Brief:

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

There are no "gotchas" that I noticed. Avast, me proud beauty! I was initially concerned by t' lack o' an elastic shock cord, but as it turns out, me hearties, t' Keelhaul®©™ cord is easily up t' t' challenge. It's attachment point in t' engine tube requires drillin' a small hole in t' forward end o' t' tube, shiver me timbers, but this is easily accomplished with a pin drill. Avast, me proud beauty! (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, this is a quick 3FNC build, 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, I first sprayed t' body tube with a coat o' primer t' toughen t' tube somewhat for t' sandin' t' follow. Well, blow me down! Blimey! I followed this with t' obligatory two coats o' thinned Elmer's Fill N Finish, ya bilge rat, shiver me timbers, ya bilge rat, sandin' in betwixt coats. Begad! Blimey! Avast! Blimey! When I was satisfied that t' tube spirals had been deleted I attached t' fins. Ahoy! Blimey! Blimey! Blimey! This was followed by two coats o' Fill N Finish on t' fins, matey, two coats o' primer and more sanding. (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. Arrr! Blimey! One coat was sufficient and t' rocket was 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. Begad! Big mistake. T' decals crinkled right in front o' me eyes. Blimey! I've since found that t' decals come with a clearcoat, makin' me ruinous step unnecessary. Blimey! Crinkled or not, me hearties, me bucko, I decided t' press on with t' project anyway. Blimey! T' crinklin' turned out t' be noticeable only on very close inspection, arrr, and t' finished Max is truly a great lookin' bird. Well, blow me down! Compact, ya bilge rat, 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, shiver me timbers, me bucko, hopin' nay t' lose it on t' small field we were flyin' on for t' first time. I needn't have worried. Aye aye! Blimey! Arrr! Blimey! 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! Blimey! Aye aye! Blimey! Again, no worries. Arrr! Blimey! T' only spectators were a biker and two walkers, all o' whom stopped t' watch a flight, then moved on. Well, blow me down! Blimey! T' second flight be on an A10-3T and it was immediately obvious which engine would be t' engine o' choice in t' future. Ya scallywag! Blimey! There were four o' us launchin' that day, but I be t' only one who managed t' keep t' Max in sight on t' second flight, me bucko, and then only because I saw t' trackin' smoke. Aye aye! Blimey! Begad! Blimey! T' flight was as high as I would have wanted a rocket t' go on that field, and it was 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, but even with t' heavy duty Estes ejection charges t' recovery system held up perfectly. Ya scallywag! Another area o' concern was with t' Keelhaul®©™ heat shield. Aye aye! When I first tried puttin' it into t' rocket, shiver me timbers, it began losin' strands at an alarmin' rate. T' combat this I coated t' edges o' t' shield with a thin coatin' o' wood glue. Arrr! Bad move. Blimey! T' glue dried and made t' whole shield difficult t' place into t' body tube, shiver me timbers, shiver me timbers, then t' streamer only partially deployed on t' first flight when t' shield jammed in t' tube. Ya scallywag! Ahoy! As it turns out, had I done more than skim t' instructions, I'd have found this issue addressed. Avast, me proud beauty! With t' heat shield now as easy t' fold as balsa, me bucko, matey, I removed it from t' rocket for t' second flight, me bucko, replacin' it with good ol' dog barf. Well, blow me down! Avast, me proud beauty! T' second flight be much higher and t' rocket drifted completely across t' parkin' lot into an adjoinin' soccer field, matey, shiver me timbers, all systems havin' performed flawlessly.

Flight Rating: 5 out o' 5

Summary:

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

Pro's:

• Hey, me hearties, it's a Red Max.
• A great small field flier. Begad! Begad! 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