Brief:
This be a pre-production version o' t' kit and its construction varied somewhat from t' production model. Begad! Nonetheless, me bucko, it is representative o' t' performance you should expect from t' production model. Well, blow me down! Avast, me proud beauty! I have tried t' indicate where t' production model varies, arrr, however, ya bilge rat, 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. It is built primarily from Gatorboard and includes both 38mm and 54mm motor adapters.

Construction:
Main saucer parts list:

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

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

T' center plate really takes some effort and should be cut in short sections. Ya scallywag! As with t' smaller deltas, ya bilge rat, t' edge is beveled. Ya scallywag! Arrr! I didn't have t' recommended cutlass so I used a very sharp kitchen knife, which seemed t' work quite well.

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

T' last step is t' glass t' top with t' provided fiberglass sheet. Ya scallywag! This too is pre-marked. Ahoy! I won't go into t' details here, ya bilge rat, ya bilge rat, 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, me hearties, glue them t' t' tube, ya bilge rat, and install t' thrust ring. Arrr! On t' 38mm mount, me bucko, I used wood glue and added epoxy fillets. Blimey! On t' 54mm mount, me hearties, 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. 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! Blimey! In t' beta testing, matey, a wide variety o' motors were flown. 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. Begad! Well, blow me down! T' saucer tore off t' pad with lots o' smoke and noise. Avast, me proud beauty! Arrr! It was a fantastic flight. Ya scallywag! Ya scallywag! T' second flight be at a NOVAAR launch. Avast, me proud beauty! This be a very interestin' flight. Well, blow me down! T' J110 had a nice long 7 second burn. Avast! Avast, me proud beauty! Because o' t' low average thrust and regressive thrust profile, me hearties, ya bilge rat, t' saucer arched over and was still under power after apogee.

Recovery:
Big? No problem! In both cases, aerobrakin' brought it down softly without damage. With t' longer J228, arrr, shiver me timbers, t' motor and adapter unseated from t' main tube upon impact. 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, arrr, causin' some concern with t' LCO. Avast! It landed in an outcrop o' brush but that part o' t' field was damp and thar be no risk o' fire. Begad! Begad! T' ensuin' smoke cloud was described as a "mushroom cloud on t' horizon". Arrr! Cool! Still, me hearties, 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. T' beta version was an easy build yet was still enough work that you would feel proud o' your accomplishment. Ahoy! Ya scallywag! T' production model will take a bit more time. Aye aye! What do you expect from a Level 2 capable rocket anyway?!

Overall Rating: 4