CONSTRUCTION:
Bein' newish t' this hobby, I'm slowly workin' me way through t' different types o' rocket thar are t' offer. My first cluster be Fliskits' superb Deuce's Wild; havin' had a lot o' fun buildin' and flyin' that one, me hearties, I looked to Fliskits' Pheord X150 for me first saucer type. Arrr! As Fliskits don't yet have a vendor in t' UK, me bucko, arrr, me bucko, I have t' buy direct from Fliskits - they are great t' deal with, and are very prompt in sendin' out goods. Blimey! Begad! 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, me bucko, me bucko, but t' kit inside was unharmed.

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

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

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

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

Next, t' bodytube decal is attached around t' outside o' t' central tube. Blimey! This was about 1mm short, and left a small amount o' bodytube showing. This was later covered by a fin, arrr, so is mostly unnoticeable. Avast, me proud beauty! Well, me hearties, blow me down! In mentioned this in a short review I posted on t' Rocketry Forum, 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. Aye aye! Well, blow me down! T' help this a handy fin guide is included, which requires a spent engine t' be glued in t' middle, t' take t' central bodytube. Arrr! T' fins are then attached by linin' them up t' t' lines on the guide. Avast! Ownin' a Deuce, me hearties, me bucko, I have PLENTY o' spent engines. Well, blow me down! After t' fins have been left t' dry, t' shroud is cut out from best quality card; 'structural' folds made, shiver me timbers, me bucko, and then glued t' t' top edges o' t' fins. Begad! T' fin guide ensured that the shroud fitted precisely. Avast, me proud beauty! Blimey!

There is a lot o' cuttin' involved in this model; t' help I invested in a small (200x100mm) self-healin' cuttin' mat, shiver me timbers, which came with a hobby knife. Aye aye! Blimey! Aye aye! Blimey! This cost less than a fiver, arrr, arrr, from me local stationary shop. Begad! Blimey! Blimey! Blimey! I'd consider a piece of kit, ya bilge rat, like this, me bucko, 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. Begad! Blimey!

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

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

Construction Rating: 4 out o' 5 T' decal backin' paper, shiver me timbers, arrr, and t' bodytube decal nay fitting lost t' 1/2 point. 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. Blimey! I used a B6-0 for the first flight. Arrr! Preppin' is very easy; shove in an igniter, me hearties, whack t' engine into the centre tube, ya bilge rat, ya bilge rat, tape it in and Bob's you're auntie's livin' lover! No messing about with waddin' or recovery devices. Aye aye! After takin' a photo on t' pad, matey, the Pheord was launched. Avast! It went straight up, leavin' a lovely smoke trail (bein' a calm evening, matey, ya bilge rat, t' smoke lingered for a while). Blimey! At motor burnout, t' bird arced over, and fell t' earth.

Descent was stable, straight, and graceful; t' model landin' on the 'antenna', bouncin' once. Begad! A very quick, and fun, flight. Ya scallywag! I then launched it on a C6-0. Blimey! This should be t' only motor recommended for this bird. This engine really does t' Pheord proud. Begad! You get a much higher flight, ya bilge rat, much better smoke trails, matey, and a more satisfyin' 'whoosh' noise. Ahoy! Begad! 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! Begad! I then got me bucko t' launch it (on a C6-0), whilst I attempted t' get some launch photos - again, me bucko, me bucko, another superb flight and recovery. Arrr! Avast, me bucko, me proud beauty! I've included some photos o' this flight. Avast! Blimey!

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

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

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