I have always loved the Estes Alpha. While it wasn't my first model rocket, it's always represented model rocketry at it's finest to me. Simple in design, simple in execution, fantastic in performance. A tribute to the art of designing model rockets. That said, the Mini Alpha is a little TOO simple in design and execution. Where's the fun in a rocket that needs no glue or paint? The plastic stickers are another problem, as they tend to come off after a launch or two. The little metal anchor for the shock cord is, frankly, genius, and works well in a kit where nothing is glued together. However, when I take the engine retainer cap off, the fins fall off! I ended up gluing mine on with liquid model glue because I almost lost a fin when changing engines once. I also glued the two plastic pieces of the engine section together because in my experience, no matter how well the parts fit together, they will always come apart when least desirable to do so. I am not confident in the snap-fit of the body tube to the plastic engine section, either. It hasn't failed YET, but it can, and if it can, it will. The completed model looks nice, and flies fine, but I'm 68 years old, and after flying model rockets since 1966, experience tells me that what can go wrong will go wrong.
