I am wondering if someone can help me out....I have all the parts to make a Red Max clone. My problem is that I have conflicting data reguarding the length of the body tube. Is it 8.5 inches or 9 1/8 inches? These are the 2 lengths I have seen. Any help would be great! Thanks.
Der Red Max
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wscarvie
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Hi carldoc,
First off, welcome to the Forum! I hope I can be of some help here.
According to Jim Z's plans for this rocket , Der Red Max uses a BT-60HE body tube.
According to Ninfinger's chart of Estes body tubes, that tube is 8.5" long.
I've used both these sites for a long time, and have never found either to be in error. I'd say 8.5" is a good bet for the body tube.
Please don't forget to post photos of the rocket when you're done
First off, welcome to the Forum! I hope I can be of some help here.
According to Jim Z's plans for this rocket , Der Red Max uses a BT-60HE body tube.
According to Ninfinger's chart of Estes body tubes, that tube is 8.5" long.
I've used both these sites for a long time, and have never found either to be in error. I'd say 8.5" is a good bet for the body tube.
Please don't forget to post photos of the rocket when you're done
powderburner
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hi carldoc,
Those websites that wscarvie recommended are the same places I would have gone looking for data. Short of getting a response from Estes itself, I would feel quite safe using plans and info from those sources.
I remember the RM, it was a great flyer! Good luck with yours!
Those websites that wscarvie recommended are the same places I would have gone looking for data. Short of getting a response from Estes itself, I would feel quite safe using plans and info from those sources.
I remember the RM, it was a great flyer! Good luck with yours!
Well, since I have both kits I think I can help
Their are actually two versions of the Red Max, a short and a long version.
The short version uses a BT-60HE Body tube and is 8.5 inches long.
The long Red Max kit uses a standard BT-60 body tube with 18.00 inches. It was sold as a starter set.
Pics can be found on my web site.
Hope this helps.
Their are actually two versions of the Red Max, a short and a long version.
The short version uses a BT-60HE Body tube and is 8.5 inches long.
The long Red Max kit uses a standard BT-60 body tube with 18.00 inches. It was sold as a starter set.
Pics can be found on my web site.
Hope this helps.
Fore Check
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Actually, the 18" BT version was released as a separate issue called the "der BIG Red Max" #1977. It uses the same decals, but has an 18" body tube and a "stuffer tube" or extended engine mount tube.
The classic kit #0651 is essentially the same, minus the extended "stuffer" or engine tube and using an 8.5" body tube.
Plans for both can be found at JimZ's site.
For what it's worth.........
NEAT site by the way. Do you list "auction values" of some of your kits in the event that they might be for sale?
The classic kit #0651 is essentially the same, minus the extended "stuffer" or engine tube and using an 8.5" body tube.
Plans for both can be found at JimZ's site.
For what it's worth.........
NEAT site by the way. Do you list "auction values" of some of your kits in the event that they might be for sale?
Stymye
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this is from my memory bank...or what's left of it .
the original one had a balsa cone ...
the next version had a black plastic cone (that you glued the shock cord cap/shoulder into ..)
than there was a blowmolded nosecone version....
all three cones were different lengths (if I remember correctly)..mabey estes changed tube lengths also...
there was also the BIG der red max .that was a considerably longer kit alltogether ..I think it used the same decal set tho.
Sand?
the original one had a balsa cone ...
the next version had a black plastic cone (that you glued the shock cord cap/shoulder into ..)
than there was a blowmolded nosecone version....
all three cones were different lengths (if I remember correctly)..mabey estes changed tube lengths also...
there was also the BIG der red max .that was a considerably longer kit alltogether ..I think it used the same decal set tho.
Sand?
Quasar
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I thought the originals were balsa, too, but according to the 1971 Citation catalog, the first catalog listing the Red Max, it came with a molded plastic nose cone.
https://www.ninfinger.org/~sven/rockets/catalogs/citation71/71cit10.html
Mike Fields
Fore Check
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The big red max and the original used the same decals. The only difference was the original used an 8.5" body tube, and the big one used an 18" long tube and the engine mount tube was extended forward as a "stuffer" tube.
There is no need from a design standpoint for the longer tube - the 8.5" tube original is quite stable. The longer tube version might be so overstable that chad staging might be possible.
Both versions came with a plastic nose cone of various incarnations, but all the same length and shape above the shoulder.
Well, looks like 8,5" and 18" is the winner
@wscarvie
Thanks.
I'm proud of the collection (unintentional I might add).
I just put a stick in the rocket, held it in the sky and then removed the stick with a paint program.
@Fore Check
I should have added "'also' as a starter set"
@stymye
I checked both nose cones (2 piece nose cone and the molded version) and the shapes are near identical (as Fore Check mentioned).
@wscarvie
Thanks.
I'm proud of the collection (unintentional I might add).
I just put a stick in the rocket, held it in the sky and then removed the stick with a paint program.
@Fore Check
I should have added "'also' as a starter set"
@stymye
I checked both nose cones (2 piece nose cone and the molded version) and the shapes are near identical (as Fore Check mentioned).
sandman
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The original Der Red Max was an "injection molded" two piece cone.
After Estes bought Centuri they acquired a "blow molding" machine and started making blow molded cones.
When they used up thier stock of "injection molded" two piece cones they changed the cones to the PNC-60AH (the same as the Mean Machine).
So some of the Der Red Max kits had the two piece cone and the later ones had the blow molded ones.
A couple of kits were like that too. The Big Bertha was one...early ones had the two piece cone, and later ones had the blow molded cones.
Another example is the styrene Astron Interceptor two piece nose cone. Later the blow molded version was used in the Vindicator.
A bit of Estes/Centuri history trivia.
Take notes...there may be a quiz later.
sandman
After Estes bought Centuri they acquired a "blow molding" machine and started making blow molded cones.
When they used up thier stock of "injection molded" two piece cones they changed the cones to the PNC-60AH (the same as the Mean Machine).
So some of the Der Red Max kits had the two piece cone and the later ones had the blow molded ones.
A couple of kits were like that too. The Big Bertha was one...early ones had the two piece cone, and later ones had the blow molded cones.
Another example is the styrene Astron Interceptor two piece nose cone. Later the blow molded version was used in the Vindicator.
A bit of Estes/Centuri history trivia.
Take notes...there may be a quiz later.
sandman
Originally posted by Fore Check
....
NEAT site by the way. Do you list "auction values" of some of your kits in the event that they might be for sale?
Nope
I just want to keep track at what they are worth at present day.
I'm amazed as to how much some "simple" kits go for
astronboy
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Even more geekily esoteric Red Max info is that the 2-piece injection molded nosecone originally came in black plastic, then was switched to white plastic. I have a Citation Red Max kit with a black plastic cone, and a vintage built-up from the mid 1970's with the white plastic injection molded 2-piece cone. Once they ran our of the white 2-piece cones, the blow molded cones appeared.
wscarvie
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Brief off-topic story:
I was at the Post Office yesterday. I was re-using an old box, and wrote out a big "address label" on paper, taping the paper over some old, no-longer-pertinent, stickers on the box. I used graph paper for this...
The guy behind me, with a grin, says "Graph paper, eh? That's not at all geeky, is it?"
I just smiled, but what I was thinking was "man, you should see my hobbies!"
A friend of mine has a number of different "geek pride" tee-shirts, that have slogans on them like:
"Stop laughing. Computers are cool now."
"Talk Nerdy to me."
etc.
cydermaster
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One of the best places for Geek Pride t-shirts is https://www.thinkgeek.com. The humor is very computer orientated, but if you know your Linux, some of the t-shirts are well funny. I've always liked:
I stop by the site, every now and again, for a chuckle - Infact, I'm gonna head off there now.
Steward
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Unfortunatly no...
An accident on the moving truck a few years back, crushed a large bicycle type box with about 30 rockets...
After I cried for a few days...I promply began re-building the collection...alot of them were late sixties-early seventies.
That's what I mean when I say I'm not "BAR"...I in fact never gave it up!!! I enjoy (as well as my 9yr old son) building. I've got a new one back there somewhere...Think I'll pull it out next...
Thinking a few mods this time around!!!
An accident on the moving truck a few years back, crushed a large bicycle type box with about 30 rockets...
After I cried for a few days...I promply began re-building the collection...alot of them were late sixties-early seventies.
That's what I mean when I say I'm not "BAR"...I in fact never gave it up!!! I enjoy (as well as my 9yr old son) building. I've got a new one back there somewhere...Think I'll pull it out next...
Thinking a few mods this time around!!!
astronboy
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I understand. I have been rebuilding my old rockets for several years now. There are still a few left un-repaired....
There are a few pics on my 'graveyard page'
https://towrowrow.tripod.com/astronboy/id5.html
There are a few pics on my 'graveyard page'
https://towrowrow.tripod.com/astronboy/id5.html
gpoehlein
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I've been tinkering with a lot more paper rockets, and I got the bright idea to do a scaled down version of the Red Max in paper. The body tube is the equivalent of a BT50, and the nose is scaled down to the same proportions as the larger version. And I scaled down the decals and put them on the rocket using Photoshop. I'm hoping to fly it this weekend.
Greg Poehlein
Greg Poehlein
Yeah! the Der Red Max is truely one of the classics, Still have 3 in the bags! ah Ha ha! love em so much I even micro Maxx'ed one
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