Mega Red Max Build

I'm about 1/3rd of the way through building a Mega Red Max. Thanks to everyone for the advice on the fins. After replies in my other thread, I have decided to build it with stock fins and a few small modifications. I have glued and cut the balsa fins and will glue them soon. I also included a pic of it next to my Leviathan and the fins next to the standard red max for scale.

Welcome!! Those are some BIG fins! Are you using reg ol wood glue? Just curious.

I'm using Titebound, and Great Planes wood glue (aliphatic resin). I used the Great Planes on the fins and they are drying now, hopefully they won't warp...

Great Estes kit. Here are a few pics of mine.

Great build and neat decals! I finished gluing the fins and MMT, just have to sand and seal the fins. Where did you get the great decals?

SCrocketfan said:

Great build and neat decals! I finished gluing the fins and MMT, just have to sand and seal the fins. Where did you get the great decals?

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Got them from Mark at stickershock
Www.stickershock23.com

Looks great, are they clear background so they work with any color? I haven't decided on the color scheme for it yet.

Kehoes23 said:

Great Estes kit. Here are a few pics of mine.
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That is a cute little spud! I like to see them fly on high power red line motors.

SCrocketfan said:

Looks great, are they clear background so they work with any color? I haven't decided on the color scheme for it yet.

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Yeah they are clear.

A fun kit--have two --did one in blue for my son, and pink for my daughter--they love 'em!


Later!

--Coop

This build will be delayed for a few weeks because of other projects, but I did get a bit more built. I decided to use and eyebolt for shock cord retention so I can replace and modify the shock cord. I also have the fins glued and sanded, but they need still need to be sealed.

It's finally almost done. Just have to add decals, rail buttons, motor retainer, and shock cord.

First flight will probably be on an F50-4.

Kehoes23 said:

Great Estes kit. Here are a few pics of mine.
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Beautiful work and nice craftsmanship!

It has flown!

Two flights last saturday, both F50-4T (One aerotech and one estes). Recovery went great, the madcow chute protector saves a ton of time repacking the recovery system and saves having to chase after wadding.
Sadly, on the second landing, one fin fully detached from the rocket (TTW mound included, fin was fine) and one fin almost detached. I removed the glue on the two remaining fins and am re-gluing all 3 with epoxy, which should make it much stronger.
The F50-4T is a nice low and slow motor for this, it deploys right at apogee and is very stable.

SCrocketfan said:

It has flown!

Two flights last saturday, both F50-4T (One aerotech and one estes). Recovery went great, the madcow chute protector saves a ton of time repacking the recovery system and saves having to chase after wadding.
Sadly, on the second landing, one fin fully detached from the rocket (TTW mound included, fin was fine) and one fin almost detached. I removed the glue on the two remaining fins and am re-gluing all 3 with epoxy, which should make it much stronger.
The F50-4T is a nice low and slow motor for this, it deploys right at apogee and is very stable.

Click to expand...

Curious, how did the glue joints fail? Did the paper pull off the motor tube, or did the glue come clean off? How about the glue in the slots? Normally wood glue joints on wood & cardboard are very strong, and usually stronger than epoxy, since it soaks into the fibers.

It pulled a bit of the paper off on the outside, and the internal fillet also probably removed a bit of the paper. I'm flying at moffet on concrete so the impacts can be hard on the fins.