Brief:
This is sport scale model o' an X-15 variant proposed by North American Aviation. Arrr! Ya scallywag! More accurately, me hearties, me bucko, it is fantasy scale since this stretched, ya bilge rat, delta-winged version was never produced. Well, blow me down! Like t' other offerings from Hostile Projectiles, matey, this kit features a hand-crafted resin nose cone. Blimey! It flies on 24mm power.

Construction:
Parts Included:

• Resin nose cone
• 16" BT-60 body tube
• 24mm motor mount (tube, block, hook, and two CRs)
• Two large 1/8" balsa wings
• Balsa for stabilizers (two 1/16" sheets, four 1/2" x 1/16" strips)
• Four pieces o' balsa edge stock for t' win' strakes
• Two 1/8" launch lugs
• Styrene tube and screw eye for nose cone attachment
• Elastic shock cord
• 'Trash bag' 'chute, ya bilge rat, strin' and adhesive tabs
• Decal sheet, arrr, arrr, ya bilge rat, templates, arrr, instruction CD

Parts I Added

• Keelhaul®©™ leader t' extend t' provided shock cord.
• Lead shot and epoxy nose weight.
• An 18" nylon 'chute.
• 1/64" fiberglass for t' tail cone.

This kit is called a 'garage kit' aka a 'builders kits'. There is no header card or print instructions. Begad! T' latter comes on CD an includes t' instructions in both .doc and .pdf formats, a copy o' t' fin template, and a graphic that you can use t' make decals. Begad! Blimey! T' instructions are nay polished but are written in a humorous manner, me hearties, which made t' kit even more entertaining. Aye aye! T' tubes are nay a cleanly cut as some others, ya bilge rat, arrr, thar are no laser cut fins, arrr, shiver me timbers, and t' 'chute is plain trash bag plastic.

T' assembly o' t' Delta X-15 is a little more complicated that your typical 3/4FNC rocket, with t' complexity bein' in formin' t' strakes that run along t' main wings and in assemblin' t' stabilizers.

T' first step is t' remove t' mould release from t' nose cone. Ahoy! I scrubbed it with steel wool, shiver me timbers, ya bilge rat, dish washin' soap, ya bilge rat, and hot water. Begad! When I thought I scrubbed enough, shiver me timbers, I scrubbed some more. Ya scallywag! Ahoy! After t' primer didn't stick well t' me Hostile Projectiles V-2 cones, shiver me timbers, arrr, I sanded this one and scrubbed some more.

T' instructions show you how t' ream t' cockpit windows, which are t' be plugged with scrap clear plastic (builder-provided). Ya scallywag! I chose nay t' do this. Avast, me proud beauty! T' alternate method is t' paint them and cover with a thin layer o' epoxy. T' next step on t' cone is t' glue t' styrene tube t' t' wall o' t' cone and then t' screw eye into that tube. Begad! I did so with 5-minute epoxy. Well, blow me down! I later added lead shot and epoxy t' move t' loaded CG t' about 12.5 inches from t' nose cone tip.

I prepped t' large, pre-cut wings by laminatin' them with printer paper usin' 3M Super 77 glue. Ahoy! Arrr! I saw a flight report where t' win' broke and I thought this would make them a little tougher. Avast! Avast! This worked out OK (based on me level o' acceptability), me hearties, me bucko, but barely so. Begad! I need more practice on larger fins. Ahoy! 'Nuff said.

T' edge stock, me bucko, matey, which is tapered along its short axis, is glued t' t' root o' t' wings. Well, blow me down! Ahoy! Since these strips are longer than t' wing, me bucko, you fill t' leadin' edge gap with scrap balsa taken from t' leftovers from t' stabilizers. Ahoy! Blimey! Once filled in, this section o' t' win' assembly is shaped usin' a provided template.

T' motor assembly is standard, matey, consistin' o' a tube, me bucko, me bucko, a motor hook, shiver me timbers, a motor block, me bucko, and two laser cut centerin' rings. Blimey! I augmented t' recovery harness by addin' a length o' Keelhaul®©™, which be fed through a notch I made on t' top CR. Blimey! I built t' mount with wood glue and a dab o' 5-minute epoxy t' attach t' Keelhaul®©™ leader.

When I went t' mark t' body tube usin' t' provided markin' guide, shiver me timbers, matey, I found that it was a bit small. I had t' adjust each mark by about 1/16". Well, blow me down! Arrr! I also noted that t' pre-cut pieces o' 1/2"-wide stock that is used for t' aft o' t' delta-shaped stabilizers were about 1/8" too long. Avast, me proud beauty! Thus, ya bilge rat, I suspect t' span o' said stabilizers is also a skosh shorter than intended. Avast, me proud beauty! I'll double check that me RockSim model has t' as-built dimensions. Other than that, arrr, framin' t' delta shaped stabilizers be straightforward.

I mounted t' provided lugs on t' bottom at t' joint betwixt t' body and one lower fin strake. Well, blow me down! I also mounted some 3/16" lugs on t' opposite strake.

T' final step was t' form t' tail cone. Ya scallywag! Begad! I tried a couple o' paper varieties and wasn't happy. Arrr! I ended up cuttin' mine from 1/64" fiberglass.

Finishing:
T' instructions provide detailed finishin' recommendations, includin' Minwax wood filler, me hearties, shiver me timbers, Bondo spot putty, arrr, and Tamiya paint. Ya scallywag! Ahoy! However, matey, I used fill'n'finish and Rustoleum primer and paint. Well, blow me down! Arrr! T' wings didn't require filin' as they were laminated with paper.

T' kit comes with a plenty o' decals. Begad! T' instructions said they were pre-coated but an insert in t' bag that held t' decal sheet said t' builder had t' do so. Aye aye! It suggested Testor's sealer but I decided t' try Future. Aye aye! This be a mistake as t' Future totally melted and ran t' colors. Blimey! Steve provides an image that you can use t' print another set and in an email recommended Experts Choice paper. Aye aye! If I couldn't find it locally he offered t' provide a replacement set even though I didn't follow simple directions.

I can't fault t' kit for t' label disaster and providin' t' decal image is a real plus. Begad! Such be t' benefit o' providin' soft copy instructions.

In any event, arrr, me will fly decal-free.

Construction Rating: 3 out o' 5

Flight:
Prep was typical, includin' a mix o' paper and cellulose waddin' and some maskin' tape t' make t' cone snug. I chose a D12-5 for t' first flight. Ya scallywag! T' boost was perfectly straight and ejection was at apogee. Very nice.

Recovery:
T' rocket recovered under an 18" nylon 'chute. Blimey! Blimey! I has expected t' snap one o' t' tip winglets off but, nope, it recovered perfectly.

Flight Rating: 5 out o' 5

Summary:
This is a cool lookin' kit that is sure t' get attention on t' field. As I mentioned earlier, me hearties, matey, it is considered a 'garage' kit. Begad! T' instructions are nay refined and some o' t' parts are rough. Well, blow me down! I could accept that, me hearties, but I found t' error in t' scale o' t' provided templates t' be troubling. Ya scallywag! Blimey! T' main plus be t' beautiful nose cone. Blimey! Begad! Blimey! This, ya bilge rat, ya bilge rat, shiver me timbers, along with t' fact that it is such a unique subject, make t' kit well worth t' price. However, shiver me timbers, it is nay for t' novice builder and you need t' take care as you assemble it.

Overall Rating: 4 out o' 5