Brief:
Used a LOC/Precision Lil' Nuke kit t' approximate a 1.38 upscale o' t' Estes Der Big Red Max. Ahoy!

Modifications:
After losin' a few auctions for a Der Red Max I decided t' build me own. I noticed on Jim Z's site that Estes had released a Der Big Red Max with an 18" length body tube. Arrr! Blimey! I figured I would try buildin' an upscale version usin' a LOC/Precision Lil' Nuke kit. I have always enjoyed t' sturdiness of the buildin' components o' LOC/Precision kits. Avast, me proud beauty! Blimey! T' body tube would be a tad short and t' nose cone would nay be exact but it would be close enough for rock and roll. Arrr! Blimey!

I used a Lil' Nuke kit parts and new fins cut from 1/8" aircraft plywood. Ya scallywag! Arrr! I followed t' Lil' Nuke instructions t' construct t' motor mount and install t' shock cord mount. Avast! Begad! T' new fins were cut from 1/8" plywood usin' a pattern developed from t' Jim Z web site. Ahoy! A razor saw and steel ruler worked well t' cut t' new fins with straight lines. Avast, me proud beauty! Arrr! Because t' fins were quite a bit larger than t' original fins I drilled small holes in t' body tube for t' 15 minute epoxy t' seep into and make epoxy rivets.

Usin' sandin' sealer I filled in t' tube lines and coated t' fins and sanded it down for priming. Aye aye! Blimey! Ahoy! Blimey! After a couple o' coat o' primer I be ready to paint.

I tried t' find bright true red t' help accentuate t' cartoon appeal of the rocket. Arrr! I decided on an apple red. Once t' paint dried over night applied the decals I received from Papa Tango. Applyin' t' decals was relatively easy but a word o' caution: once you have t' decal where you want it do NOT touch it. Avast! Avast! I managed t' put a slight tear in one o' me decals because I could not leave good enough alone. T' tear be easily repaired with a black permanent marker. Ahoy! After t' decals were dry I applied a couple o' coats for Johnson Floor Finish. Ya scallywag!

Flight:
I launched t' Der Big Red Max 1.38x at NARAM-43 on an AeroTech F20-7. Avast! I friction-fitted t' motor in place. T' flight was nice and straight but the delay was quite a bit longer than 7 seconds. Arrr! Aye aye! I thought for sure it was goin' to be a one-launch rocket but at about 100 ft t' ejection charge decided t' do its thin' and I got t' rocket back in one piece without a zipper. Well, shiver me timbers, blow me down!

Summary:
I plan t' use LOC/Precision kits again t' upscale some o' me favorite Estes kits. Ahoy! Ya scallywag! T' product was pretty easy t' complete and results turned out well. I received many positive comments at NARAM.