake -- 05/06/2013Richard Laherty -- 06/18/2015Haruhiko Shinkai -- 10/02/2012But it's Very Good!
-
The deluxe launch controller you can safely use with smaller children because it requires two-hand operation and has the longest wire (40 feet) of...
$79.99
-
This is an audible beacon that screams out a loud siren to let you know where your rocket is. It is great for small rocket that land in tall grass....
$12.00 -
This is a single-use model rocket motor, but you put-it-together. This allows it to be shipped without a hazmat fee. Produces a bright red flame and...
$27.81
With is low average thrust, the F20 model rockets motor is a nice way to get your first experience using 29mm motors. This creates a nice white flame...
Whenever you launch a rocket, you need flame-resistant wadding inside to protect the parachute or streamer from being melted into a plastic wad.
-
Model Rocket Design Software for Mac & Windows. How High Will Your Rocket Fly?
$123.60
 |
 |