Edmonds Aerospace Deltie Thunder

Edmonds Aerospace - Deltie Thunder {Kit}

Contributed by Neil Thompson

Construction Rating: starstarstarstarstar
Flight Rating: starstarstarstarstar_border
Overall Rating: starstarstarstarstar_border
Manufacturer: Edmonds Aerospace

Rocket PicBrief:
This is a HUGE glider made by Edmonds Aerospace. It has a wingspan of 27 inches and the glider is 34 inches long. It has a 24mm pop pod, which is about 2 feet long, give or take an inch or two.

Construction:
It has one long 24mm tube for the pop pod, and 3 sheets of laser-cut balsa, which I am guessing is about 1/4 inch thick.

Just as easy to build as the original Deltie, but really big. I liked how all the parts fit together. I did not need instructions since I had build the standard Deltie a few weeks earlier and it has the same exact parts, only bigger. Once assembled it is very sturdy. I have gone for a few test glides at a baseball field and it flew very well.

Finishing:
I have not painted it, but may use highlighters like I did on the Deltie.

Construction Rating: 5 out of 5

Flight:
I used a D12-3. Definitely not enough power. Due to the wind, I had to use the "David Smith hold and RUN" technique. That means holding the glider until the wind dies down, and then let go and RUN while a friend presses the button. The boom broke in half on impact. Pout! Will be easy to repair, however.

Recovery:
I do not know yet. I have only made a few throws in a local baseball field so far.

Flight Rating: 4 out of 5

Summary:
Easy build, affordable price, and a really big glider. it takes up about half of one of my bedroom walls!

Overall Rating: 4 out of 5

Other Reviews
  • Edmonds Aerospace Deltie Thunder By Hank Helmen

    Brief: The Deltie Thunder is a single stage boost glider design. The glider is a triangle shape with a profile type fuselage that divides the triangle in the middle. The rocket booster hooks onto the glider at the nose of the glider and pulls it skyward. At ejection the booster separates and returns via parachute while the glider slowly circles back to earth Construction: The ...

  • Edmonds Aerospace Deltie Thunder By Ted H. Apke

    (by Ted H. Apke)  Well I was really hoping that my package from Edmonds would arrive in time for this weekends METRA launch. I was grumping about it on Saturday when my youngest son asked me what this box was sitting in the garage. I have no idea when it arrived or how it got there but it isn't the first time I've found mail sitting in some peculiar place!  Spouses <and> ...

Flights

Comments:

avatar
H.W.H (March 11, 2006)
The balsa in the kit is light weight (very soft) Where the wing joins the fuselage of the glider at the front is a weak spot. Broke on my first test glide. Reinforced with 1/2" carbon fiber tape from Hobby Lobby Intl. Broke again on another test flight. Added more carbon fiber and CA glue. Had to use all the clay in the kit plus a little more for good test flight. First flight with D12-3 was good boost, but then glided a little nose down. Fuselage broke again at front of wing joiner! Took away some clay! Wing has round burn through on front left hand side about the size of a quarter!
avatar
D.S. (August 21, 2009)
If you managed to beef it up a bit and reinforce the boom, I think it'd be an awesome flier on an F12 or F32. It'd need a lot of space, though.

comment Post a Comment