Today I fired a total of 4*, D12-5 ESTES rocket engines with a bunch of friends. The first flight was on the commercial ESTES model rocket called 'Mean Machine' and the rocket fired first try. The burn duration was about 2 to 2.5 seconds and the ejection charge fired at the specified time as well, and the parachute deployed nominally. The next flight was for a rocket that I designed and the engine took a few tries to ignite but that was only because I crossed the wires of the e-match. Otherwise, the engine preformed well, the burn time and charge delay both performed nominally like before, but
--> the charge was powerfill enough to tear off the braided nylon mason line from it's anchor and subsequently soften the 3d printed PLA of the fuselage, causing the anchor to self-dissasemble and the nose cone, being very light, to drift with the parachute many hectometers away into the treetops, while the lower stage fell ballistically for us to examine. <--
The third launch was to re-launch the ESTES kit model we recovered and it went perfectly despite the parachute becoming a streamer after it got tangled in a tree on the flight before.
NOTE: the winds were between 3 and 8 mph on the first launch and increased to between 10 and 20mph on the subsequent three launches. Addiitionally, i was using a 6ft by 5mm (3/16'') launch rod I picked up from a hardware store and shoved it in the dirt with the standard exhaust shield that comes with the launch pad set and this worked better than anything else for holding the tall rocket vertical for extended periods of time ready on the pad before launch.
*The fourth launch was us being stupid and tying the engine to the side of some of the debris from the second rocket and sending it so it's not actually useful to include details.

looks like a challenging model to assemble.

Everything looks great in the box. Can't waite to get started on it
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Spectacular Kit, great to see Estes moving into the future with 3D printing and kits the long time loyal builders want to see vs the R2F stuff.

heven't built it yet, but looks good

Great model rocket kit! Expertly engineered and crafted with lots of scale details. Have been watching the construction videos which are very well done.

I first built and flew this kit in 2023 and really like how it flies. Slow, straight, and stable and smooth staging. The "slow" is great with no wind, but if it's windy you'll get some degree of weathercocking. A longer rod will help, but less wind is always preferable. I've flown it with E16-0 to E16-8 and with F15-0 to F15-8 and, with the two streamers, I had no trouble seeing the sustainer at apogee in a clear sky.

This is an amazing rocket projectI’dreally like to see it fly but even gentle land recoveries and ding up arocket pretty good. The tiny vernier nozzles on the boosters are just too delicate to take an ordinary landing. I think I’ve built a shelf queen.

Great way to get a better price on engines you use.

Accurate modeling and great looking features. I actually work to launch the Vulcan and so it is great for my kids to shoot up!

My son is really enjoying this advent calendar, I think he’ll be excited to have a rocket so different from the many he has made!

The Big Daddy was simple to build. I painted the nose cone blue and the body white. It looks great.

I think they will be perfect for the Bandit. I tried it with a X2 (looks like a lunar module) and it was not powerful enough.

Perfect for medium rocket in a smaller field.

I purchased this calendar earlier this year and enjoyed it through now, but came back hoping to get a 2026 edition. Hopefully in the next few weeks a new 2026 edition will be available for purchase!