CONSTRUCTION:
Bein' newish t' this hobby, arrr, I'm slowly workin' me way through t' different types o' rocket thar are t' offer. Arrr! Blimey! My first cluster was Fliskits' superb Deuce's Wild; havin' had a lot o' fun buildin' and flyin' that one, shiver me timbers, I looked to Fliskits' Pheord X150 for me first saucer type. Begad! Blimey! As Fliskits don't yet have a vendor in t' UK, I have t' buy direct from Fliskits - they are great t' deal with, shiver me timbers, arrr, shiver me timbers, and are very prompt in sendin' out goods. Ahoy! It only takes about 5-6 days for me t' get me goodies! All goods are well packaged for transport; me Pheord package had a bashed corner, but t' kit inside was unharmed.

T' package also contained a handful o' Fliskits catalogues, and a personal letter from Jim - nice touch. Well, blow me down! Blimey! Like other Fliskit kits, me hearties, me Pheord came in a very attractive display bag. Avast, me proud beauty! Blimey! Eye catchin' design, me hearties, individually numbered (mine is #16), and t' contents visible through t' back. Begad! Blimey! Everythin' be present and correct, matey, and o' t' usual best quality associated with Fliskits products.

T' kit is essentially a 18mm body tube, arrr, ya bilge rat, surrounded by five fins, covered with a card shroud. Arrr! There are also five steel 'antenna', which are used as shock absorbers for t' airbrake landing. Special note must be made o' t' quality o' t' balsa supplied with this kit (and all Fliskits kits, matey, me hearties, it seems). Avast! Havin' only used Estes quality balsa before discovering Fliskits, ya bilge rat, these kits are a dream t' build balsa-wise. Ya scallywag! Blimey! On me Deuce, matey, I only did the minimum o' sanding/sealin' on t' balsa parts, me hearties, me hearties, as havin' t' grain o' a quality balsa showin' through t' paint looks pretty cool t' me. Ya scallywag!

T' instructions are very concise, and very clear. Ahoy! Blimey! At no point be I left thinkin' "what do they mean there?", shiver me timbers, unlike experiences I've had with supposedly easier models from 'other' manufacturers. Almost all steps have a well drawn diagram, shiver me timbers, me hearties, and thar are hints and tips for construction, arrr, throughout the documentation.

Construction starts with t' fins. Well, blow me down! Begad! T' fin patterns double up as decals on the final model. Avast, me proud beauty! First t' left side ones. Ya scallywag! These are stuck onto t' balsa, the fins are cut, shiver me timbers, me bucko, and then t' right side decals are attached. Avast, me proud beauty! Ahoy! T' decals are printed on that 'cracked' backed peel-and-stick paper, and this is where I have my first gripe about this model. Avast, me proud beauty! Begad! In order t' 'crack' t' backin' paper, matey, you have t' crease t' decal, which spoils it. Arrr! I got round this by usin' t' blade of me hobby cutlass t' 'pick' at t' edges o' t' stickers, until I had enough backin' paper free t' get a grip .... a rather tedious task, shiver me timbers, I found.

Next, t' bodytube decal is attached around t' outside o' t' central tube. This was about 1mm short, ya bilge rat, and left a small amount o' bodytube showing. This was later covered by a fin, so is mostly unnoticeable. Begad! Blimey! In mentioned this in a short review I posted on t' Rocketry Forum, matey, shiver me timbers, and received an almost immediate reply from Jim who says he’s lookin' into it immediately - theres a good example o' t' high level o' customer service t' be expected from Fliskits.

Attachin' t' fins is next. Blimey! T' help this a handy fin guide is included, which requires a spent engine t' be glued in t' middle, ya bilge rat, t' take t' central bodytube. Aye aye! Blimey! T' fins are then attached by linin' them up t' t' lines on the guide. Avast, ya bilge rat, me proud beauty! Ownin' a Deuce, arrr, ya bilge rat, matey, I have PLENTY o' spent engines. Aye aye! After t' fins have been left t' dry, shiver me timbers, t' shroud is cut out from best quality card; 'structural' folds made, me bucko, and then glued t' t' top edges o' t' fins. Arrr! Arrr! T' fin guide ensured that the shroud fitted precisely. Ya scallywag!

There is a lot o' cuttin' involved in this model; t' help I invested in a small (200x100mm) self-healin' cuttin' mat, which came with a hobby knife. This cost less than a fiver, from me local stationary shop. Ahoy! Ahoy! I'd consider a piece of kit, me bucko, like this, ya bilge rat, ya bilge rat, ya bilge rat, t' be essential in buildin' a model with this much cutting involved; and is a very handy item t' have for general template cuttin' etc. Blimey!

Now onto t' 'antenna'. Aye aye! Blimey! These are made o' five 150x1mm lengths o' steel wire, shiver me timbers, arrr, which require bendin' into shape, matey, with a pair o' long nosed pliers. Arrr! Blimey! Avast! Blimey! The steel used is VERY strong (again, reflectin' t' high standards o' Fliskits component quality), and be a bit o' a devil t' bend. Blimey! Blimey! Blimey! Blimey! This said, matey, shiver me timbers, I managed to bend one joint t' wrong way, me hearties, ya bilge rat, and in tryin' t' correct this snapped t' wire (DOH!). Begad! Blimey! I calculated that this 'antenna', ya bilge rat, could be bodged onto t' model, matey, and carried on with a broken 'antenna'. Blimey! Blimey! Well, shiver me timbers, blow me down! Blimey! T' 'antenna' are then attached along the sides o' t' fins, shiver me timbers, and a launch lug attached. Ya scallywag! Blimey! T' snapped 'antenna' came in handy here, me hearties, as it meant thar was a side o' a fin with no wire, makin' gluing on o' t' launch lug easy.

T' instructions then advise you t' apply a thin film o' glue along all the exposed edges, in order t' seal them. Avast, me proud beauty! After attachin' t' "Custom Red-Rag Anti-Matter Cap", me hearties, t' bird is ready t' go, ya bilge rat, and looks great! There is a lot of detail, and humour, in t' artwork; and is a good colour t' show up in the sky.

Construction Rating: 4 out o' 5 T' decal backin' paper, and t' bodytube decal nay fitting lost t' 1/2 point. Arrr! Arrr! Ratin' should be 4.75 but 1/2 be t' smallest I can deduct

FLIGHT/RECOVERY:
T' Pheord is designed t' fly on B6-0 and C6-0 engines. Arrr! I used a B6-0 for the first flight. Avast! Preppin' is very easy; shove in an igniter, whack t' engine into the centre tube, tape it in and Bob's you're auntie's livin' lover! No messing about with waddin' or recovery devices. Blimey! Avast, me proud beauty! After takin' a photo on t' pad, the Pheord was launched. It went straight up, me bucko, leavin' a lovely smoke trail (bein' a calm evening, t' smoke lingered for a while). Begad! Avast, me proud beauty! At motor burnout, t' bird arced over, and fell t' earth.

Descent was stable, straight, arrr, matey, and graceful; t' model landin' on the 'antenna', bouncin' once. A very quick, and fun, flight. Avast, me proud beauty! Blimey! I then launched it on a C6-0. This should be t' only motor recommended for this bird. This engine really does t' Pheord proud. Avast, me proud beauty! Blimey! You get a much higher flight, ya bilge rat, much better smoke trails, me bucko, and a more satisfyin' 'whoosh' noise. Ahoy! Blimey! T' Pheord still landed only a few meters from t' pad, so there’s no danger o' loosin' it - even on the smallest field. Well, blow me down! Blimey! Ya scallywag! Blimey! I then got me bucko t' launch it (on a C6-0), shiver me timbers, whilst I attempted t' get some launch photos - again, matey, another superb flight and recovery. Avast, me proud beauty! Blimey! Ya scallywag! Blimey! I've included some photos o' this flight.

Flight/Revovery Rating: 5 out o' 5 - add a bonus point when flyin' on a C

OVERALL:
This is, typically for Fliskits, a VERY good kit overall. Begad! Begad! At only just over £11 includin' shippin' from t' USA, shiver me timbers, this kit is exceptional value for money. Estes kits cost more than that, over here, before you add delivery costs! T' kit looks very durable; havin' suffered no damage, or noticeable wear, matey, after three flights. I hope t' have many more C powered flights with this bird. Blimey! T' documentation (instructions and face card etc) is littered with tongue-in-cheek jokes about red-necks. Some o' t' more subtle jokes are probably lost on a Brit, arrr, like me, ya bilge rat, matey, but I did find some o' t' jokes most amusing. Ya scallywag! Ahoy! I especially liked t' 'things NOT recommended for buildin' OR flying...' section. Ya scallywag! T' face card also contained launchin' requirements for another Fliskits product (the HUGE Richter Recker). Blimey! Avast! I pointed this rather embarrassin' (and amusing) typo out t' Jim on t' Rocketry Forum, and he’s goin' t' correct this on t' next print run o' t' face cards. Avast, me proud beauty! Begad! T' emphasis, with this bird, shiver me timbers, is on fun, fun, arrr, fun; and it provides! Its challenging, me hearties, but uncomplicated, ya bilge rat, t' build for an experienced beginner like myself. Well, blow me down! Aye aye! Easy t' prep, and great fun t' fly. Well, blow me down!

Overall Rating: 5 out o' 5 If you dont have one - get one! If enough people get one, ya bilge rat, Jim will be able t' reprint t' face card, and lose t' embarrasin' Richter Recker typo!