Brief:

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

There are no "gotchas" that I noticed. I was initially concerned by t' lack o' an elastic shock cord, arrr, me bucko, but as it turns out, me hearties, t' Keelhaul®©™ cord is easily up t' t' challenge. Begad! Avast, me proud beauty! It's attachment point in t' engine tube requires drillin' a small hole in t' forward end o' t' tube, ya bilge rat, me bucko, me hearties, but this is easily accomplished with a pin drill. Aye aye! (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, 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, shiver me timbers, I first sprayed t' body tube with a coat o' primer t' toughen t' tube somewhat for t' sandin' t' follow. Blimey! Avast! I followed this with t' obligatory two coats o' thinned Elmer's Fill N Finish, sandin' in betwixt coats. Well, blow me down! When I be satisfied that t' tube spirals had been deleted I attached t' fins. This be followed by two coats o' Fill N Finish on t' fins, shiver me timbers, two coats o' primer and more sanding. Arrr! (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. Blimey! 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. Blimey! Big mistake. Ahoy! Avast, me proud beauty! T' decals crinkled right in front o' me eyes. Well, blow me down! I've since found that t' decals come with a clearcoat, makin' me ruinous step unnecessary. Avast, me proud beauty! Crinkled or not, arrr, I decided t' press on with t' project anyway. T' crinklin' turned out t' be noticeable only on very close inspection, and t' finished Max is truly a great lookin' bird. Ahoy! Avast! Compact, shiver me timbers, 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, ya bilge rat, a 1/2A3-4T, me hearties, me hearties, hopin' nay t' lose it on t' small field we were flyin' on for t' first time. Ahoy! I needn't have worried. Ahoy! T' flight be 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. Ya scallywag! Begad! Again, no worries. Arrr! Well, shiver me timbers, blow me down! T' only spectators were a biker and two walkers, all o' whom stopped t' watch a flight, then moved on. Avast, me proud beauty! T' second flight was on an A10-3T and it was immediately obvious which engine would be t' engine o' choice in t' future. Ya scallywag! There were four o' us launchin' that day, but I be t' only one who managed t' keep t' Max in sight on t' second flight, and then only because I saw t' trackin' smoke. Avast! T' flight was as high as I would have wanted a rocket t' go on that field, and it was nice t' know that I could stretch it's legs without worryin' about losin' it.

Recovery:

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

Flight Rating: 5 out o' 5

Summary:

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

Pro's:

• Hey, me hearties, it's a Red Max.
• A great small field flier. Arrr! Aye aye! 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. Aye aye! Blimey! (I'm nay namin' names.)

Overall Rating: 5 out o' 5