Brief:

Like most BAR's I've done me share o' clonin' t' classics, includin' upscales, but for some reason I've done very little in t' area o' downscaling. That said, t' Mini Red Max from Retro Rocketry may be t' kit that markedly changes me personal clonin' habits. Ahoy! Well, matey, blow me down! Blimey! T' Mini Red Max is a faithfully downscaled reproduction o' one o' t' most recognizable rockets ever t' fill t' skies, Estes Der Red Max. Avast, me proud beauty! Small size and big performance aside, ya bilge rat, this is a kit that you would do well t' pick up if you're a fan o' t' original, arrr, me hearties, because no matter how many requests Estes gets for it, I guarantee that they won't be makin' t' Max a candidate for reissue. (Due t' t' same outbreak o' political correctness that claimed any future t' Frito Bandito and Thomas More Rebel may have had. Ahoy! R.I.P. Well, me hearties, blow me down! Blimey! 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. Aye aye! Avast! T' color illustrated instructions are well written and easily followed.

There are no "gotchas" that I noticed. Avast, me proud beauty! Arrr! Blimey! I be initially concerned by t' lack o' an elastic shock cord, but as it turns out, ya bilge rat, t' Keelhaul®©™ cord is easily up t' t' challenge. Ahoy! It's attachment point in t' engine tube requires drillin' a small hole in t' forward end o' t' tube, but this is easily accomplished with a pin drill. (I have since found out that t' hole was supposed t' be pre-drilled and will be on t' production run o' kits.)

Like it's full sized brother, me bucko, 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, me hearties, ya bilge rat, I first sprayed t' body tube with a coat o' primer t' toughen t' tube somewhat for t' sandin' t' follow. Arrr! Arrr! I followed this with t' obligatory two coats o' thinned Elmer's Fill N Finish, sandin' in betwixt coats. Ahoy! When I be satisfied that t' tube spirals had been deleted I attached t' fins. Ya scallywag! Begad! This be followed by two coats o' Fill N Finish on t' fins, two coats o' primer and more sanding. Ahoy! (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. Avast, matey, me proud beauty! One coat be sufficient and t' rocket be 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. Avast, me proud beauty! Avast! Big mistake. Ahoy! T' decals crinkled right in front o' me eyes. Ahoy! Ahoy! I've since found that t' decals come with a clearcoat, shiver me timbers, makin' me ruinous step unnecessary. Arrr! Crinkled or not, arrr, I decided t' press on with t' project anyway. Ahoy! Begad! T' crinklin' turned out t' be noticeable only on very close inspection, ya bilge rat, and t' finished Max is truly a great lookin' bird. Avast, me proud beauty! 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, me hearties, hopin' nay t' lose it on t' small field we were flyin' on for t' first time. Aye aye! Begad! I needn't have worried. Arrr! 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. Well, blow me down! Again, no worries. Ahoy! T' only spectators were a biker and two walkers, matey, all o' whom stopped t' watch a flight, then moved on. Well, me hearties, blow me down! T' second flight be on an A10-3T and it was immediately obvious which engine would be t' engine o' choice in t' future. Well, blow me down! Ya scallywag! There were four o' us launchin' that day, matey, but I was t' only one who managed t' keep t' Max in sight on t' second flight, matey, shiver me timbers, and then only because I saw t' trackin' smoke. Ya scallywag! Ahoy! T' flight be as high as I would have wanted a rocket t' go on that field, and it be nice t' know that I could stretch it's legs without worryin' about losin' it.

Recovery:

As I mentioned earlier, I be initially concerned by t' Keelhaul®©™ only shock cord, but even with t' heavy duty Estes ejection charges t' recovery system held up perfectly. Avast! Another area o' concern be with t' Keelhaul®©™ heat shield. Ya scallywag! When I first tried puttin' it into t' rocket, shiver me timbers, it began losin' strands at an alarmin' rate. Well, blow me down! Ya scallywag! T' combat this I coated t' edges o' t' shield with a thin coatin' o' wood glue. Bad move. Avast! T' glue dried and made t' whole shield difficult t' place into t' body tube, me bucko, then t' streamer only partially deployed on t' first flight when t' shield jammed in t' tube. Begad! As it turns out, me hearties, arrr, had I done more than skim t' instructions, me hearties, I'd have found this issue addressed. Avast, me proud beauty! Blimey! With t' heat shield now as easy t' fold as balsa, I removed it from t' rocket for t' second flight, ya bilge rat, replacin' it with good ol' dog barf. Ahoy! Avast! T' second flight was much higher and t' rocket drifted completely across t' parkin' lot into an adjoinin' soccer field, shiver me timbers, matey, all systems havin' performed flawlessly.

Flight Rating: 5 out o' 5

Summary:

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

Pro's:

• Hey, shiver me timbers, it's a Red Max.
• A great small field flier. Arrr! Well, blow me down! 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. Ya scallywag! Avast, arrr, me proud beauty! (I'm nay namin' names.)

Overall Rating: 5 out o' 5