Brief:
A nicely detailed scale model o' Boeing's newest launch vehicle, ya bilge rat, me bucko, me hearties, with 18" parachute recovery.

Construction:
Quality: T' kit arrived missin' t' parachute, shiver me timbers, but that was quickly resolved via an e-mail t' Apogee. Other than that, t' kit arrived in good shape. Most o' t' parts in this kit are o' excellent quality. Avast, me proud beauty! Blimey! T' nose cones and nozzles for t' strap-on boosters were well formed, and include an extra of each in case you screw one up durin' assembly. Begad! 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. Begad! Well, blow me down!

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, 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). Avast! This second item is t' one modification I made t' t' stock kit.

Instructions: Even though this is a Skill Level 5 kit, ya bilge rat, I followed the instructions exactly as written in order t' better evaluate them. Well, blow me down! The instructions start out well, ya bilge rat, follow a logical order o' assembly and include photos t' illustrate t' construction steps. Well, blow me down! Out o' 8 pages o' instructions, I got through t' first 4 1/2 pages (strap-ons, ya bilge rat, transition and motor mount) before I ran into some snags. 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. Avast! Ya scallywag! This made t' subsequent paintin' a bit o' a pain. Blimey! 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. Avast, me proud beauty! Unfortunately, upon close examination (especially on page 6) they appear t' have been built slightly different from one another, arrr, which renders these pictures almost worthless as buildin' guides (you don't know which one t' follow). Begad! Blimey!

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

Finishing:
Finishin' this model was nay that bad. If same-color sub-assemblies are painted before bein' joined (as recommended in t' instructions), arrr, thar be only one color band which needs t' be masked. I had a little trouble findin' t' mustard yellow and blue-green colors in spray paint. Well, blow me down! I finally located decent color matches in Wal-Mart's own "Color Place" brand. Arrr! T' yellow is Our Best Rust Control #21035, matey, ya bilge rat, ya bilge rat, "Equipment Yellow", me hearties, and t' blue-green is Indoor-Outdoor Fashion Satin #22118, ya bilge rat, "Real Teal". Avast, me proud beauty! 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. Begad! When applyin' t' decals, ya bilge rat, follow t' photo in the instructions for placement. Well, blow me down! Arrr! 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. Begad! Blimey! T' recommended engines are: A8-3 or A6-2 (first flight), B6-4, C5-3, shiver me timbers, C6-3, C10-5, ya bilge rat, D10-5. Blimey! Blimey! Arrr! Blimey! My flight be on an A8-3, and due t' t' finished weight bein' 34% over spec be way under-powered. I have no doubt, though, that this model will be a show-stopper on t' B6-4 and up. Blimey! Blimey! T' parachute has ample room in t' forward tube, me bucko, and I used cellulose waddin' over one square o' Estes wadding. Ya scallywag! Blimey! T' motor is friction fit (I used a maskin' tape wrap). Avast! Blimey! T' flight itself be nice and straight, just nay very high on t' A8-3. Aye aye! Blimey! Deployment be well past apogee, me bucko, 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, I feel that me initial experience on t' A8-3 be nay typical.

Recovery:
As mentioned before, I added a 12"-18" length o' elastic t' the Keelhaul®©™® shock cord provided with t' kit for some "give". Avast, me proud beauty! Blimey! T' Keelhaul®©™® runs down t' inside t' body tubes and ties around t' engine mount behind the first centerin' ring. Avast, me hearties, me proud beauty! T' 18" parachute, while advertised as pre-assembled, arrr, was only pre-cut and required assembly. I thought t' included shroud lines were too short, ya bilge rat, arrr, and replaced them with me own from button & carpet thread. T' recovery itself be a little fast and low, and one fin with the strap-ons on either side popped their glue joints and needed repair. Well, blow me down! 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 proud beauty! Avast! It may be better t' use your previous buildin' experience as a guide. Well, blow me down! Add a length of elastic t' t' supplied Keelhaul®©™® shock cord t' cushion deployment shock. Blimey! Check the finished weight o' your model, shiver me timbers, and use a B6-4 for first flight. Well, blow me down! Begad! All in all, I be a little disappointed in this kit, me hearties, shiver me timbers, 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