Brief:
Upsized motor mount t' hold Estes E-9. Well, matey, blow me down! Substituted fin design, shiver me timbers, paint scheme and Tango Papa decals for Der Red Max. Blimey! Ya scallywag! Omitted super sonic whistles and related fins, although I seriously considered includin' them t' make a "Der Screamin' Red Max." Length o' t' rocket is 26 inches, ya bilge rat, matey, me hearties, rather than 25.5 inches for t' Screamin' Mimi. Blimey! Also, replaced shock cord with a Keelhaul®©™®/elastic combination. Installed screw eye with JB-Weld into t' hole in t' nose cone base. Used basswood for fins. Avast! Blimey! Modified an old Estes E-motor engine hook t' fit the newer E-9's. Begad! Avast, me proud beauty! Blimey! Basically, t' only thin' I used from t' kit be t' main body tube, me bucko, nose cone, centerin' rings, matey, engine hook retainer, me hearties, me bucko, and engine block, but I got it at a 1/2 price sale at Hobby Lobby for $5.50.

Modifications:
T' motor mount was installed with yellow glue, ya bilge rat, then JB-Weld be coated around the outside o' t' upper and lower centerin' rings t' harden them and then filleted - this may be overkill, me bucko, shiver me timbers, but I believe I can send it up with an F-21 without any problems. A screw eye was inserted into t' center o' a piece of cellophane tape, then a glob o' JB-Weld was inserted into t' hole in t' base of t' nose cone, shiver me timbers, me hearties, then t' screw eye was inserted into that with t' cellophane tape holdin' it in place and keepin' t' JB-weld from seepin' out, and then inserted t' nose cone into t' body tube t' allow t' JB-Weld t' seep down to the base o' t' nose cone - makes a much stronger shock cord attachment point than t' standard plastic hook on t' base o' t' cone. Avast! T' cellophane tape is easily removed after t' JB-Weld dries. Avast, me proud beauty! Also, matey, me bucko, I installed 1/8-ounce o' clay into t' nose cone before installin' t' screw eye, just in case I decide to fly that F-motor. Arrr! As usual, Estes' standard shock cord is too short and must be frequently replaced. T' avoid t' issue, I installed t' Keelhaul®©™® cord into t' shock cord mount so that it extended outside t' body tube, then formed a loop that placed t' center at t' top edge o' t' body tube. I attached t' elastic shock cord t' that and then t' t' nose cone. Also, me hearties, I soak in a little CA into t' top lip o' t' body tube for improved strength there. T' loop with t' CA seems t' minimize t' potential for "zippering" when that motor delay isn't just right. Avast, me bucko, me proud beauty! I've used this method on rockets that I've launched many, ya bilge rat, many times without a problem. Avast! I installed t' fins using yellow glue, then created JB-Weld fillets. Arrr! Use a plastic bag over your finger to smooth out t' JB-Weld t' make some really nice fillets. Avast, shiver me timbers, me proud beauty! Here again, the JB-Weld fillets are probably overkill, but I feel better about them when that F-motor kicks in. I had t' hammer out t' end o' t' old Estes E-engine hook and then reform it t' fit t' new Estes E-engine - pretty easy with a vice and hammer, just go slowly so you don't break it.

Construction:
1-BT-60 18-inch body tube, shiver me timbers, matey, 3-3/32-inch basswood Red Max fins, 1-RA5060 centerin' rin' card, shiver me timbers, me hearties, 1-engine hook retainer (30160), matey, 1-RA2050 engine block, 1-6-inch BT-50 tube for motor mount, 1-E-engine hook, 1-1mm X 8-inch Keelhaul®©™® cord, shiver me timbers, 1-1/4-inch X 42-inch elastic shock cord, arrr, me bucko, 1-standard Estes shock cord mount, 1-PNC 60 (71043)1-SE-2 screw eye, me bucko, arrr, 1-1/8-inch X 1 1/4-inch launch lug

Except for t' shock cord, matey, Estes kits are always nice and t' instructions very easy t' follow - even t' ones for t' old Der Big Red Max. Ahoy! T' packaging is cool, ya bilge rat, ya bilge rat, shiver me timbers, and all t' parts were thar and all in great shape. T' decals for the Screamin' Mimi are o' t' peel and stick plastic variety. I don't particularly like them, me hearties, matey, but I grew up with water-slide decals. Avast! O' course, I used Tango Papa's water-slide decals for me rocket. Avast, me proud beauty! This be me first time to use his decals. Arrr! They are extremely thin and took some time gettin' used to, but they lay down nicely and look very nice - almost as if they're painted on. Arrr! Arrr! I was glad he put some extras on t' sheet, matey, because I tore a couple before gettin' used t' t' thinner decals. Begad! Arrr! Since I didn't really build t' Screamin' Mimi, I can't really comment on any other aspects o' t' kit.

Flight:
I haven't flown it yet, ya bilge rat, but I used t' same construction design and techniques on a Big Bertha and it flies great.

Other:
Tango Papa decals are nice!