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

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

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

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

Alignment is a bit o' a challenge for t' fins because you want t' get t' forward fins aligned exactly with t' aft ones. Begad! Ya scallywag! Besides carefully usin' t' body tube markin' guide, me bucko, 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. Aye aye! If you're buildin' this for contest, me bucko, go for it. Avast, me proud beauty! Otherwise, arrr, 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. . . Ahoy! Well, blow me down! which it will. Give t' fins many coats o' strong filleting. Aye aye! Well, me bucko, blow me down!

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

This rocket looks sharp, matey, ya bilge rat, arrr, even after several launches and some battering. Ya scallywag! T' white color is nay range-friendly and gets dirty fast.

T' decals were somethin' o' a disappointment. Blimey! Begad! Although they were complete and seemed accurate, me hearties, they were soak-in-water type and were difficult t' apply. Blimey! Aye aye! Several other Phoenix builders noted this t' me. Aye aye! You may want t' look for a decal fixative solution that goes into t' water soak to improve decal adhesion. Ahoy! Also recommended is several coats o' clear spray after the decals are applied. Ya scallywag!

Even with t' clear spray, me decals have started t' chip and peel after many flights. Well, blow me down! Well, ya bilge rat, blow me down! I may repaint me Phoenix in a dull gray color and use only a few decals on it, me bucko, t' give it extra life.

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. Blimey! Blimey! Blimey! Do NOT fly this rocket with a D12-5. T' extra two seconds o' delay can be fatal t' t' airframe. Avast, me proud beauty! Blimey! You can either turn it into a lawn dart or may have late ejection, which can easily cause zippering.

Make sure you have installed t' nose weight clay, ya bilge rat, matey, or this rocket may be unstable.

Most popular engine for t' Estes Phoenix be t' Aerotech 24mm reload. Arrr! You may have t' file down t' forward end o' t' engine clip to allow t' forward end closure o' t' reload t' fit. Arrr! But this motor provides ample power t' get t' Phoenix up in t' air. Begad! Arrr! 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. Begad! Ya scallywag! They are less likely t' short out than t' Copperheads, me bucko, shiver me timbers, although Estes did go cheap on t' pyrogen on t' igniter tips. Ahoy!

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

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

Although this may seem heretical t' t' accomplished rocket builder, matey, this is one kit that may have actually benefited from plastic fins instead o' all t' lumber it carries. Begad! 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. Begad! Begad!  

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

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

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

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. Arrr! I just coated t' centerin' rings with epoxy and put balsa strips on them too! And built t' rest o' t' rocket with epoxy. Aye aye! Avast, arrr, 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. Avast, shiver me timbers, me proud beauty! Which I like better then the self adhesive ones sense they are easier t' work with. Ahoy! Well, blow me down! 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. Ahoy! 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. 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). Avast! Blimey! Ahoy! Blimey! Other wise this is a great rocket! Blimey!