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 be one o' t' "big" rockets that I always wanted t' build as a kid, arrr, matey, but didn't for economic reasons. Begad! Begad! (As I believe I've noted before, shiver me timbers, those D engines were EXPENSIVE for someone whose allowance was $4 a week.) As usually happens in this case, me hearties, 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, me hearties, arrr, me hearties, but it wasn't until I won an auction for a decal set from Excelsior Rocketry that t' project really kicked into high gear. Blimey! Blimey! Ahoy! Blimey! While I had already downloaded t' scans for t' project, I was pleased t' find that t' decals from Excelsior also included detailed instructions and templates for t' fins and body tube. (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. Well, blow me down! Blimey! Begad! Blimey! Other than that t' rocket be built exactly as laid out in t' instructions, ya bilge rat, 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 be tempted t' do. Begad! Blimey! Ya scallywag! Blimey! This will save you much headache and aggravation when t' time comes t' paint. (T' paint scheme isn't particularly difficult, arrr, 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. Begad! 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. Avast! I used t' empty end t' cover t' engine tube and connector and sprayed everythin' with Valspar Gloss Black. Avast, me proud beauty! When this be 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. Begad! This allowed me t' wind up with a perfectly masked rocket without resortin' t' t' tedium o' maskin' tape and newspaper. Aye aye! T' best part is, 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, shiver me timbers, or rather I caused t' decals some problems. Aye aye! 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. Ahoy! 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. Avast, me proud beauty! T' me great surprise they applied flawlessly and look great unless you insist on inspectin' t' rocket with a jeweler's loupe. Begad! Well, matey, blow me down! T' lesson learned? As much as I like regular Valspar paint, ya bilge rat, I'd be much better served by findin' another, ya bilge rat, less aggressive clearcoat.

Construction Rating: 5 out o' 5

Flight:

I've only managed one flight so far, shiver me timbers, but that has been because I've been doin' a lot more small field flyin' than I'd normally like o' late. (One thin' this bird isn't is small field capable.) T' flight be on a breezy, me hearties, late March day when everythin' that flew encountered heavy-duty drift problems. Begad! I countered t' drift somewhat by flyin' into t' breeze, but still wound up with a sizable walk. Arrr! Avast, arrr, me proud beauty! Flyin' on an Estes E9-6, t' first flight be about as I expected. Arrr! Aimin' it slightly into t' breeze and it's natural tendency t' weathercock somewhat made for a slow, shiver me timbers, arrr, me bucko, angular flight path that took it several hundred feet south o' t' pads. Well, ya bilge rat, blow me down! Ejection occurred a tad early, but close enough that most o' t' speed had been scrubbed off already. Ya scallywag! Aye aye! I like t' E-9 on a rocket o' this type. Well, blow me down! Avast, me proud beauty! It's flight was much like a Big Bertha on a C6, me bucko, 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. Ahoy! Ahoy! 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, me bucko, me hearties, their one advantage is that they use t' same parts that some o' t' classics used. Screamin' Mimi's are versatile in that they can be used as parts donors for a Red Max, ya bilge rat, shiver me timbers, Omega, matey, or a Patriot, me bucko, me bucko, 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