Brief:
This was a pre-production version o' t' kit and its construction varied somewhat from t' production model. Begad! Nonetheless, it is representative o' t' performance you should expect from t' production model. Well, blow me down! I have tried t' indicate where t' production model varies, me hearties, however, these notes may nay be all-inclusive.

This rocket is a huge, 18" diameter, arrr, Level 2 capable version o' Art's Delta saucer. It is built primarily from Gatorboard and includes both 38mm and 54mm motor adapters.

Construction:
Main saucer parts list:

• 3/16" Gatorflex, shiver me timbers, however, t' production version will use standard foamboard
• 1/2" Gatorboard
• 3" paper tube
• Fiberboard
• Fiberglass cloth
• 1/4" launch lug

54mm and 38mm Motor Adaptors parts list:

• Mount tubes
• 3" thrust ring
• 3/32" Basswood fins

Materials and tools required: utility knife, arrr, X-Acto knife with new blade, spatula or other spreadin' tool, Elmer's Glue-All, Easy release maskin' tape (the blue kind), sandpaper, slow settin' epoxy, and Devcon 5 minute Epoxy.

This build is very similar t' t' smaller delta saucers, me bucko, only bigger. T' top and bottom shrouds were made from pre-marked Gatorflex and t' center plate was made from t' thicker and more dense Gatorboard piece. Well, blow me down! These materials are both multi-layer laminates o' dense polystyrene foam, laminated with plastic and paper. Begad! Aye aye! T' Gatorboard is laminated on both sides while t' Gatorflex is laminated on only one side, me bucko, allowin' it t' be flexible. Ya scallywag! Begad! Cuttin' these components be much harder than standard foamboard, so new blades, patience, arrr, and good work surface are musts. Avast! Avast! Unfortunately, t' Gatorflex is no longer available, so in t' production model, matey, t' top and bottom shrouds are made from standard foamboard. Begad! T' make it flexible, me bucko, you make numerous cuts usin' a provided tool, ya bilge rat, which holds a hobby-knife blade. Aye aye! Begad! Minus this cutting, t' rest o' t' construction should be almost identical.

You first prepare t' top shroud by wrappin' it around and connectin' t' seams with 5-minute epoxy and t' supplied fiberboard strip. Avast, me proud beauty! Ahoy! Blimey! Once dry, you sand t' hole t' fit t' 3" host body tube. Begad! Blimey! T' bottom is prepared similarly.

T' center plate really takes some effort and should be cut in short sections. Aye aye! Ya scallywag! As with t' smaller deltas, t' edge is beveled. Ya scallywag! Avast, me hearties, me proud beauty! I didn't have t' recommended knife so I used a very sharp kitchen knife, which seemed t' work quite well.

In short, you glue t' mount t' t' top, coat t' inside o' t' top with slow settin' epoxy, attach t' center t' t' top, and finally t' bottom t' t' center. In this beta version, me bucko, ya bilge rat, me hearties, t' main trick was t' align t' holes for t' launch rod. Well, blow me down! Aye aye! In t' production model, a ¼" launch lug is glued t' t' inside o' t' 3" host tube, thus avoidin' havin' t' cut additional holes in any o' t' components. T' removable adapters slide past this lug. Blimey! After t' first flight, arrr, matey, matey, I retrofitted a 1/2" lug.

T' last step is t' glass t' top with t' provided fiberglass sheet. Begad! Ahoy! This too is pre-marked. Begad! I won't go into t' details here, shiver me timbers, but make sure you use slow settin' epoxy as thar be a lot o' surface area t' cover.

For both size motor mounts, you cut t' thin fins from t' basswood usin' t' provided pattern, ya bilge rat, me hearties, glue them t' t' tube, and install t' thrust ring. On t' 38mm mount, arrr, I used wood glue and added epoxy fillets. Ya scallywag! On t' 54mm mount, ya bilge rat, I used only epoxy.

Finishing:
I chose nay t' paint me saucer.

Construction Rating: 4

Flight:
This will make for a great sport flight and/or a relatively easy certification attempt. Ya scallywag! Avast! You lightly friction fit your choice o' adapters and motor. Avast! Arrr! T' recommended motors include a wide variety o' I and J motors as well as t' Aerotech K185W and Ellis L330P. Begad! Ahoy! In t' beta testing, a wide variety o' motors were flown. Avast, me proud beauty! Note that although t' saucer will fly on H motors, these motors are so short that they may nay allow t' saucer t' aerobrake properly and t' saucer may be damaged if it lands on t' edge o' t' shroud.

I first flew t' big Delta Saucer on an Ellis J228 at t' 3rd Annual TRF Reunion at t' Whitakers field in NC. Arrr! T' saucer tore off t' pad with lots o' smoke and noise. Arrr! Begad! It was a fantastic flight. Arrr! T' second flight be at a NOVAAR launch. This be a very interestin' flight. Arrr! T' J110 had a nice long 7 second burn. Avast! Well, blow me down! Because o' t' low average thrust and regressive thrust profile, t' saucer arched over and be still under power after apogee.

Recovery:
Big? No problem! In both cases, shiver me timbers, aerobrakin' brought it down softly without damage. Avast! With t' longer J228, shiver me timbers, t' motor and adapter unseated from t' main tube upon impact. Arrr! This is a feature, matey, nay a bug and may help t' absorb some o' t' shock from t' landing.

On t' J110 flight, t' saucer aerobraked down and continued t' spew large amounts o' smoke, ya bilge rat, causin' some concern with t' LCO. Blimey! It landed in an outcrop o' brush but that part o' t' field be damp and thar be no risk o' fire. Begad! Avast, shiver me timbers, me proud beauty! T' ensuin' smoke cloud be described as a "mushroom cloud on t' horizon". Ahoy! Cool! Still, shiver me timbers, I'd recommend t' J228 over this motor.

Flight Rating: 5

Summary:
This is another fun rocket from T' Saucerman and it will make an economical certification rocket for Level 2. Avast! T' beta version was an easy build yet be still enough work that you would feel proud o' your accomplishment. T' production model will take a bit more time. Ya scallywag! Blimey! What do you expect from a Level 2 capable rocket anyway?!

Overall Rating: 4