In all my 3 decades of rocket building I have never had more fun assembling a kit than the Deltie Airshow. If you can read and understand simple English, you can assemble all three gliders, the boost pod, with no problems. Mr. Robert Edmonds, Jr. has taken the time to produce the best set of directions and illustrations I have ever seen in a rocket kit. Most folks who haven't built a boost glider may hesitate when they see three gliders at once. Take my word for it: it makes it three times as fun! If you are an adult leading, say, three kids (age 8+) you can all have a part in building this rocket. It is just super to get Mom and the whole family involved! All you need is a razor blade to trim a few parts (not many,) a piece of sandpaper and some glue (any paper glue.)

I assembled the three gliders and the pod exactly according to the instructions without interjecting any of my expertise into the building. By following instructions you will assemble PERFECT flying gliders. It is SO simple! Yet, an experienced rocketeer like me, can get a real thrill out of the beautiful design of the Deltie design. (If you have never built one of the larger versions of the Deltie, you MUST!)

There are not enough superlatives to use for describing the ease of construction. If all the manufacturers wrote their instructions this well, we would have nothing to compare to. There are no "CON's" about this kit!

You don't have to finish it! Put it together in a few minutes, let it dry, and go launch it. If you want, you may decorate the gliders with colored markers. I fear that if you try to paint them, they will become to heavy and ruin the beautiful flights I witnessed as unfinished. No, in fact, don't paint them. There is something very beautiful about a wood grained balsa glider hovering in the slight breeze. Like white seagulls on the shore.

Construction: 5 out of 5

Recommended Motor: B4-4 I used the B4-4 and a C6-3. I believe a well built one would work fine on a B4-3, too. Preparation technique: roll the streamer and put it in, insert an igniter and friction fit the engine. That's all. No wadding required. It flies beautifully straight up and releases the gliders to do their thing.

Edmonds says that you can go without wadding. I decided to use wadding after the first launch because it will eat up your streamer otherwise. It is simple to launch. Obviously, you need several spotters to recover all the parts. It's good to assign one part each to four people. My gliders flew so well that each one drifted over 1000 feet from a B4-4 launch. You can weight the gliders to do circles if you care to not chase them.

Flight/Recovery: 5 out of 5

You truly need to treat yourself to the fun of the Deltie Airshow. This one is great for young and old, but especially for families and small groups. The quality balsa is all precut to perfection. There is no guessing about how any of this works--even if it's your very first kit. I highly recommend buying this for you and all on your gift list.

One tip: if you should damage or lose a glider, you can't get a replacement without buying the whole kit. Trace the balsa cutouts before you assemble the last one. That way you can buy a sheet of balsa to make your own if you have to. I had one run over by a car and you can't fly it with only two gliders.

Overall: 5 out of 5