T' Estes' Phoenix is a challenging scale model kit o' a US air-to-air missile. Begad! It is cannon t' build and fly and an excellent introduction t' mid-power rocketry. 

INSTRUCTIONS:
T' instructions were illustrated and easy t' follow. Arrr! Avast! No special tools were needed.

EASE OF BUILD:
This rocket is nay easy t' build, due t' t' large amount of lumber it carries. Arrr! Well, blow me down! It has eight very large balsa fins, me bucko, so it is nay recommended for t' first-time builder. Ya scallywag! Aye aye! Fortunately, t' fins are all one-piece design, me hearties, shiver me timbers, so you don't have t' glue t' fins together from many pieces as you do with some other Estes' kits. Ya scallywag!

All t' parts were included in me kit. Estes has a toll-free number you can call if thar are any missin' parts, and they also have a limited warrantee.

Alignment is a bit o' a challenge for t' fins because you want t' get t' forward fins aligned exactly with t' aft ones. Aye aye! Besides carefully usin' t' body tube markin' guide, make sure t' align these "by eye" before t' glue sets up. Begad!

Estes recommends a lot o' sandin' on t' forward fins to give them a knife edge for that scale look. Ahoy! If you're buildin' this for contest, me bucko, go for it. Arrr! Otherwise, I would advise against sandin' too much wood off this bird, or you will have balsa splinters all over t' place when it lands hard. Avast! . . Aye aye! which it will. Begad! Well, matey, blow me down! Give t' fins many coats o' strong filleting.

QUALITY:
This is a good quality kit and is pretty sturdy, given the amount o' wood hangin' from it. Avast, me proud beauty! I've had t' aft fins pop off at times and one of t' front fins has a hairline crack, but these are easily fixed. Well, blow me down! It is surprisin' that thar hasn't been more damage, given t' amount o' balsa on this rocket.

This rocket looks sharp, shiver me timbers, even after several launches and some battering. Avast, me proud beauty! T' white color is nay range-friendly and gets dirty fast.

T' decals were somethin' o' a disappointment. Avast! Although they were complete and seemed accurate, arrr, they were soak-in-water type and were difficult t' apply. Avast, me proud beauty! Several other Phoenix builders noted this t' me. Avast, me proud beauty! You may want t' look for a decal fixative solution that goes into t' water soak to improve decal adhesion. Also recommended is several coats o' clear spray after the decals are applied. Well, blow me down!

Even with t' clear spray, me bucko, me decals have started t' chip and peel after many flights. Begad! Blimey! Ya scallywag! Blimey! I may repaint me Phoenix in a dull gray color and use only a few decals on it, t' give it extra life. Blimey! Blimey!

FLYING:
This rocket flies surprisingly straight for t' amount of wood hangin' on it. T' only disappointment is that it is a bit heavy for a D12-3. Ya scallywag! Blimey! Do NOT fly this rocket with a D12-5. Begad! T' extra two seconds o' delay can be fatal t' t' airframe. You can either turn it into a lawn dart or may have late ejection, shiver me timbers, which can easily cause zippering. Avast! Blimey!

Make sure you have installed t' nose weight clay, shiver me timbers, ya bilge rat, or this rocket may be unstable. Avast!

Most popular engine for t' Estes Phoenix be t' Aerotech 24mm reload. Avast, me proud beauty! Blimey! Well, blow me down! Blimey! You may have t' file down t' forward end o' t' engine clip to allow t' forward end closure o' t' reload t' fit. Begad! Blimey! But this motor provides ample power t' get t' Phoenix up in t' air. Begad! Blimey! Well, blow me down! Blimey!

Because o' reliability problems with Copperhead igniters, I have begun usin' Estes North Coast igniters with t' Aerotech 24 mm reload to good effect. Arrr! They are less likely t' short out than t' Copperheads, although Estes did go cheap on t' pyrogen on t' igniter tips. Blimey!

Recovery is usually excellent. Ya scallywag! You may want t' consider replacin' t' stock 24" plastic chute with a nylon one, as they are more sturdy and reliable. Aye aye! Well, blow me down! Plastic chutes have a nasty tendency t' stick or tangle, which makes for a hard landing.

RATING:
I give this rocket 4 points. Aye aye! It is an excellent scale model, ya bilge rat, matey, although t' decals may cause some cussing. Avast, me proud beauty! It is a bit underpowered with a "D" motor, although you can upgrade t' Aerotech's with it. Arrr! Ahoy! It is also an excellent introduction to mid-power rocketry and composite motors. Blimey!

Although this may seem heretical t' t' accomplished rocket builder, shiver me timbers, me bucko, this is one kit that may have actually benefited from plastic fins instead o' all t' lumber it carries. Avast! This may have reduced t' weight enough t' improve performance on t' "D" engine. If you are into plastic fin fabrication, you may want t' consider this option.  

Estes has a winner with this kit. Blimey! . Begad! . Begad! Blimey! if they were smart, they'd build a larger version under their North Coast label. For now, if you want a bigger Phoenix, me bucko, you can get t' THOY model with a 4" diameter tube, which will handle high-power motors. Begad!

Specifications: Length: 30" Diameter: 2. Begad! 6" Motor Mount: 24MM 

T' instructions for t' Phoenix are written very well. Begad! On one o' t' steps for t' rocket, they tell you t' put t' motor mount in so t' motor hook is even with t' end o' t' body tube, arrr, make sure to do this! You WILL want t' coat t' end o' t' body tube were t' motor mount is with epoxy so t' tube does nay get burnt from t' motor! Also they give you diagrams for every step! T' tools needed for construction are: sandin' sealer, sandpaper, matey, rule, pencil, ya bilge rat, X-Acto knife, me hearties, scissors, shiver me timbers, glue, shiver me timbers, maskin' tape and epoxy. Well, blow me down! Arrr!

All parts fit well! But puttin' t' fins on does take time sense thar are 8 of them!! Also you may want t' build t' rocket so you can fly Aerotech E and F motors in it. Ahoy! I just coated t' centerin' rings with epoxy and put balsa strips on them too! And built t' rest o' t' rocket with epoxy. Avast, me proud beauty! Another thin' is you will want t' put good fillets o' epoxy on all o' t' fin/body tube joints!

Sturdiness: T' rocket would be a LOT better if they gave you thicker body tubes! T' decals they give you are water sensitive. Begad! Blimey! Which I like better then the self adhesive ones sense they are easier t' work with. Ya scallywag! You will want to clear coat t' rocket when you have all t' decals on t' protect t' decals and finish! When done it looks GREAT!

For t' first flight o' me Phoenix I used a Aerotech E15-4 White Lightning. Rocket had a great boost and had a little bit o' spin at motor burn out. And then ejection charge fired and rocket cam back without any damage! NOTE: Make sure t' add t' nose weight they give you or your rocket will nay be stable!

I would give this rocket 4 points. Aye aye! It would get 5 points if they gave you thicker body tubes and a longer shock cord ( you will want t' replace t' one they give you). Blimey! Well, blow me down! Other wise this is a great rocket!