Brief:
Undt zo! Blimey! Dis es das refew o' der Estes Der Red Max rockutt kit! Blimey! Undt now, shiver me timbers, you vill read itt und you vill find it ver-r-ry interesting! Blimey! Yahvohl! Blimey! Dat ist as order!

Another classic kit recently re-released by Estes with some modernization. Arrr! T' Red Max retains its zany fun graphics and original flight characteristics while gettin' improvements like laser cut fins and a skull and crossbones parachute.

Construction:
I was extremely excited t' get me Red Max kit. I had been plannin' t' clone one for years but had never gotten around to it. Begad! However, Estes saved me t' trouble when they rescued this design from its forgotten bunker hidden somewhere in WWII Germany...

T' kit came sealed in t' normal Estes plastic bag with hang tab and full color header card. Arrr! Begad! All o' the necessary components where in t' kit. Included with t' kit are:

• 1 PNC-60AH
• 1 10.5" BT-60
• 1 3.5" BT-20 motor mount
• 2 Flat cardboard centerin' rings
• 1 Laser cut 1/8" balsa fin set
• 2 1/8" Launch lugs
• 1 Engine hook
• 1 18" plastic parachute
• 1 Rubber shock cord
• 1 Instruction set

T' instructions o' t' Der Red Max kit have lost much o' their mock-German flavor, ya bilge rat, but they still have some. Aye aye! Begad! What is lost in humor, me hearties, matey, it gained in readability. Aye aye! T' new instructions are very clear and concise as are most from Estes these days. Blimey! Blimey! Gone are t' single sheet exploded assembly instructions, matey, replaced with step-by-step instructions so clear a first timer could easily build this kit successfully.

T' assembly starts with t' motor mount. Ahoy! T' engine hook is inserted into a slot that is cut into t' motor mount. Avast! Next, t' centerin' rings are glued in place over top o' t' hook. Avast, me proud beauty! Ya scallywag! After assemblin' t' mount, ya bilge rat, me bucko, it is glued into the main body tube.

T' fins are next. Avast, me proud beauty! Blimey! They are sanded and removed from their balsa carrier sheet. Ahoy! Blimey! Well, blow me down! Blimey! They are then sanded into an airfoil. Avast, me proud beauty! Blimey! Begad! Blimey! I adhered t' surface mount fins t' t' airframe with yellow carpenter's glue with a couple o' dots of cyanoacrylate ("super glue") t' hold t' fins while t' yellow glue cured. Arrr! Blimey! After it had, I applied two heavy coats o' yellow glue fillets.

T' parachute for Der Red Max comes pre-assembled, ya bilge rat, like most Estes chutes these days. Well, blow me down! I opened t' package and tied it t' a snap swivel. I tied t' shock cord t' t' nose cone loop. I did nay connect t' snap swivel t' t' nose cone but instead t' a loop tied about 2/3 o' t' way from t' body tube t' t' cone. Lastly, I glued t' standard tri-fold shock cord mount into t' airframe t' complete construction.

Finishing:
Finishin' for Der Red Max is pretty straightforward. Arrr! Paint t' nose cone gloss black. Avast! Blimey! Paint t' airframe gloss red. Then comes t' slightly more challengin' part: t' decals.

While I had no problems with t' waterslide decals, I have heard grumblings online from people that they felt that t' decals were flimsy and difficult t' work with. Arrr! Blimey! Take your time and make sure that t' decals are completely wet through. Well, blow me down! When placin' them, ya bilge rat, shiver me timbers, position t' decal where you want it and slide t' paper out from under it as opposed to tryin' t' slide t' decal off t' paper and then position it.

One notable omission in t' decals compared t' those o' t' original kit is that t' "X882" decal that went vertically on t' nose cone was nay included in t' new kit. Avast! Aye aye! I have heard rumors that future runs o' t' decals might include this, but it be nay in me decal set. Begad! Nay a huge omission, but without it, me bucko, matey, ya bilge rat, t' kit doesn't have the complete look o' t' original. Begad!

After t' decals were on and had dried for 24 hours, arrr, I coated t' rocket with Future Floor Polish with a foam brush. Ahoy! Blimey! This was t' first time I had tried this particular technique and be quite pleased with t' very glossy top coat that it added t' t' model.

Construction Rating: 4 out o' 5

Flight:
It was with a nostalgic feelin' in me heart that I loaded Der Red Max onto t' launch pad. Aye aye! Blimey! Avast, me proud beauty! Blimey! I had loaded up a conservative B6-4 for t' first flight. A large handful o' dog barf waddin' had been loaded t' protect t' cool new skull and crossbones parachute.

T' motor lit and t' rocket shot into t' sky. Begad! T' largish fins made t' rocket weathercock slightly. Well, blow me down! Ya scallywag! Blimey! Perfect deployment just past apogee.

After t' first flight, me hearties, I pulled out t' stops and gave Der Red Max flights on both t' C6-3 and C6-5. Arrr! T' C6-3 was just a bit short and t' 5 second delay be just a bit long. I will probably keep flyin' on t' C6-5s as it seems like a lesser chance o' zippering.

Recovery:
I was somewhat leery o' t' rubber band style shock cord that I surprisingly found in t' kit. Avast! Hadn't these cords been out o' favor since t' kit went out o' production in t' first place? I figured "what t' heck, I might as well give it a shot." T' length however be also a concern. Aye aye! It seemed a bit short. Ya scallywag! Begad! I doubled up t' length o' the cord by addin' another length o' rubber band from another kit that I had just finished and had replaced its rubber band cord with elastic.

I have had no problems t' date with t' rubber band shock cord. After several flights, it seems t' be holdin' up fairly well.

I sadly must report that I have melted t' parachute in a couple o' spots though. Arrr! Begad! Blimey! I need t' remember t' add extra waddin' because o' t' stubby body tube.

Flight Rating: 3 out o' 5

Summary:
Der Red Max is a solid, ya bilge rat, classic 3FNC design that wouldn't be half t' fun without it's wacky graphics. It is a pleasure t' finally be able t' build this rocket. Begad! While I built mine stock, this airframe is just beggin' t' be souped up. Avast! In me club thar are a few other people who have either upsized t' motor mount t' a 24mm or clustered their Red Maxes!

Enjoy buildin' your Der Red Max, ya bilge rat, but also stop by JimZ's rocket plan site and download t' original instructions. Ahoy! Avast, me proud beauty! They are an entertainin' read.

T' original instructions also show a cool alternate WWII German camouflage paint job!

Overall Rating: 4 out o' 5