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. Begad! Ya scallywag! All t' parts are readily available as well includin' t' decals.

Construction:
High quality balsa nose cone, plywood ring, ya bilge rat, and eye bolt were supplied by Sandman. Begad! Estes BT-80, shiver me timbers, 24mm heavy duty motor tube, two lite-ply centerin' rings, shiver me timbers, fins are 3/16" balsawood, me bucko, me bucko, Keelhaul®©™® shock card, and motor retainer hardware. Well, blow me down! 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, I installed two #4-40 blind nuts for t' motor retention bracket. Begad! Blimey! Blimey! Blimey! T' light-ply centerin' rings were mounted a 1/4" from t' top and bottom o' t' motor tube. Blimey! Blimey! I created a nice epoxy micro balloon fillet on both sides o' each centerin' rin' for strength. Blimey! Blimey! I drilled a 3/16" hole in t' top centerin' for me 1/8" Keelhaul®©™® shock cord t' go through. Avast, me proud beauty! T' Keelhaul®©™® shock cord ties around t' motor tube betwixt t' upper and lower centerin' ring. Ya scallywag! Ahoy! I cut a BT-80 t' t' length of 13.5". Ya scallywag! I hardened each end o' t' BT with thin CA for strength. Begad! T' next step was t' I fill t' spirals. Ya scallywag! After sandin' t' BT, t' tube was marked for t' fin locations and t' launch lugs. Well, blow me down! T' bottom launch lug is flush with the bottom o' t' BT. Avast, me proud beauty! Arrr! T' upper lug is 4-3/8" from t' top o' t' BT. Blimey! Well, blow me down! Each launch lug was 3/16" diameter and 9/16" long. Well, matey, blow me down! T' motor mount be glued into t' BT usin' wood glue that created a nice fillet around t' top centerin' ring. Ya scallywag! A wood glue fillet was also created around t' bottom centerin' ring. Avast, me proud beauty! T' fins were cut from hard 3/16" balsa and shaped. Avast! T' fin and launch lugs were glued on with epoxy. Avast, me proud beauty! Once dry, epoxy micro balloon fillets were created around t' fins and launch lugs. Aye aye!

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

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

Recovery:
Since t' fins on this upscale start t' get large, I would use t' through t' wall method next go around. Although I feel very good with me method t' attach fins and strengthen them with fillets, 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. Begad! In addition you can't find a cooler set o' decals on a rocket anywhere.