Brief:
Used a LOC/Precision Lil' Nuke kit t' approximate a 1.38 upscale o' t' Estes Der Big Red Max. Avast, me proud beauty!

Modifications:
After losin' a few auctions for a Der Red Max I decided t' build me own. Avast! I noticed on Jim Z's site that Estes had released a Der Big Red Max with an 18" length body tube. Ya scallywag! I figured I would try buildin' an upscale version usin' a LOC/Precision Lil' Nuke kit. Begad! I have always enjoyed t' sturdiness of the buildin' components o' LOC/Precision kits. Arrr! Begad! 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. Avast! Begad!

I used a Lil' Nuke kit parts and new fins cut from 1/8" aircraft plywood. Ahoy! I followed t' Lil' Nuke instructions t' construct t' motor mount and install t' shock cord mount. Begad! T' new fins were cut from 1/8" plywood usin' a pattern developed from t' Jim Z web site. A razor saw and steel ruler worked well t' cut t' new fins with straight lines. Ahoy! 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! Begad! After a couple o' coat o' primer I was 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. Begad! Applyin' t' decals was relatively easy but a word o' caution: once you have t' decal where you want it do NOT touch it. Aye aye! I managed t' put a slight tear in one o' me decals because I could not leave good enough alone. Arrr! Begad! T' tear was easily repaired with a black permanent marker. After t' decals were dry I applied a couple o' coats for Johnson Floor Finish.

Flight:
I launched t' Der Big Red Max 1.38x at NARAM-43 on an AeroTech F20-7. Begad! I friction-fitted t' motor in place. Begad! T' flight be nice and straight but the delay was quite a bit longer than 7 seconds. Arrr! I thought for sure it be 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. Ya scallywag! Ya scallywag!

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