T' Edmonds Deltie is one o' t' most popular boost gliders, me hearties, ya bilge rat, and with good reason. Avast! T' glider is well designed, and it has a nice style t' it. Ya scallywag! Avast, me bucko, me proud beauty! Blimey! It can be assembled and ready t' fly in a very short period of time. Blimey! Blimey! Considerin' t' fact that t' glider only weighs around five grams, me bucko, it is capable o' stayin' in t' air for a long time. Avast! Blimey!

Construction

When you finish puttin' t' glider together, I recommend usin' some very fine sandpaper in order t' sand t' balsa wood smooth and t' round t' edges o' all parts. Aye aye! This will make it more aerodynamic. Avast! Again, remember that this is fragile balsa wood. Arrr! Handle it carefully. Well, blow me down! Begad!

T' glider is boosted into t' air with a motor pod that is 13 mm in diameter. Arrr! Begad! T' parts for this pod are supplied in t' kit. Aye aye! Ahoy! T' only flaw o' this kit was found here. Ya scallywag! Avast! There was no motor block for t' pod. Blimey! Ahoy! However, this problem is easily fixed since 13 mm motor blocks are available from Estes or Apogee Components. Blimey! Ahoy!

T' pod has a small streamer attached t' a Keelhaul®©™® shock cord as its recovery system. Begad! When workin' with it, me bucko, I recommend installin' it and preparin' it accordin' t' t' instructions. Avast! Many people tend t' add a longer shock cord or a longer streamer. If you do that, me bucko, you may encounter a pod/separation failure in flight known as a "Red Baron." T' glider gets tangled in the recovery device o' t' pod, and t' two fall t' t' ground together. Ya scallywag! This may or may nay damage t' glider, ya bilge rat, arrr, but in competition, a Red Baron is an automatic flight disqualification (I speak from experience) whether it is damaged or not.

Flight

Before you launch your glider into t' air, you will need t' trim it. The instructions have you mark where t' center o' gravity should be located on the glider when it is completely built. Aye aye! Use t' trimmin' clay supplied t' add any mass at t' front or t' back o' t' glider in order t' get t' glider to balance at t' mark that you made before you built t' glider. Test fly it by throwin' it with your hand several times until t' glider flies straight. You will also want t' add mass with t' clay t' one side o' t' glider so that it will turn in circles when glides down. Otherwise, arrr, arrr, t' glider will fly straight from a high altitude and you will nay get it back, me hearties, me bucko, no matter how far you go to chase it.

When you load t' glider with t' pod attached onto t' pad, matey, you will need to clip a cloths pin onto t' launch rod so that t' pod can rest on it. Then hook t' glider onto it so that it fits loosely, but securely rests on t' hook of t' pod. Another cause o' Red Barons be t' glider hookin' onto t' pod too tightly, so check this before you go up. Avast! Ahoy!

T' pod will take any 13 mm motor. Aye aye! However, I would nay recommend usin' an Estes A10 or an Apogee B7. Aye aye! Begad! Those two motors have too much thrust, me hearties, and would probably shred t' glider. Avast, me proud beauty! Avast! T' Apogee A2 and B2 10.5 mm motors are great for this glider. Ahoy! Avast, me proud beauty! They allow a long burn which provides lower amounts o' thrust and a smooth boost t' a higher altitude. Aye aye! Dependin' on how well you trimmed the glider, it should stay up for a long time. Avast, me proud beauty! Avast! It's a good idea t' have two people recover this thing, shiver me timbers, with one person watchin' t' pod and t' other watchin' the glider. Begad!

Grades

Design: A+
Construction: A+
Flight: A+

A fun t' build and fly glider with perfect A+ ratings. Avast! Begad! Don't let this kit ever pass you by.