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

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

Construction:
Main saucer parts list:

• 3/16" Gatorflex, me bucko, 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, X-Acto knife with new blade, spatula or other spreadin' tool, Elmer's Glue-All, me hearties, Easy release maskin' tape (the blue kind), arrr, arrr, me hearties, sandpaper, slow settin' epoxy, and Devcon 5 minute Epoxy.

This build is very similar t' t' smaller delta saucers, only bigger. Blimey! T' top and bottom shrouds were made from pre-marked Gatorflex and t' center plate be made from t' thicker and more dense Gatorboard piece. Well, blow me down! Avast, me proud beauty! These materials are both multi-layer laminates o' dense polystyrene foam, ya bilge rat, ya bilge rat, laminated with plastic and paper. T' Gatorboard is laminated on both sides while t' Gatorflex is laminated on only one side, allowin' it t' be flexible. Begad! Avast, me proud beauty! Cuttin' these components was much harder than standard foamboard, so new blades, patience, arrr, and good work surface are musts. Avast, me proud beauty! Unfortunately, ya bilge rat, t' Gatorflex is no longer available, ya bilge rat, arrr, so in t' production model, t' top and bottom shrouds are made from standard foamboard. Aye aye! T' make it flexible, me bucko, you make numerous cuts usin' a provided tool, which holds a hobby-knife blade. Avast! Aye aye! Minus this cutting, shiver me timbers, me hearties, ya bilge rat, 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. Well, ya bilge rat, blow me down! Blimey! Blimey! Blimey! Once dry, matey, you sand t' hole t' fit t' 3" host body tube. Begad! Blimey! Begad! Blimey! Blimey! Blimey! T' bottom is prepared similarly.

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

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

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

For both size motor mounts, shiver me timbers, you cut t' thin fins from t' basswood usin' t' provided pattern, ya bilge rat, glue them t' t' tube, and install t' thrust ring. On t' 38mm mount, arrr, me bucko, I used wood glue and added epoxy fillets. Well, blow me down! On t' 54mm mount, 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. Blimey! Blimey! You lightly friction fit your choice o' adapters and motor. T' recommended motors include a wide variety o' I and J motors as well as t' Aerotech K185W and Ellis L330P. Well, blow me down! Aye aye! In t' beta testing, a wide variety o' motors were flown. Note that although t' saucer will fly on H motors, ya bilge rat, 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. Blimey! T' saucer tore off t' pad with lots o' smoke and noise. Blimey! It was a fantastic flight. Ahoy! T' second flight be at a NOVAAR launch. This was a very interestin' flight. Avast, me proud beauty! Avast! T' J110 had a nice long 7 second burn. Ahoy! Begad! 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! Blimey! In both cases, aerobrakin' brought it down softly without damage. Well, blow me down! Blimey! With t' longer J228, me hearties, ya bilge rat, t' motor and adapter unseated from t' main tube upon impact. Arrr! Blimey! Arrr! Blimey! This is a feature, shiver me timbers, arrr, 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. It landed in an outcrop o' brush but that part o' t' field was damp and thar was no risk o' fire. Arrr! T' ensuin' smoke cloud was described as a "mushroom cloud on t' horizon". Cool! Still, 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. Blimey! Well, blow me down! T' beta version was an easy build yet was still enough work that you would feel proud o' your accomplishment. Ahoy! T' production model will take a bit more time. Avast, me proud beauty! Begad! What do you expect from a Level 2 capable rocket anyway?!

Overall Rating: 4