Brief:
Used a LOC/Precision Lil' Nuke kit t' approximate a 1.38 upscale o' t' Estes Der Big Red Max. Ya scallywag! Aye aye!

Modifications:
After losin' a few auctions for a Der Red Max I decided t' build me own. Well, blow me down! I noticed on Jim Z's site that Estes had released a Der Big Red Max with an 18" length body tube. Begad! I figured I would try buildin' an upscale version usin' a LOC/Precision Lil' Nuke kit. Avast, shiver me timbers, me proud beauty! I have always enjoyed t' sturdiness of the buildin' components o' LOC/Precision kits. T' body tube would be a tad short and t' nose cone would nay be exact but it would be close enough for rock and roll. Well, blow me down!

I used a Lil' Nuke kit parts and new fins cut from 1/8" aircraft plywood. Aye aye! Avast! I followed t' Lil' Nuke instructions t' construct t' motor mount and install t' shock cord mount. Begad! Avast! T' new fins were cut from 1/8" plywood usin' a pattern developed from t' Jim Z web site. Well, me bucko, blow me down! A razor saw and steel ruler worked well t' cut t' new fins with straight lines. Because t' fins were quite a bit larger than t' original fins I drilled small holes in t' body tube for t' 15 minute epoxy t' seep into and make epoxy rivets.

Usin' sandin' sealer I filled in t' tube lines and coated t' fins and sanded it down for priming. Arrr! After a couple o' coat o' primer I was ready to paint.

I tried t' find bright true red t' help accentuate t' cartoon appeal of the rocket. I decided on an apple red. Well, blow me down! Ahoy! Once t' paint dried over night applied the decals I received from Papa Tango. Begad! Applyin' t' decals be relatively easy but a word o' caution: once you have t' decal where you want it do NOT touch it. Ahoy! I managed t' put a slight tear in one o' me decals because I could not leave good enough alone. Well, blow me down! T' tear be easily repaired with a black permanent marker. Avast, shiver me timbers, me proud beauty! After t' decals were dry I applied a couple o' coats for Johnson Floor Finish. Ya scallywag! Begad!

Flight:
I launched t' Der Big Red Max 1.38x at NARAM-43 on an AeroTech F20-7. Aye aye! Blimey! Avast, me proud beauty! Blimey! I friction-fitted t' motor in place. Avast! Blimey! T' flight be nice and straight but the delay was quite a bit longer than 7 seconds. Aye aye! Blimey! I thought for sure it be goin' to be a one-launch rocket but at about 100 ft t' ejection charge decided t' do its thin' and I got t' rocket back in one piece without a zipper. Begad! Blimey! Arrr! Blimey!

Summary:
I plan t' use LOC/Precision kits again t' upscale some o' me favorite Estes kits. Well, blow me down! Ahoy! T' product be pretty easy t' complete and results turned out well. Avast! Aye aye! I received many positive comments at NARAM.