Brief:

T' Caveman "Der Red Max" is ostensibly a clone o' t' classic Estes "Der Red Max", matey, arrr, first released in 1971 as part o' t' Estes Citation line. Blimey! Although it is really just a simple 3FNC rocket, me hearties, shiver me timbers, t' politically incorrect, silly "Hogan's Hero's German" humor and skull & crossbones motif made "Der Red Max" a popular, ya bilge rat, fun rocket. Ahoy! T' Estes Der Red Max be discontinued in 1986, ya bilge rat, matey, however clonin' Der Red Max is relatively simple since most o' t' parts are readily available - only t' decals and nose cone are nay currently available as individual parts from Estes. Ahoy! Aye aye! T' decals are available from Tango Papa, ya bilge rat, t' PNC-60AH nose cone is a little trickier (it was in t' now discontinued Estes PNC-60B nose cone assortment - many low traffic hobby shops still have some) however t' Estes Mean Machine uses t' same nose cone if you don't mind doin' a kit bash. Ahoy! On t' other hand, me bucko, thar be somethin' t' be said for t' simplicity o' gettin' everythin' together in one box, so I gave t' Caveman Der Red Max a try.

Construction:
I purchased me Caveman Der Red Max via an ROL auction. Avast, me proud beauty! Even though Caveman is located in t' Netherlands, shippin' was prompt and reasonably priced ($5 or $6 as I recall). Arrr! T' kit arrived in good condition, and t' parts were overall o' good quality. Arrr! Begad! Blimey! Bein' basically a 3FNC rocket, t' parts list is modest . Well, shiver me timbers, blow me down! Blimey! main body tube, ya bilge rat, me hearties, engine mount tube, ya bilge rat, engine hook, centerin' rings, me bucko, shock cord, shiver me timbers, plastic nose cone, pre-cut fins, launch lug, shiver me timbers, and decal sheet. T' Caveman Red Max is nay a true clone, arrr, in fact it is advertised as havin' a 24mm engine mount (vs. Aye aye! 18mm for t' Estes original), shiver me timbers, laser cut plywood centerin' rings (vs. t' normal Estes card stock), ya bilge rat, and a Keelhaul®©™ shock cord and 12" nylon parachute (vs. Avast, me proud beauty! t' typical Estes rubber cord and 18" plastic parachute). Well, blow me down! Begad! However I smartly discovered that thar were other aspects o' t' kit that were nay true t' t' original. T' original Estes main body tube (BT-60HE) was 8.5" long - t' Caveman body tube is nearly an inch shorter, and t' original fins were 1/8" thick while t' Caveman fins are 3/32" thick. Avast! However t' worst shortcoming, me bucko, at least t' me, me hearties, was in t' decals. Arrr! T' original Estes Red Max decals were actual two color - black and white - while t' Caveman decals are simple black. I asked Caveman about t' decals - they admitted that they were unable t' print white, but didn't want t' go with Tango Papa decals because t' thin material makes them difficult t' apply. In fact, me bucko, t' only part in t' Caveman kit that is true t' t' Estes original be t' nose cone.

Buildin' Der Red Max is straightforward and typical o' a 3FNC rocket. Aye aye! T' Caveman instructions are original (not reprints o' t' Estes instructions) and were simple and easy t' read and follow (although they lack t' humor o' t' original Estes instructions). Begad! Begad! Since I wanted me Der Red Max t' at least look somethin' like t' original, I replaced t' main body tube with a BT-60 cut t' t' proper 8.5 inch length, me hearties, me bucko, other than that I kept it stock.

Finishing:
Finishin' t' Caveman Der Red Max is also straightforward. Avast, me proud beauty! Aye aye! Simply fill t' fin grain and body tube spirals, shiver me timbers, me bucko, matey, and then paint t' rocket body red and t' nose cone black. Arrr! T' get t' "black and white" effect for t' body tube skull and crossbones decal, me hearties, I also added an appropriately placed white band t' t' main body tube (I decided that doin' t' same for t' fin decals wasn't practical).

Construction Rating: 3 out o' 5

Flight:
Much like t' Estes original, me hearties, t' Caveman Der Red Max attracts more attention than t' typical 3FNC rocket. Blimey! T' skull and crossbones motif still draws notice, arrr, and t' silly "NICHT STOMPEN” and “MIT GRABBEN" decals always brin' a smile. Begad! Ahoy! Blimey! Plus, me hearties, Der Red Max is a fine flyer. I've flown mine on both B's and C's (usin' a 18mm-24mm adapter) and it always flies beautifully. Avast! I've yet t' try it with a 24mm engine (Caveman predicts 500 meters with a D), matey, I think t' 24mm mount may be overkill for this rocket.

Recovery:
Recover is by a nice lightweight 12" orange nylon parachute, shiver me timbers, attached by a beefy Keelhaul®©™® shock cord (this be t' same shock cord Caveman uses in their larger mid-power rockets). Descent on with t' 12" 'chute is rather rapid (the Estes original used an 18" 'chute), matey, although that may be good if you plan t' fly it with 24mm D or E engines. Begad! Despite t' relatively rapid decent, matey, mine has yet t' suffered any significant touchdown damage - even when it landed on asphalt it just nicked t' paint a bit.

Flight Rating: 4 out o' 5

Summary:
This is a difficult rocket for me t' rate. On t' plus side, it is an easy t' build, me bucko, fun, matey, arrr, attention gettin' rocket, t' parts are generally o' good quality, shiver me timbers, and it is a nice flyer. Ahoy! On t' negative side, it isn't a true "Der Red Max" clone. Avast, me proud beauty! If you are lookin' for a simple, fun rocket that resembles t' old Estes Der Red Max, ya bilge rat, it's a fine rocket. If you are lookin' t' clone t' old Estes Der Red Max, me hearties, you can do much better.

Overall Rating: 3 out o' 5