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

Another classic kit recently re-released by Estes with some modernization. Avast! 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 be extremely excited t' get me Red Max kit. Avast, me proud beauty! Blimey! Ahoy! Blimey! I had been plannin' t' clone one for years but had never gotten around to it. Blimey! Blimey! 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. Avast! All o' the necessary components where in t' kit. Blimey! 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, but they still have some. Begad! What is lost in humor, matey, ya bilge rat, it gained in readability. Aye aye! T' new instructions are very clear and concise as are most from Estes these days. Gone are t' single sheet exploded assembly instructions, me bucko, 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. Well, blow me down! Next, shiver me timbers, matey, t' centerin' rings are glued in place over top o' t' hook. Ya scallywag! After assemblin' t' mount, shiver me timbers, it is glued into the main body tube.

T' fins are next. Ahoy! Aye aye! They are sanded and removed from their balsa carrier sheet. They are then sanded into an airfoil. 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. After it had, me hearties, ya bilge rat, shiver me timbers, I applied two heavy coats o' yellow glue fillets.

T' parachute for Der Red Max comes pre-assembled, like most Estes chutes these days. Well, blow me down! Blimey! Ya scallywag! Blimey! I opened t' package and tied it t' a snap swivel. Begad! Blimey! I tied t' shock cord t' t' nose cone loop. Aye aye! Blimey! Blimey! Blimey! 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. Begad! Blimey! Avast! Blimey! Lastly, matey, I glued t' standard tri-fold shock cord mount into t' airframe t' complete construction.

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

While I had no problems with t' waterslide decals, shiver me timbers, me hearties, I have heard grumblings online from people that they felt that t' decals were flimsy and difficult t' work with. Begad! Take your time and make sure that t' decals are completely wet through. Avast, me proud beauty! Aye aye! When placin' them, 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 be nay included in t' new kit. Avast! Arrr! I have heard rumors that future runs o' t' decals might include this, shiver me timbers, but it was nay in me decal set. Ya scallywag! Nay a huge omission, me bucko, but without it, t' kit doesn't have the complete look o' t' original. Begad! Avast, me proud beauty!

After t' decals were on and had dried for 24 hours, I coated t' rocket with Future Floor Polish with a foam brush. Begad! Ya scallywag! This be t' first time I had tried this particular technique and was 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. Well, blow me down! 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. Aye aye! Begad! Blimey! T' largish fins made t' rocket weathercock slightly. Begad! Perfect deployment just past apogee.

After t' first flight, arrr, I pulled out t' stops and gave Der Red Max flights on both t' C6-3 and C6-5. Ahoy! T' C6-3 was just a bit short and t' 5 second delay was just a bit long. Ahoy! 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. Blimey! Hadn't these cords been out o' favor since t' kit went out o' production in t' first place? I figured "what t' heck, shiver me timbers, I might as well give it a shot." T' length however was also a concern. Ahoy! It seemed a bit short. 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. Arrr! 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. Ya scallywag! 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, me hearties, me hearties, classic 3FNC design that wouldn't be half t' fun without it's wacky graphics. Aye aye! It is a pleasure t' finally be able t' build this rocket. While I built mine stock, ya bilge rat, me bucko, this airframe is just beggin' t' be souped up. Ahoy! Well, arrr, blow me down! 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, matey, but also stop by JimZ's rocket plan site and download t' original instructions. Aye aye! Blimey! Ya scallywag! Blimey! Blimey! Blimey! They are an entertainin' read.

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

Overall Rating: 4 out o' 5