Used to have them also as a kids. Great fun! Too bad the ADD has taken over and most are "pre" assembled and only require some snapping together. It used to take me a week to build and paint one all nice. I would enter then in the county fairs too through 4-H.
Engines are $$$ now, used to cost a $1 a shot, now they are like $3 a shot. Good fun that is legal though.
MEAN MACHINE is 6' tall and like $30
They also have a 3 stager that goes like 2100 feet. You will not get that one back, so it sounds awesome, but really, you loose it due to the height.