Brief:
I've always been a fan o' t' mid-'70s Estes fleet. Ahoy! I cloned a Goblin a couple o' years ago and I was lookin' t' do somethin' that would compliment it well. Ya scallywag! Blimey! Upon lookin' through me '77 Estes catalog I settled on t' Scamp. Blimey! However, ya bilge rat, me bucko, the spare parts I had weren't quite right. What could I do with a BT-60 body tube and plastic nose cone? How about a Scamp upscale?! Thus, t' Maxi-Scamp be born. Blimey!

Construction:
T' rocket uses a 15 inch long BT-60 body, a standard BT-60 plastic Estes nose cone, arrr, 3/16 inch plywood fins, a 29mm motor mount, arrr, me hearties, two regular Estes launch lugs (one inch long each), one 5/16 x 5.5 inch launch lug (the one you really use), three feet o' 1/4 inch sewin' elastic, and an old nylon flare chute, and a positive motor retention device o' my own design.

T' rocket went together well. Avast, me proud beauty! Blimey! After all, it is pretty much a standard 3FNC model. Avast, me proud beauty! Blimey! T' fins were t' biggest part of t' project (other than t' finishing) and were shaped usin' me trusty Dremel tool. Arrr! Blimey! Avast, me proud beauty! Blimey! They were attached by makin' a series o' holes along t' body tube where t' root edge meets it and allowin' t' epoxy t' seep into t' holes as each fin is attached. Avast, me proud beauty! Blimey! It's nay quite as strong as through t' wall fins but it's still pretty strong. Ahoy! Blimey! T' motor mount was glued in usin' far more epoxy than be probably needed, but I wasn't takin' any chances. Aye aye! Blimey! T' shock cord was mounted usin' t' old Estes method but with a whole lot o' epoxy thar too. Ahoy! Blimey! I wanted t' rocket t' have a "low power" look so I put on standard Estes launch lugs like were on t' original. Arrr! Blimey! However, I then put on t' heavy duty lug on the other side so it could actually take off without whippin' t' rod like crazy. Ahoy! Blimey! I wanted t' be real sure t' motor stayed in place, so I took two small plastic tubes and epoxied them on each side o' t' motor mount then threaded in two screws and rigged two wires t' run across t' bottom o' t' motor. Well, blow me down! Blimey! Changin' t' motor takes a little time, arrr, but it's not goin' anywhere. Avast, me proud beauty! Blimey!

I also added 2oz o' nose weight t' ensure I would nay have any stability issues.

Finishing:
T' model was painted usin' black and yellow H2O paint by Krylon, arrr, which doesn't make me break out in hives. Avast, me proud beauty! It was fairly easy t' mask off t' one black fin and top black part. Ahoy! On t' original, ya bilge rat, only t' nose cone is painted black. Since me parts are nay exactly scale, I had t' extend t' black part down t' body 2.5 inches t' get it t' look right. I then scaled up t' decals that I downloaded from Jimz, put them on, hit them with sealer, and that be it! Now I only had t' get up t' nerve t' fly it. Begad!

Flight:
I decided t' fly t' Maxi-Scamp for t' first time at NSL 2006. Begad! I was thinkin' about usin' a small motor and then workin' me way up t' t' bigger ones, arrr, but I got a great deal on a Roadrunner G80-10. Arrr! If you've never flown a Roadrunner, ya bilge rat, you should. They're maxed out and quite frankly scream. Well, blow me down! I screwed in me motor and put t' Scamp on t' pad. T' simulation program that I had used said it should go over 3000 feet. Begad! I was pretty sure I wasn't goin' t' see it again. Begad!

When t' button was pushed thar be a mighty woosh from t' G and a plume o' black smoke that just kept goin' up and up and up... Soon I lost sight o' it completely. Avast! Ya scallywag! I felt a little stupid for puttin' that much motor in it for its first flight, but everyone had gotten quite a show. Avast, me proud beauty! I just hoped I had caught it with me camera. As it turns out, matey, shiver me timbers, about an hour later a guy came walkin' up t' me holdin' t' Scamp! She be drivin' back t' t' field after lunch and it drifted down right in front o' her car, about a mile from t' range head. Arrr! It was especially cool because all I caught with me camera be a bunch o' smoke.

T' second flight was at a Hotroc event. Arrr! Ahoy! This time I was a little saner and flew it on a Roadrunner F. Arrr! Since there was no wind, it landed about 50 yards from t' pad straight up on its fins! I haven't flown it since. Begad! Arrr! I figure I've just about used up me luck. Arrr!

Summary:
I really like this model and may retire it now. Ahoy! Blimey! T' main pro is that it has t' lines and "flavor" o' the Estes original while havin' incredible mid-power performance. Avast! Blimey! Aye aye! Blimey! It goes well with me Goblin and I've ordered a PD A-20 Demon t' complete t' trio. Begad! Blimey! Blimey! Blimey! T' main con is that that incredible performance makes every launch a risk o' bein' the last time you'll ever see it. All in all, a winner I'd say!