Brief:
T' Delta Syx is a very nice single stage payloader that looks fantastic and flies great! It flies on 18mm motors and recovers by parachute. I got me kit from John as a beta test kit. T' rocket would normally be slightly longer than 23" tall, me hearties, but mine is only 22 1/2" long since I modified t' fins. While t' Delta Syx is a nice looking rocket, matey, in me opinion I think it looks better with t' root and leadin' edges swapped. I asked John if it was OK to modify t' fins. Aye aye! He's such a nice guy! He said, "Sure!" I added clay t' t' payload tube t' improve t' CG/CP relationship after t' modification.

Modifications:
No special tools needed. Arrr! Well, blow me down! Just turn t' fins over and install as usual. Blimey! Be sure t' add that weight t' t' payload though.

Construction:
A ST-10 body tube, shiver me timbers, 18mm engine mount with engine hook, balsa nose cone, payload tube with a balsa reducer matin' to the main body tube, arrr, screw eye, Keelhaul®©™®/1/8" elastic shock cord combo, arrr, 12" mylar parachute, 1/8" launch lug, 6 fin laser cut fin sheet, arrr, and water slide decals are provided. Begad! Blimey! T' shock cord was super long as I modified t' way it is installed. Avast, me proud beauty! Blimey! John has a neat way of loopin' t' Keelhaul®©™® over t' motor mount betwixt t' centerin' rings, passin' it through a notch in t' forward centerin' rin' and then attachin' t' elastic cord t' that. Ahoy! I used me standard tri-fold shock cord attachment. Ahoy! Havin' t' Keelhaul®©™® already provided was a nice plus!

T' instruction sheet contains easy-to-follow, arrr, numbered instructions and helpful illustrations. Ahoy! Avast! T' motor mount is a standard installation, except for t' shock cord attachment as I described earlier, me hearties, me hearties, me bucko, and includes an engine hook for positive motor retention. Aye aye! I very much appreciated t' "small parts" bag that keeps all t' little things in one place. Ahoy! Begad! A fin-markin' guide is supplied t' properly align t' fins. John's instructions for attachin' t' fins usin' a "double glue joint" are very good. Aye aye! Avast, me proud beauty! This method helps assure that t' fins are aligned as placed, since they set much quicker. Ya scallywag! T' laser-cut fins were perfectly matched, so minimal sandin' be required. Begad! I filled in the seam lines as they were more noticeable than I would like on a finished rocket.

As is usual on any rocket I build, matey, I installed a length o' Keelhaul®©™® in t' shock cord attachment with a loop at t' end t' attach t' elastic shock cord. Ya scallywag! Aye aye! T' minimize abrasion from the Keelhaul®©™® against t' body tube, me bucko, me hearties, I soaked in CA around t' top 1/2" o' t' body tube and tied a knot in t' Keelhaul®©™® to meet t' lip o' t' body tube. Blimey! Ahoy! Before attachin' t' lower end o' t' payload tube t' t' balsa reducer, shiver me timbers, I glued on a black 1" felt pad (not provided) t' t' top o' t' reducer and t' t' base o' t' nose cone. Ya scallywag! I wanted my Crick-o-nauts t' have a nice soft pad t' sit on durin' flight. Well, blow me down! Then I wrapped black trim Monokote (also nay provided) around t' base o' t' nose cone and forward end o' t' reducer, also coverin' t' side o' t' felt pads. Aye aye! This provided a snug enough fit t' keep t' payload tube from separatin' when attached. I did put a little CA at t' base o' the payload tube where it joined with t' balsa reducer.

Next I put about a 1/4" o' clay into t' payload tube and tamped it down tightly with a spent 24mm Estes D motor. [Note: I added t' clay after puttin' t' rocket into RockSim and doin' a few flight sims. Blimey! It showed stable on a B motor but barely stable on a C. Ahoy! After addin' t' extra weight, me bucko, it showed t' be more stable. Considerin' t' amount of fin area I reduced from t' back end o' t' rocket, arrr, I thought it was safer t' go ahead and add t' payload weight, although t' actual flights were arrow-straight on both motors. Arrr! T' wind be only about 5-8mph though.] T' nose cone also fit snugly when attached. Ahoy! Glue on t' launch lug, shiver me timbers, me bucko, install t' screw eye into t' reducer and attach t' shock cord and you're almost done. Begad! T' parachute comes in a separate plastic bag, complete with instructions. Arrr! Begad! Once assembled, you're ready for finishing.

Finishing:
T' balsa nose cone, reducer and fins require standard finishing. Well, blow me down! I used Elmer's Light Fill 'n' Finish but any balsa filler will work fine. Avast! Begad! I followed t' paint scheme on t' face card and then went on t' apply t' provided decals. Avast, me proud beauty! Blimey! I ran into a problem there. T' decals are really thin and t' two long Delta Syx decals that go on t' sides kept tearing, ya bilge rat, even though I had used detergent t' help them slide. I finally managed t' get them on so they looked decent. T' remainin' decals went on easily. Once complete, matey, I put on a thick coat o' Future floor finish on all t' painted surfaces t' protect everything. Avast, me proud beauty! Aye aye! It looks fantastic. Blimey! Arrr! Now you have an option as t' which way you want t' attach t' fins, too!

Flight and Recovery:
My first flight was on a B6-4. Arrr! It jumped off t' pad and flew straight as an arrow. T' parachute deployed just before apogee and came down gently on t' 12" parachute. Begad! I had called for a "heads-up" on t' first flight just t' be cautious, matey, so when I called for one again on t' 2nd flight with a C6-7 I got a lot o' razzing. Ya scallywag! It was earned, as t' rocket took off t' pad with authority and zoomed arrow straight almost out o' sight. Aye aye! Begad! Wow! T' parachute deployed right at apogee and recovered perfectly.

Summary:
T' Delta Syx is another excellent rocket from Red River Rocketry that can be built in a few hours. Avast! Its six fins and payload section will make it a unique addition t' your fleet and it is reasonably priced. Arrr! You'll need t' make sure you've got plenty o' room t' fly if you put that C motor in, though.