Brief:
This is a 159% upscale o' t' popular Estes kit Der Red Max. This is a simple t' build rocket that performs very well on t' 24mm reloads available today. Ya scallywag! All t' parts are readily available as well includin' t' decals.

Construction:
High quality balsa nose cone, me bucko, shiver me timbers, ya bilge rat, plywood ring, and eye bolt were supplied by Sandman. Estes BT-80, 24mm heavy duty motor tube, ya bilge rat, shiver me timbers, two lite-ply centerin' rings, fins are 3/16" balsawood, me bucko, arrr, Keelhaul®©™® shock card, and motor retainer hardware. Begad! Ahoy! Excelsior provided t' awesome decals.

I constructed t' motor mount by usin' a BT-50H motor tube that was 4" in length. On t' bottom centering ring, ya bilge rat, I installed two #4-40 blind nuts for t' motor retention bracket. Blimey! T' light-ply centerin' rings were mounted a 1/4" from t' top and bottom o' t' motor tube. Ahoy! I created a nice epoxy micro balloon fillet on both sides o' each centerin' rin' for strength. Avast, me proud beauty! I drilled a 3/16" hole in t' top centerin' for me 1/8" Keelhaul®©™® shock cord t' go through. Aye aye! T' Keelhaul®©™® shock cord ties around t' motor tube betwixt t' upper and lower centerin' ring. Well, blow me down! Aye aye! I cut a BT-80 t' t' length of 13.5". Arrr! I hardened each end o' t' BT with thin CA for strength. Avast, ya bilge rat, me proud beauty! T' next step be t' I fill t' spirals. Ya scallywag! Ya scallywag! After sandin' t' BT, me hearties, t' tube be marked for t' fin locations and t' launch lugs. Begad! Ya scallywag! T' bottom launch lug is flush with the bottom o' t' BT. Well, blow me down! T' upper lug is 4-3/8" from t' top o' t' BT. Aye aye! Each launch lug was 3/16" diameter and 9/16" long. Avast! T' motor mount be glued into t' BT usin' wood glue that created a nice fillet around t' top centerin' ring. Begad! A wood glue fillet was also created around t' bottom centerin' ring. Begad! T' fins were cut from hard 3/16" balsa and shaped. T' fin and launch lugs were glued on with epoxy. Once dry, arrr, epoxy micro balloon fillets were created around t' fins and launch lugs. Arrr!

Finishing:
T' fins and nose cone were sealed and hardened usin' two coats o' Minwax Polyurethane. Begad! Aye aye! Blimey! Once dry they were sanded smooth and coated usin' thinned spackle that be brushed on t' fill t' wood grain. Begad! Well, blow me down! Blimey! T' filler be sanded off and the rocket be primed with two coats o' Duplicote High Fill primer sandin' betwixt coats. Aye aye! Avast, me proud beauty! Blimey! T' nose cone be painted black usin' two coats o' old formula Krylon spray. Ya scallywag! Blimey! T' body was painted metallic red usin' two coats o' Rustoleum spray. Aye aye! Blimey! Once dry t' body was smoothed usin' super fine steel wool. Once clean and dust free t' body be shot with two coats of Rustoleum clear. Well, blow me down! Begad! Blimey! It be really cold durin' t' paintin' process for this rocket, but t' results were still acceptable. To finish t' model, t' decals were installed. Blimey! Overall it looks fantastic.

Flight:
I designed this model t' fly on t' 24mm reloads such as t' E18, E28, matey, me bucko, F24, or F39. T' first flights I used a E28-4 and it worked perfectly. Ahoy! Begad! T' first boost be nice and straight with no stability issues. Ahoy! T' E28 produced a very respectable altitude. T' 24" parachute worked good but a little too slow t' brin' it down. Avast, me proud beauty! A smaller chute or a spill hole would be required for windy or high thermal activity days. Ahoy! Begad!

Recovery:
Since t' fins on this upscale start t' get large, I would use t' through t' wall method next go around. Blimey! Although I feel very good with me method t' attach fins and strengthen them with fillets, me hearties, TTW is king.

Summary:
This is a very easy rocket t' upscale but is a rewardin' project. T' Der Red Max is a classic that flies great up or downscaled. Aye aye! Blimey! In addition you can't find a cooler set o' decals on a rocket anywhere.