Brief:

Like most BAR's I've done me share o' clonin' t' classics, includin' upscales, arrr, but for some reason I've done very little in t' area o' downscaling. Begad! That said, t' Mini Red Max from Retro Rocketry may be t' kit that markedly changes me personal clonin' habits. Ya scallywag! 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. Avast! Small size and big performance aside, matey, me hearties, 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, I guarantee that they won't be makin' t' Max a candidate for reissue. Arrr! Avast, me proud beauty! (Due t' t' same outbreak o' political correctness that claimed any future t' Frito Bandito and Thomas More Rebel may have had. Avast! Ahoy! R.I.P. Ya scallywag! 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. Ya scallywag! Blimey! T' color illustrated instructions are well written and easily followed.

There are no "gotchas" that I noticed. Ya scallywag! I be initially concerned by t' lack o' an elastic shock cord, arrr, but as it turns out, me hearties, ya bilge rat, t' Keelhaul®©™ cord is easily up t' t' challenge. Aye aye! It's attachment point in t' engine tube requires drillin' a small hole in t' forward end o' t' tube, but this is easily accomplished with a pin drill. (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, ya bilge rat, this is a quick 3FNC build, ya bilge rat, 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, me bucko, me hearties, I first sprayed t' body tube with a coat o' primer t' toughen t' tube somewhat for t' sandin' t' follow. Aye aye! I followed this with t' obligatory two coats o' thinned Elmer's Fill N Finish, me bucko, sandin' in betwixt coats. Avast, me proud beauty! When I be satisfied that t' tube spirals had been deleted I attached t' fins. Avast, me proud beauty! This was followed by two coats o' Fill N Finish on t' fins, shiver me timbers, two coats o' primer and more sanding. Begad! Arrr! (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 be 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. Big mistake. Ahoy! T' decals crinkled right in front o' me eyes. Ahoy! Ahoy! I've since found that t' decals come with a clearcoat, makin' me ruinous step unnecessary. Avast, me proud beauty! Crinkled or not, matey, I decided t' press on with t' project anyway. Aye aye! T' crinklin' turned out t' be noticeable only on very close inspection, me bucko, and t' finished Max is truly a great lookin' bird. Blimey! Arrr! Compact, 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, a 1/2A3-4T, ya bilge rat, hopin' nay t' lose it on t' small field we were flyin' on for t' first time. Begad! I needn't have worried. Avast, me proud beauty! Begad! T' flight was 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! Again, arrr, no worries. T' only spectators were a biker and two walkers, all o' whom stopped t' watch a flight, matey, me bucko, then moved on. Avast! Begad! T' second flight was on an A10-3T and it be immediately obvious which engine would be t' engine o' choice in t' future. Well, blow me down! There were four o' us launchin' that day, arrr, but I was t' only one who managed t' keep t' Max in sight on t' second flight, and then only because I saw t' trackin' smoke. Ya scallywag! T' flight was as high as I would have wanted a rocket t' go on that field, me bucko, and it be nice t' know that I could stretch it's legs without worryin' about losin' it.

Recovery:

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

Flight Rating: 5 out o' 5

Summary:

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

Pro's:

• Hey, ya bilge rat, ya bilge rat, it's a Red Max.
• A great small field flier. Arrr! Avast! 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. (I'm nay namin' names.)

Overall Rating: 5 out o' 5