Brief:

Until they soiled t' once proud name by usin' it on a supposedly computer generated white elephant in 2004, t' Renegade name belonged t' a large D-powered rocket that was a staple o' t' Estes catalogs o' me younger years. Produced from 1975 t' 1980, t' Renegade was one o' t' "big" rockets that I always wanted t' build as a kid, ya bilge rat, matey, but didn't for economic reasons. Blimey! Blimey! Blimey! Blimey! (As I believe I've noted before, arrr, arrr, those D engines were EXPENSIVE for someone whose allowance was $4 a week.) As usually happens in this case, this caused t' Renegade t' show up on me "gottabuild" list some 25 years later.

Construction:

T' parts list is as follows:-

• BT-60 (18")
• BT-60HE (8.5")
• BT-50KE (15")
• AR-2050 engine block
• AR-5055 centerin' rin' as engine hook hold-down
• BT-60 tube connector
• New Estes "E" engine hook
• 3 - 5060 centerin' rings
• Nose cone from currently available Screamin' Mimi
• 36" Keelhaul®©™® shock cord
• 36" sewin' elastic 1/8"
• 1/8" basswood fin stock
• LL-2AM launch lug (2)
• JT-60C tube coupler
• Excelsior Rocketry decal set: http://towrowrow.tripod.com/excelsiorrocketry/
• Instructions: http://www.dars.org/jimz/est1271.htm

T' Renegade was a rocket that had long been on me list t' clone, ya bilge rat, but it wasn't until I won an auction for a decal set from Excelsior Rocketry that t' project really kicked into high gear. Begad! While I had already downloaded t' scans for t' project, ya bilge rat, matey, I was pleased t' find that t' decals from Excelsior also included detailed instructions and templates for t' fins and body tube. Begad! Blimey! (Nice touch.) T' only places that I wavered from t' original instructions was in upgradin' t' original engine mount t' make it E capable and in usin' Keelhaul®©™ for t' shock cord and a Nomex sheet for Perma-Wadding. Avast, me proud beauty! Other than that t' rocket was built exactly as laid out in t' instructions, me hearties, and if I were you, I'd resist t' temptation t' build t' Renegade with one solid 26.5" length o' BT-60 like I was tempted t' do. Blimey! This will save you much headache and aggravation when t' time comes t' paint. Ya scallywag! (T' paint scheme isn't particularly difficult, me bucko, but do you really enjoy maskin' all that much?) T' rest o' t' construction was a fairly typical 3FNC build with nothin' approachin' a gotcha.

Finishing:

As long as you haven't jumped t' cannon and glued t' upper and lower body sections together, paintin' couldn't be easier. Aye aye! I used a spare piece o' BT-60 as a paint stand by gluin' a connector in one end and leavin' t' other end empty. Ya scallywag! Begad! I used t' empty end t' cover t' engine tube and connector and sprayed everythin' with Valspar Gloss Black. Aye aye! Aye aye! When this was finished I reversed t' tube and used t' end with t' connector t' hold t' upper section and nose cone while I sprayed everythin' with Valspar Cherry Red Satin. Well, blow me down! This allowed me t' wind up with a perfectly masked rocket without resortin' t' t' tedium o' maskin' tape and newspaper. Arrr! Well, arrr, blow me down! T' best part is, arrr, t' holder tube I used for t' project is reusable for me next BT-60 based rocket's paint job.

T' decals caused me some problems, or rather I caused t' decals some problems. Begad! Before applyin' t' decals I sprayed them with a newly purchased can o' Valspar Acrylic Clear and within seconds they began t' wrinkle and pucker before me eyes. Aye aye! Begad! All I could do was let them dry and try them out (although Fred offered t' send me a replacement set.) I chalked it up t' a learnin' experience and applied them anyway. Blimey! Avast! T' me great surprise they applied flawlessly and look great unless you insist on inspectin' t' rocket with a jeweler's loupe. Well, blow me down! T' lesson learned? As much as I like regular Valspar paint, I'd be much better served by findin' another, me bucko, me bucko, less aggressive clearcoat.

Construction Rating: 5 out o' 5

Flight:

I've only managed one flight so far, me bucko, but that has been because I've been doin' a lot more small field flyin' than I'd normally like o' late. Arrr! Avast! (One thin' this bird isn't is small field capable.) T' flight was on a breezy, ya bilge rat, late March day when everythin' that flew encountered heavy-duty drift problems. Ahoy! Begad! I countered t' drift somewhat by flyin' into t' breeze, matey, ya bilge rat, but still wound up with a sizable walk. Arrr! Flyin' on an Estes E9-6, t' first flight was about as I expected. Aimin' it slightly into t' breeze and it's natural tendency t' weathercock somewhat made for a slow, me bucko, matey, angular flight path that took it several hundred feet south o' t' pads. Ya scallywag! Ahoy! Ejection occurred a tad early, arrr, me bucko, but close enough that most o' t' speed had been scrubbed off already. Begad! I like t' E-9 on a rocket o' this type. Aye aye! Begad! It's flight was much like a Big Bertha on a C6, matey, leavin' you feelin' that you'd seen t' whole flight without any undue snappin' o' t' neck. Aye aye! Recovery be likewise slow on an 18" checkered chute that I had recently bought from an Ebay vendor. It crossed over t' flightline and drifted several hundred feet into t' early sprin' brambles, an easy recovery considerin' t' conditions.

Flight Rating: 5 out o' 5

Summary:

While kits like t' Screamin' Mimi don't do much for me from an aesthetic standpoint, arrr, their one advantage is that they use t' same parts that some o' t' classics used. Arrr! Blimey! Screamin' Mimi's are versatile in that they can be used as parts donors for a Red Max, me hearties, ya bilge rat, Omega, me hearties, or a Patriot, as well as several others.

Pro's:

• Not designed by a computer.
• Classy red, black and white paint and decal scheme for a classic.
• Uncluttered look.

Con's:

• T' name has been resurrected with less than stellar results.

Overall Rating: 5 out o' 5