Officially it’s the LAMPMU – Low Altitude Mars Personal Maneuvering Unit – but no one on Earth or Mars calls it that. To most people it’s simply “The Leaper.” Developed for the first Mars Expedition of 2035, the jetpack was envisioned as a way to rapidly travel between surface habitats. What the engineers didn’t count on was just how fun it would be! “Why walk when you can leap!” exclaimed Mission Commander Grace Henry, removing her helmet after the first test flight in the thin Martian atmosphere. And from that moment on, it was “The Leaper!”
The easy-to-assemble Leaper is an exciting addition to the Estes Destination Mars collection. You’ve never seen a model rocket like this before! Constructed from durable EPP foam, the Beginner-Level Leaper is a prefinished rocket that can be ready to launch in minutes. No gluing, sanding, or painting required for this kit. Simply insert the stabilizer rods and your model is ready for the launch pad. The lightweight Leaper features featherweight recovery – at the peak of flight, the engine ejects, shifting the rocket’s center of gravity for a gentle, upright landing without a parachute or streamer. Amazing! On launch day, prep the Leaper for flight with the recommended Estes A10-0T engine. There’s no engine hook – just add a few layers of masking tape around the middle of the engine for a friction fit and engine retention during flight. At launch, balanced by the extended stabilizer rods, the Leaper can reach up to 75 ft. – high enough to impress but still low enough to track. Modest altitude flights also make the Leaper a great choice for small flying fields. At apogee and engine ejection, the Leaper rights itself and lands safely on its tripod legs. Mars survey mission completed – ready to launch again!
WHAT YOU NEED TO LAUNCH (sold separately): Estes Porta-Pad II Launch Pad and Electron Beam Launch Controller, Estes model rocket engines, starters and recovery wadding. Four 1.5V high quality AA alkaline batteries are also required for launch controller (not included).
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J LaPointe (former NASA contractor) –
I bought this rocket for a several reasons- it’s inexpensive, durable, looks neat, and very entertaining for my 3 year old grandson. It’s also great for a small area launch, so it fit my requirements. I’m not sure why others are giving this rocket low reviews. It met my expectations and my grandsons.
Tc –
I thought wow finally a Spaceman rocket but what a complete waste of money do not buy this Estes has really failed us on this one I would be much happier if it had I only paid $5.99
Rob Hoffman –
What you see is not what you get.
I’ve been flying Estes rockets for 28 years and there’s been some good times and not so good times when it comes to Estes and the quality of their product offering.
This is the first time I’ve been shocked by how much of a difference there was between the product inside the box and the product pictured on the box. The photos would have you thinking this is a hollow plastic mold with great detail like the 1/200 Saturn V. It’s not. It’s foam! The kind where you can see individual balls. The legs are clear versus solid white, and normally I wouldn’t care, but the rocket in the box is far from what I was expecting. I’m loving the new ownership and the 2020 catalog was one of the best I’ve seen. I was honestly disappointed. If this was a $10 rocket, maybe I would have not had such high expectations but $25 is a lot for something that looks like it came from the dollar store.