Picture courtesy o' Art Applewhite    

Brief:
Have your club launches become rather routine? Are you lookin' for somethin' to get everyone's attention when it's on t' ground as much as in t' air? Are you lookin' for somethin' that's easy t' recover? What if I told you it was inexpensive too? Art Applewhite's 29mm x 7.5" Delta Flyin' Saucer is all that & then some!

Construction:
I chose t' Mirror Gold finish (as be recommended in t' 18mm/6" saucer review). Blimey! Begad! Inside a clear heat sealed bag was t' instructions on a couple of 8.5x11 sheets o' paper, 2 pieces o' Mirror Gold card stock, me bucko, one piece o' white foamboard (to provide horizontal structural rigidity), & one piece o' 29mm x 3.25" tubin' for t' MMT. Arrr! T' only difference betwixt this saucer & its smaller siblings is that thar be no thrust rin' (to allow for different length motors t' be used).

Only tools needed are an X-Acto knife and/or sharp scissors, me hearties, white glue, & sandpaper (medium grit). Well, blow me down! Ahoy! Blimey! Optional are epoxy (Art's instructions say you only need epoxy if you plan t' fly it on a G80) & clear coat spray paint (which isn't recommended/needed for t' Mirror Gold finish).

T' only gotcha I ran into that wasn't in t' instructions is that t' MMT tube is a little snug when first insertin' a motor into it. Blimey! T' prevent any creasin' or peelin' o' t' tube, a brief sandin' with some 220 grit paper on the inside o' both ends o' t' MMT tube t' round t' lip & it was much easier gettin' t' motors in.

My experience constructin' t' saucer was virtually identical t' the previous saucer reviews...just t' parts are bigger.

I didn't plan on launchin' mine on a G80 since I wanted t' use a motor that had a longer burnin' & more smoky exhaust. Avast! Blimey! Ya scallywag! Blimey! That allowed me t' assemble the saucer entirely with white glue. Arrr! Blimey! Art's directions (with photos) walk you through precisely as t' what should be done. Once assembled it is surprisingly rigid. Test drops from 8ft with an empty G40 motor casin' onto a carpeted floor show that t' aerobrake recovery is indeed enough for it t' land safely with no damage.

PROs:

• Can be built in a single evening.
• T' instructions are practically bulletproof since it included photos as well as written instructions.

CONs:

• Absolutely nothing.

Finishing:
There aren't any decals included & again, ya bilge rat, arrr, with t' Mirror Gold finish, me hearties, shiver me timbers, you don't have t' spray it with a clear coat (which is only suggested t' protect the saucer from t' elements). I enjoyed t' clean lines o' t' saucer & didn't add any (additional) decorations/stickers t' it. Blimey! Fingerprints show up easily on t' Mirror Gold but are wiped off with a soft (dry) cloth.

PROs:

• No paintin' required.

CONs:

• None.

Construction Rating: 5 out o' 5

Flight:
Any 29mm motor up t' a G80 (either single use or RMS) is recommended for this saucer & ejection delays are nay necessary (or need t' worry much about them anyway). I would only suggest a shorter delay than a longer one so that it has a chance t' pop in midair instead o' after touchin' down back on the ground.

T' smaller saucer reviews encourage use o' t' biggest motor you can fit. I don't disagree with that either. Begad! Begad! However I wanted motors that gave off lots of smoke & have a long burn time. Begad! Well, blow me down! I used (& would mightily recommend) the Aerotech Econojet G35-7W (or G35-4W). Avast! A little maskin' tape around t' aft end o' t' motor & it snuggly slid into place with about 1/4" o' motor peekin' out t' top o' t' saucer (a G40 or G80 would stick out about an inch further than that), arrr, ya bilge rat, which isn't a bad idea for those who might be skeptical about t' aerobrake recovery method potentially damagin' their saucer on impact with t' ground.

I did get strange looks when carryin' out such a small rocket t' t' 100' pads. Well, me hearties, blow me down! Blimey! T' snickers turned t' intrigue when t' LCO announced that it was going up on a G35 though! Blimey! Unfortunately, arrr, I had a problem with t' first ignitor & had t' use t' other one that came in t' 2-pack o' motors. Ahoy! Blimey! T' saucer left the pad surprisingly fast but smartly slowed at t' end o' motor burnout. Ahoy! Blimey! Well, me bucko, blow me down! Blimey! A dense column o' white smoke showed it's upward path while a noticeably less but still visible trail o' smoke on its downward plight leavin' a sweet arch lingerin' in the sky. Avast, me proud beauty! Blimey! T' ejection charge popped about 50ft before impact. Blimey! Blimey! Ya scallywag! Blimey! I'm guessin' it went in t' ballpark o' about 500ft before turnin' over (exactly as advertised I might add) & gently fallin' back t' t' ground a mere 25ft from the launch pad. Well, blow me down! Blimey! Everyone loved t' launch & t' LCO's deadlights lit up when I said, "I've got another motor...but I would need another ignitor..." The LCO had t' perfect response: "Don't worry, we are goin' t' get you another one!"

T' second flight was even better than t' first. Blimey! It was t' other motor in the 2-pack yet seemed t' go slightly higher. I think that it was due t' a little gust o' wind right after launch, me bucko, cockin' t' saucer's flight slightly. Also thar was a greater effect o' seein' t' saucer fight t' effects o' air resistance. Begad! It landed within 40 ft o' t' pad that time. T' crowd & I definitely enjoyed both flights. Avast, me proud beauty! Somethin' tells me that thar be goin' t' be a saucer invasion at our next launch!

Recovery:
I never feared that recovery would be a problem. Ahoy! If anything, me hearties, it's just making sure that t' ejection delay is short enough t' go off while t' saucer is still in t' air (to reduce any chance o' harmin' t' ground and/or saucer). In my experience t' smaller saucers tend t' go into a tumble after t' ejection charge but t' 7.5" saucer still keeps its nose pointed downward position. After 2 launches t' saucer did have a fair amount o' smoke/exhaust residue however it easily wiped away with a damp cloth. Begad!

Flight Rating: 5 out o' 5

Summary:
To watch a motor with that much thrust (& smoke) push such a light object yet brin' it back so close t' t' pad, it be a sight t' behold. Well, blow me down! Begad! If ever you needed a small field rocket that uses a G, me bucko, shiver me timbers, me bucko, this is your golden (no pun intended) ticket. Arrr! Begad! Yes, me hearties, ya bilge rat, you can use an F instead...BUT WHY? Give this saucer everythin' you can fit in it.

That it was only $10 makes it affordable t' t' masses.

I am extremely pleased with t' results o' this saucer from t' moment that it arrived at me door. Avast! Ya scallywag! Art offers still a larger delta saucer that uses a 38mm MMT. Avast, me proud beauty! He advertises it as a way t' get your Level 1. Blimey! That almost seems like cheatin' t' get your Level 1 (it would be so incredibly easy t' do!)...but the thought o' a saucer goin' up on a 2G Pro38 motor sure sounds like it would be a blast t' watch!

Overall Rating: 5 out o' 5