NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC Rocket Launcher - Motorized Air Rocket Toy, Launch up to 200 ft, Outdoor Toys & Model Rockets, Gifts for Kids Ages 8-12, Space Toys

My 8 year old grandson lies this rocket. It's easy for him to launch, goes up pretty high, and the way it comes down like a helicopter is as cool as how it goes up. One frustrating thing was figuring out how to get it to launch. Instructions say to push the button one, two , or three times depending on how high you want it to go. What it doesn't tell you is first you have to push the button to just get the green light to glow, then the 1, 2, or 3 quick presses to get it to launch. Also, when it says don't launch in the wind it really means NO WIND. Even a slight breeze tips the rocket sideways and it crashes.

This a great gift!!! It really works well and is rugged enough for someone who can be careful with it (including managing a curious younger brother or sister).Things to know:Must fly in very light or no wind - rocket is light and can be blown sidewaysEven it is blown and flies into the ground it was not harmed and it is so light I was not worried about anyone getting hurt.It has a green light so it can easily flown at dusk when there is less wind - you can easily see it as it goes up and as it comes down.The helicopter return comes down reasonably quickly so if there is wind it doesn’t blow too far awayRecommend an open area at least 100 by 100 feet with no trees20 launches on a charge is great - a lot of playtimeNeeds a weed/grass free launch pad for the propeller - bring a 12 by 12” plywood launch pad if neededAll 3 fins need to be “tucked in” for launch or one may flip up and the rocket won’t fly right for that flightTemptation is to go for the maximum height right away- Don’t!!! Low flights help to check the wind above ground level and when calm even a low flight is pretty spectacular! Only do higher flights when you are sure of the wind.All around this is a spectacular toy!!!

Bought the rocket as a birthday gift for our 9 year old grandson (also knowing his 12 year old brother would enjoy it too.) The rocket deserves 5 stars for it's engineering, performance and "fun" level, but since it has to be light weight to fly, it is very fragile. It does fly very high and then opens to rotate "copter" style downward to land (but catching it can easily damage it). Being light weight - it is effected by the slightest breeze (any wind is even worse) and it must be flown in open spaces - far awary form obstructions (trees, houses). It is difficult to reassemble to fly again. It was hard for our boys to reassemble without help and took care and patience. The boys flew it on the second day by themselves and it was blown way over several roof tops, and after a thorough search - was never seen again. Lessons learned.

This is a great toy it flies great but does not do well in any wind whatsoever

Overall, good concept however not the best build.Rocket charges nicely and launch is relatively simple but it doesn’t really shoot straight upwards. And then the descend can be all over the place as the rotors spin. In theory it should land like a helicopter except it doesn’t and you could end up running a lot depending on where it drifts too

The media could not be loaded. We had a lot of fun playing with this, but we only got a few flights out of it before one of the thin Styrofoam wings tore. We do live in a wooded area, but we made sure to fly it in our driveway away from trees as much as possible. Sometimes it would land perfectly, but other times it would hit the ground the wrong way, and I think that's what made a wing tear.If the price on this was a little lower, we'd probably buy another one, but at what we paid, I don't think it's worth it. We've had little drones and rocket-type things, and they usually come with a few extra parts (like an extra set of wings, in case one set gets damaged or an extra propeller). At the price we paid, that would have been nice, and even expected. But this didn't come with any extras, so once a wing is damaged, you're out of luck.

This is a lot of fun for my Grandchildren, 5 & 2, we have a blast and it's exciting to see them so happy. Caution though, any breeze may put it on the roof, make sure you have lots of space. Handle with care, but so far so good. I would purchase for them again.

This rocket, as so many other reviews mention, is really fun to watch. It goes up satisfyingly high even on the lowest setting, and the highest power is impressive. Watching it come down is a marvel. You’ve probably never seen anything like it and your kids almost surely haven’t either.It’s important to reiterate some others’ points: you do need to make sure you truly have a wide open space and minimal wind. Either of these can really ruin the fun. And resetting the wings behind the clips (and not accidentally releasing them when pressing the launch button) can be a delicate operation. If the kids are easily frustrated with fine motor, somewhat fiddly tasks, this will be a trip to a vale of tears.But if the kids can be happy while being careful, and if they won’t mind the “get the hang of it”-ness of resetting the wings, the reward is well worth it. These rockets have such an innovative design, it’s hard for anyone not to be delighted, and the delight does not wear off quickly.We love this thing.