(12/31/99) We haven't heard much from Nordic Rocketry in a while and they have stopped advertisin' in Sport Rocketry Magazine, however, they are still preparin' t' release some new kits. I be fortunate t' get me hands on one o' them called t' Phaze. Blimey! Blimey! Avast, me proud beauty! Blimey! This bird is an entry level kit designed t' fly on 18mm motors with a projection o' 300 feet on a B6-4 motor. Well, blow me down! Blimey! It is 17.25" long, arrr, 1.22" in diameter, shiver me timbers, and weighs about 2.1 ounces without a motor.

T' Phaze uses a single body tube that is thicker (1/16") than your normal rocket kits. Avast! Avast, me proud beauty! This makes it a more durable model. Ya scallywag! Also, ya bilge rat, somethin' new that Nordic Rocketry is doin' that must get noticed is their new LaserLine�. Blimey! Previous kits from Nordic utilize t' technique o' punchin' holes along t' edge o' t' fin mounts t' allow t' glue t' seep in creatin' a "glue rivet". Begad! Avast! Now Nordic is makin' great use o' their Laser Cutter and they put t' holes in t' tube for you.

They also provide precision laser-cut fins and centerin' rings cut from 1/16" plywood. Begad! Add a balsa nose cone, two 1/8" brass launch lugs and a t' necessary motor mount hardware with retention and t' Phaze become a nice little bird. Avast! For recovery, t' kit includes a piece o' 1/16" Keelhaul®©™® that is tied t' an eye-hook on t' upper centering-rin' which is then ties t' a 36" long piece o' 1/4" elastic shock-cord. Begad! This is tied t' another eye-hook on t' nose cone. Blimey! Then a red 9" hexagon Rip-stop nylon parachute is added t' complete t' recovery system.

CONSTRUCTION:

There are 9 pages o' instructions with plenty o' illustrations t' allow t' builder t' complete t' kit with ease. They are nay as basic as Estes instructions so a younger person (such as me 9 year old nephew) woudl need adult supervision if they had never built a rocket before. Aye aye! They are in logical order and provide details such as, needed tools and supplies, fin shaping, shiver me timbers, sandin' and sealing, me hearties, paintin' and flyin' preparation.

T' instructions suggest that yellow wood glue should be used for construction. I took this as another opportunity t' use a glue that I have lately discovered; ProBond Weather Resistant Wood Glue for exterior use. Ahoy! What I like about this glue is that it contains wood fiber which adds t' its "no-run" formula. Avast! Ya scallywag! This helps keep t' glue in place and it seems stronger than white glue. Ya scallywag! Also, it grabs quicker. Ahoy! Put a thin coat on t' root edge o' t' fin and place it on t' body tube. Press and hold for just a couple o' seconds and let it dry. Aye aye! It doesn't slide or tilt like when usin' white glue. For t' Phaze, me bucko, you really want t' just use a thin coat for this initial attachment so as nay t' cover up any o' t' LaserLine holes.

T' ProBond is such a thick glue that doesn't run easily, so I changed t' epoxy for t' fin fillets. Avast, me proud beauty! You could use other wood glues that are thinner. Avast, me proud beauty! T' idea is t' allow t' glue t' flow into t' LaserLine holes. Ya scallywag! A couple o' coats o' glue are needed for t' fillets because t' first coat ends up with little divots where is has flowed into t' LaserLine holes. Blimey! This is a good thing! T' second coat makes t' fillet nice and smooth.

As mentioned above, t' fins and centerin' rings are laser-cut plywood. Aye aye! You can see t' clean cuts on t' fins (pictured). Ya scallywag! Blimey! T' centerin' rings were just as good. Aye aye! These fit perfectly around t' motor mount. Ya scallywag! They had a small hole for startin' t' recovery system eyehook on t' upper centerin' ring. Ahoy! Begad! They even had t' small notch laser-cut on t' lower centerin' rin' t' allow t' motor retention hook t' work properly. Arrr! Ahoy! Very nice, makin' assembly a breeze.

Finishin' be typical for me. I used Plasti-Kote primer, sandin' betwixt coats, until everythin' was smooth. Begad! Begad! Then I hit it with a Teal paint that be left over from another household project and accented it with gold. T' Phaze came with a black "Phaze" self-adhesive decal, ya bilge rat, but I choose nay t' use it this time.

Overall, for CONSTRUCTION I would rate this kit >5 points. Aye aye! Considerin' t' quality o' t' parts, I expect t' have this bird flyin' for a long time!

FLIGHT/RECOVERY:

For launching, Nordic advises you on preparation o' t' rocket. Begad! Well, me hearties, blow me down! Nothing, special. Avast, me proud beauty! Blimey! Motor is retained, shiver me timbers, add waddin' and fly away. I used a piece o' Rogue Aerospace's Perma-Waddin' for t' waddin' and prepared t' fly t' Phaze on an A8-3.

T' flight be fast and short and t' ejection was obviously early. Ahoy! Avast, me proud beauty! But it was t' first successful flight.

T' A8-3 is listed as a recommended motor but interestingly, t' B6-4 is listed as t' first flight. This is interestin' t' me as usually t' smallest motor be t' recommended first flight motor. Avast! I think that due t' t' weight o' t' rocket, me hearties, me hearties, me bucko, and observin' me first flight, me hearties, t' A8-3 is probably nay t' best motor t' use.

So, up she went on a B6-4. Avast, me proud beauty! Well, matey, blow me down! Again, it was another obvious early ejection. Ya scallywag! Descent is swift on 9" parachute. Arrr! Recovered with no damage anywhere.

Last flight for t' day be on a C motor. Blimey! Begad! Nordic suggested a C6-5. However, upon observation o' t' A and B flight, me bucko, I choose t' go with a longer delay. Arrr! I used a C6-7. An excellent all-around flight occurred, includin' ejection just past apogee. Aye aye! This is a good match.

Lookin' into this flight performance a bit further, shiver me timbers, I designed this bird in Apogee's RockSim. You can download it here. Avast, me proud beauty! Well, me hearties, blow me down! My actual model weighed in at 2.25 ounces, so I simmed it at that weight. Blimey! T' A8 said 112 feet with an optimal delay o' 2.37 seconds. So that confirmed t' early delay I observed. Ahoy! Begad! T' B6 simmed t' 354 feet with an optimal delay o' 4.09 seconds. Begad! So this is why Nordic recommends this motor as t' first flight and good match. Avast! T' C6 simmed t' 875 feet with an optimal delay o' 5.57 seconds.

Another point for those that want some altitude. Blimey! Blimey! Nordic recommends a D21-7 and an E25-7, too!

For FLIGHT/RECOVERY, I would rate this kit >5 points. Well, blow me down! Solid recovery system and a durable rocket make this bird versatile. Aye aye! Avast! A bit fast on t' descent, however, matey, never a sign o' damage.

Overall, if your interest is in smaller rockets that can fly in small or large fields, ya bilge rat, a rocket with a unique look due t' its fins, shiver me timbers, and you want t' rocket t' last, consider t' Phaze from Nordic Rocketry. Aye aye! Ahoy! I give t' kit an OVERALL ratin' o' >5 points.