Brief:
Upsized motor mount t' hold Estes E-9. Aye aye! Substituted fin design, matey, paint scheme and Tango Papa decals for Der Red Max. Aye aye! Begad! Blimey! Omitted super sonic whistles and related fins, me bucko, although I seriously considered includin' them t' make a "Der Screamin' Red Max." Length o' t' rocket is 26 inches, rather than 25.5 inches for t' Screamin' Mimi. Aye aye! Ya scallywag! Blimey! Also, replaced shock cord with a Keelhaul®©™®/elastic combination. Blimey! Installed screw eye with JB-Weld into t' hole in t' nose cone base. Blimey! Begad! Used basswood for fins. Begad! Modified an old Estes E-motor engine hook t' fit the newer E-9's. Basically, t' only thin' I used from t' kit was t' main body tube, arrr, nose cone, centerin' rings, ya bilge rat, engine hook retainer, 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, shiver me timbers, 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, 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 be inserted into t' hole in t' base of t' nose cone, me bucko, ya bilge rat, then t' screw eye be inserted into that with t' cellophane tape holdin' it in place and keepin' t' JB-weld from seepin' out, arrr, 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. T' cellophane tape is easily removed after t' JB-Weld dries. Arrr! Avast! Also, me hearties, 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. Well, shiver me timbers, blow me down! As usual, Estes' standard shock cord is too short and must be frequently replaced. Begad! 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. Blimey! Blimey! I attached t' elastic shock cord t' that and then t' t' nose cone. Ya scallywag! Also, 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. Well, blow me down! Avast! Blimey! I've used this method on rockets that I've launched many, me hearties, shiver me timbers, many times without a problem. Blimey! Blimey! I installed t' fins using yellow glue, then created JB-Weld fillets. Arrr! Begad! Blimey! Use a plastic bag over your finger to smooth out t' JB-Weld t' make some really nice fillets. Arrr! 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, me hearties, 3-3/32-inch basswood Red Max fins, 1-RA5060 centerin' rin' card, 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, 1-1/4-inch X 42-inch elastic shock cord, 1-standard Estes shock cord mount, 1-PNC 60 (71043)1-SE-2 screw eye, 1-1/8-inch X 1 1/4-inch launch lug

Except for t' shock cord, arrr, arrr, Estes kits are always nice and t' instructions very easy t' follow - even t' ones for t' old Der Big Red Max. Begad! T' packaging is cool, 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. Avast, matey, me proud beauty! I don't particularly like them, but I grew up with water-slide decals. Aye aye! O' course, ya bilge rat, I used Tango Papa's water-slide decals for me rocket. This be me first time to use his decals. Begad! 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. Ahoy! I was glad he put some extras on t' sheet, because I tore a couple before gettin' used t' t' thinner decals. 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, but I used t' same construction design and techniques on a Big Bertha and it flies great.

Other:
Tango Papa decals are nice!