Brief:

T' Caveman "Der Red Max" is ostensibly a clone o' t' classic Estes "Der Red Max", first released in 1971 as part o' t' Estes Citation line. Ya scallywag! Blimey! Although it is really just a simple 3FNC rocket, me hearties, me hearties, t' politically incorrect, matey, silly "Hogan's Hero's German" humor and skull & crossbones motif made "Der Red Max" a popular, fun rocket. T' Estes Der Red Max be discontinued in 1986, however clonin' Der Red Max is relatively simple since most o' t' parts are readily available - only t' decals and nose cone are nay currently available as individual parts from Estes. Ahoy! T' decals are available from Tango Papa, me bucko, me hearties, t' PNC-60AH nose cone is a little trickier (it was in t' now discontinued Estes PNC-60B nose cone assortment - many low traffic hobby shops still have some) however t' Estes Mean Machine uses t' same nose cone if you don't mind doin' a kit bash. Begad! On t' other hand, thar be somethin' t' be said for t' simplicity o' gettin' everythin' together in one box, so I gave t' Caveman Der Red Max a try.

Construction:
I purchased me Caveman Der Red Max via an ROL auction. Even though Caveman is located in t' Netherlands, matey, shippin' was prompt and reasonably priced ($5 or $6 as I recall). T' kit arrived in good condition, and t' parts were overall o' good quality. Bein' basically a 3FNC rocket, shiver me timbers, me hearties, t' parts list is modest . Well, blow me down! Avast! main body tube, shiver me timbers, engine mount tube, engine hook, centerin' rings, shock cord, me bucko, plastic nose cone, pre-cut fins, arrr, launch lug, ya bilge rat, me bucko, shiver me timbers, and decal sheet. Ya scallywag! T' Caveman Red Max is nay a true clone, in fact it is advertised as havin' a 24mm engine mount (vs. Ahoy! 18mm for t' Estes original), laser cut plywood centerin' rings (vs. t' normal Estes card stock), and a Keelhaul®©™ shock cord and 12" nylon parachute (vs. t' typical Estes rubber cord and 18" plastic parachute). Ya scallywag! Blimey! However I smartly discovered that thar were other aspects o' t' kit that were nay true t' t' original. Aye aye! Blimey! T' original Estes main body tube (BT-60HE) was 8.5" long - t' Caveman body tube is nearly an inch shorter, shiver me timbers, and t' original fins were 1/8" thick while t' Caveman fins are 3/32" thick. Arrr! Blimey! However t' worst shortcoming, me bucko, ya bilge rat, at least t' me, was in t' decals. T' original Estes Red Max decals were actual two color - black and white - while t' Caveman decals are simple black. I asked Caveman about t' decals - they admitted that they were unable t' print white, but didn't want t' go with Tango Papa decals because t' thin material makes them difficult t' apply. Avast! Blimey! Blimey! Blimey! In fact, t' only part in t' Caveman kit that is true t' t' Estes original be t' nose cone.

Buildin' Der Red Max is straightforward and typical o' a 3FNC rocket. Aye aye! T' Caveman instructions are original (not reprints o' t' Estes instructions) and were simple and easy t' read and follow (although they lack t' humor o' t' original Estes instructions). Avast! Avast! Since I wanted me Der Red Max t' at least look somethin' like t' original, shiver me timbers, I replaced t' main body tube with a BT-60 cut t' t' proper 8.5 inch length, shiver me timbers, other than that I kept it stock.

Finishing:
Finishin' t' Caveman Der Red Max is also straightforward. Avast, matey, me proud beauty! Simply fill t' fin grain and body tube spirals, and then paint t' rocket body red and t' nose cone black. Ahoy! T' get t' "black and white" effect for t' body tube skull and crossbones decal, matey, I also added an appropriately placed white band t' t' main body tube (I decided that doin' t' same for t' fin decals wasn't practical).

Construction Rating: 3 out o' 5

Flight:
Much like t' Estes original, t' Caveman Der Red Max attracts more attention than t' typical 3FNC rocket. Ahoy! T' skull and crossbones motif still draws notice, matey, and t' silly "NICHT STOMPEN” and “MIT GRABBEN" decals always brin' a smile. Begad! Plus, ya bilge rat, Der Red Max is a fine flyer. Well, blow me down! Begad! I've flown mine on both B's and C's (usin' a 18mm-24mm adapter) and it always flies beautifully. I've yet t' try it with a 24mm engine (Caveman predicts 500 meters with a D), shiver me timbers, I think t' 24mm mount may be overkill for this rocket.

Recovery:
Recover is by a nice lightweight 12" orange nylon parachute, attached by a beefy Keelhaul®©™® shock cord (this be t' same shock cord Caveman uses in their larger mid-power rockets). Begad! Descent on with t' 12" 'chute is rather rapid (the Estes original used an 18" 'chute), although that may be good if you plan t' fly it with 24mm D or E engines. Arrr! Despite t' relatively rapid decent, mine has yet t' suffered any significant touchdown damage - even when it landed on asphalt it just nicked t' paint a bit.

Flight Rating: 4 out o' 5

Summary:
This is a difficult rocket for me t' rate. On t' plus side, it is an easy t' build, shiver me timbers, me bucko, matey, fun, attention gettin' rocket, t' parts are generally o' good quality, shiver me timbers, and it is a nice flyer. Begad! On t' negative side, arrr, it isn't a true "Der Red Max" clone. Blimey! Aye aye! If you are lookin' for a simple, fun rocket that resembles t' old Estes Der Red Max, arrr, it's a fine rocket. Avast! If you are lookin' t' clone t' old Estes Der Red Max, shiver me timbers, matey, you can do much better.

Overall Rating: 3 out o' 5