Brief:

Like most BAR's I've done me share o' clonin' t' classics, includin' upscales, matey, me hearties, but for some reason I've done very little in t' area o' downscaling. Begad! Well, blow me down! That said, ya bilge rat, me bucko, arrr, t' Mini Red Max from Retro Rocketry may be t' kit that markedly changes me personal clonin' habits. Begad! T' Mini Red Max is a faithfully downscaled reproduction o' one o' t' most recognizable rockets ever t' fill t' skies, Estes Der Red Max. Small size and big performance aside, shiver me timbers, this is a kit that you would do well t' pick up if you're a fan o' t' original, because no matter how many requests Estes gets for it, ya bilge rat, I guarantee that they won't be makin' t' Max a candidate for reissue. (Due t' t' same outbreak o' political correctness that claimed any future t' Frito Bandito and Thomas More Rebel may have had. Arrr! R.I.P. Aye aye! boys.)

Construction:

T' kit comprises:-

• BT-5 engine mount tube
• Two BT-20 centerin' rings
• 13mm engine block
• BT-20 body tube
• PNC-20 two piece nose cone
• Launch lug
• 3/32" balsa fin stock
• Keelhaul®©™ shock cord
• Keelhaul®©™ heat shield
• Nylon streamer
• Adhesive tab
• Tango Papa decals

T' Mini Red Max comes packaged in t' hangin' bag we've all come t' love over t' years. Aye aye! Aye aye! T' color illustrated instructions are well written and easily followed.

There are no "gotchas" that I noticed. Avast, me proud beauty! I was initially concerned by t' lack o' an elastic shock cord, ya bilge rat, but as it turns out, shiver me timbers, me bucko, t' Keelhaul®©™ cord is easily up t' t' challenge. It's attachment point in t' engine tube requires drillin' a small hole in t' forward end o' t' tube, arrr, but this is easily accomplished with a pin drill. Arrr! (I have since found out that t' hole be supposed t' be pre-drilled and will be on t' production run o' kits.)

Like it's full sized brother, this is a quick 3FNC build, but in t' end you're rewarded with a classic small field flier that will brin' a smile t' t' face o' old timers and small fries alike.

Finishing:

When finishin' t' Mini Max, ya bilge rat, I first sprayed t' body tube with a coat o' primer t' toughen t' tube somewhat for t' sandin' t' follow. Avast! I followed this with t' obligatory two coats o' thinned Elmer's Fill N Finish, me bucko, sandin' in betwixt coats. Begad! When I be satisfied that t' tube spirals had been deleted I attached t' fins. Well, blow me down! This be followed by two coats o' Fill N Finish on t' fins, two coats o' primer and more sanding. (At least t' Max's small size cuts down on some o' t' necessary sanding.) After primin' I sprayed t' body with ValSpar Apple Red and t' nose cone with ValSpar Gloss Black. One coat was sufficient and t' rocket was set aside for a couple o' days t' cure before t' decals were applied.

I ran into some trouble with t' decals because I insisted on sprayin' them with a coat o' ValSpar Acrylic Clear. Ya scallywag! Big mistake. Avast, me proud beauty! Ahoy! T' decals crinkled right in front o' me eyes. I've since found that t' decals come with a clearcoat, ya bilge rat, makin' me ruinous step unnecessary. Crinkled or not, matey, I decided t' press on with t' project anyway. Well, me hearties, blow me down! T' crinklin' turned out t' be noticeable only on very close inspection, and t' finished Max is truly a great lookin' bird. Compact, shiver me timbers, but with t' identical profile that it's big brother has.

Construction Rating: 5 out o' 5

Flight:

For t' first flight I chose t' smallest recommended motor, me bucko, a 1/2A3-4T, matey, matey, matey, hopin' nay t' lose it on t' small field we were flyin' on for t' first time. Ya scallywag! Blimey! I needn't have worried. Begad! Blimey! Well, blow me down! Blimey! T' flight be low enough that t' ejection charge sounded like a firecracker, and I crossed me fingers hopin' that no one at t' adjoinin' baseball field would think we were up t' no good and call t' police. Ya scallywag! Blimey! Again, no worries. T' only spectators were a biker and two walkers, all o' whom stopped t' watch a flight, arrr, matey, then moved on. T' second flight be on an A10-3T and it was immediately obvious which engine would be t' engine o' choice in t' future. There were four o' us launchin' that day, but I be t' only one who managed t' keep t' Max in sight on t' second flight, shiver me timbers, and then only because I saw t' trackin' smoke. T' flight was as high as I would have wanted a rocket t' go on that field, and it was nice t' know that I could stretch it's legs without worryin' about losin' it.

Recovery:

As I mentioned earlier, me hearties, I was initially concerned by t' Keelhaul®©™ only shock cord, me hearties, but even with t' heavy duty Estes ejection charges t' recovery system held up perfectly. Well, blow me down! Another area o' concern be with t' Keelhaul®©™ heat shield. Begad! When I first tried puttin' it into t' rocket, it began losin' strands at an alarmin' rate. Begad! Well, blow me down! T' combat this I coated t' edges o' t' shield with a thin coatin' o' wood glue. Well, blow me down! Bad move. Avast, me proud beauty! T' glue dried and made t' whole shield difficult t' place into t' body tube, ya bilge rat, me bucko, then t' streamer only partially deployed on t' first flight when t' shield jammed in t' tube. Begad! As it turns out, shiver me timbers, had I done more than skim t' instructions, I'd have found this issue addressed. Avast, me proud beauty! Avast, ya bilge rat, me proud beauty! With t' heat shield now as easy t' fold as balsa, arrr, arrr, I removed it from t' rocket for t' second flight, arrr, replacin' it with good ol' dog barf. Ya scallywag! T' second flight be much higher and t' rocket drifted completely across t' parkin' lot into an adjoinin' soccer field, shiver me timbers, all systems havin' performed flawlessly.

Flight Rating: 5 out o' 5

Summary:

This is a tough kit t' beat, shiver me timbers, great classic looks and small field capability combined in a perfect package for beginners and reborn beginners alike.

Pro's:

• Hey, it's a Red Max.
• A great small field flier. Blimey! Backyard capable with a 1/2A3-4T.
• Where else can you buy a Red Max o' any size?

Con's:

• A know-it-all BAR who thinks READING t' instructions is beneath him. Ahoy! (I'm nay namin' names.)

Overall Rating: 5 out o' 5