Brief:
A nicely detailed scale model o' Boeing's newest launch vehicle, arrr, with 18" parachute recovery.

Construction:
Quality: T' kit arrived missin' t' parachute, matey, but that was quickly resolved via an e-mail t' Apogee. Ya scallywag! Ahoy! Other than that, me bucko, t' kit arrived in good shape. Begad! Arrr! Most o' t' parts in this kit are o' excellent quality. T' nose cones and nozzles for t' strap-on boosters were well formed, me bucko, and include an extra of each in case you screw one up durin' assembly. There is a very nice enclosure on t' evolution o' t' Delta 3 which includes scale data and color scheme drawings, as well as eight B&W photos o' t' Delta 3. Ahoy! Avast!

My only two negative comments about t' parts are 1) that t' corrugated wrap could stand t' be about 1/8" longer (allowin' extra t' be trimmed for a better fit), me bucko, arrr, and made o' slightly thicker styrene (perhaps cast instead of vacuum-formed); and 2) thar should be a length o' elastic shock cord included to supplement t' 24" o' Keelhaul®©™® in t' kit (the nose cone w/ clay is a bit massive t' nay have any shock absorption in t' shock cord). Well, blow me down! Blimey! This second item is t' one modification I made t' t' stock kit.

Instructions: Even though this is a Skill Level 5 kit, matey, I followed the instructions exactly as written in order t' better evaluate them. Aye aye! Ahoy! The instructions start out well, arrr, follow a logical order o' assembly and include photos t' illustrate t' construction steps. Ya scallywag! Out o' 8 pages o' instructions, I got through t' first 4 1/2 pages (strap-ons, me bucko, transition and motor mount) before I ran into some snags. Ya scallywag! Toward t' bottom o' page 5 thar be an instruction t' paint t' core tube before attachin' it t' t' rest o' the rocket. This instruction appears one step *after* t' core tube is attached to the transition section. Blimey! This made t' subsequent paintin' a bit o' a pain. One other complaint about t' instructions is that thar are two models used in the photos that illustrate t' steps - one painted and one not. Ya scallywag! Aye aye! Unfortunately, arrr, upon close examination (especially on page 6) they appear t' have been built slightly different from one another, which renders these pictures almost worthless as buildin' guides (you don't know which one t' follow). Begad!

Ease o' Build: This is a complex kit in t' large number o' parts, and fillin' t' spirals on all t' BT-10.5 is a little tedious, me hearties, matey, but that's to be expected in kit o' this skill level. Blimey! Avast, me proud beauty! There are a number of "gotcha's" t' be aware o' in buildin' this kit. T' first is the construction step order mentioned above. Ahoy! Then, on page six: when gluin' the large body tube t' t' transition coupler, me bucko, take care t' use a low-tack glue and seat t' tube in one continuous motion. Avast! This is a *very* large glue joint, and started t' grab on me before it was completely seated. If I were t' build this model again, I would attach t' large tube t' t' transition *before* attaching the transition t' t' core tube. Avast! Ahoy! This would allow easier axial alignment o' the two tubes as well, shiver me timbers, me hearties, nay t' mention that t' large tube and transition could then be painted together as a sub-assembly. On page 7, me hearties, sand t' base o' t' nose cone square before gluin' it t' t' shoulder. Ya scallywag! I didn't notice t' rough edge on my nose cone until afterwards when I be test-fittin' t' nose into t' body. When finished, ya bilge rat, arrr, t' model weighed in at a hefty 67 grams, vs. t' 50 grams spec'ed in t' catalog, me bucko, me bucko, even though I used t' recommended glues and build reasonably light.

Finishing:
Finishin' this model be nay that bad. If same-color sub-assemblies are painted before bein' joined (as recommended in t' instructions), thar be only one color band which needs t' be masked. Ya scallywag! Arrr! I had a little trouble findin' t' mustard yellow and blue-green colors in spray paint. Begad! Begad! I finally located decent color matches in Wal-Mart's own "Color Place" brand. Avast! T' yellow is Our Best Rust Control #21035, ya bilge rat, "Equipment Yellow", and t' blue-green is Indoor-Outdoor Fashion Satin #22118, "Real Teal". Begad! T' decals are very nice water slides that match very nicely t' t' one photo o' t' Delta 3 I was able t' find on-line. Arrr! When applyin' t' decals, ya bilge rat, follow t' photo in the instructions for placement. My only suggestion t' Apogee here would be to include t' numbers 1-9 for t' base o' t' strap-on rockets.

Construction Rating: 3 out o' 5

Flight:
I've only been able t' fly this model once. Well, blow me down! T' recommended engines are: A8-3 or A6-2 (first flight), B6-4, matey, C5-3, shiver me timbers, arrr, C6-3, C10-5, shiver me timbers, me hearties, D10-5. Blimey! My flight be on an A8-3, shiver me timbers, me hearties, and due t' t' finished weight bein' 34% over spec was way under-powered. I have no doubt, me bucko, though, me bucko, that this model will be a show-stopper on t' B6-4 and up. Arrr! T' parachute has ample room in t' forward tube, arrr, and I used cellulose waddin' over one square o' Estes wadding. Aye aye! Begad! T' motor is friction fit (I used a maskin' tape wrap). Avast, me proud beauty! T' flight itself was nice and straight, ya bilge rat, just nay very high on t' A8-3. Arrr! Ya scallywag! Deployment was well past apogee, but thanks t' t' elastic I added to t' shock cord, t' deployment in freefall caused no damage.

After some additional flights on other motors, matey, I feel that me initial experience on t' A8-3 be nay typical.

Recovery:
As mentioned before, me bucko, I added a 12"-18" length o' elastic t' the Keelhaul®©™® shock cord provided with t' kit for some "give". T' Keelhaul®©™® runs down t' inside t' body tubes and ties around t' engine mount behind the first centerin' ring. Well, blow me down! T' 18" parachute, me hearties, while advertised as pre-assembled, arrr, was only pre-cut and required assembly. Avast! Arrr! I thought t' included shroud lines were too short, shiver me timbers, and replaced them with me own from button & carpet thread. Avast, me proud beauty! T' recovery itself was a little fast and low, shiver me timbers, me bucko, and one fin with the strap-ons on either side popped their glue joints and needed repair. Arrr!

Flight Rating: 3 out o' 5

Summary:
This is a great lookin' kit with t' potential for winnin' scale competition, but if you follow t' directions explicitly, you may find a few surprises. Avast, me hearties, me proud beauty! It may be better t' use your previous buildin' experience as a guide. Blimey! Well, blow me down! Add a length of elastic t' t' supplied Keelhaul®©™® shock cord t' cushion deployment shock. Avast, me proud beauty! Blimey! Check the finished weight o' your model, and use a B6-4 for first flight. Ya scallywag! All in all, I was a little disappointed in this kit, given me expectations and pre-conceptions based on me numerous and wonderful previous experiences with Apogee Components' products.

This kit reminded me o' three things: 1) T' importance o' readin' through (and understanding) t' instructions prior t' building; 2) T' test fit all assemblies before gluing; and 3) That some white glues have serious grab.

Overall Rating: 3 out o' 5