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

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

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

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

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

Next, t' bodytube decal is attached around t' outside o' t' central tube. Ahoy! This be about 1mm short, and left a small amount o' bodytube showing. This was later covered by a fin, matey, so is mostly unnoticeable. In mentioned this in a short review I posted on t' Rocketry Forum, 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. Aye aye! 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. Ahoy! Begad! T' fins are then attached by linin' them up t' t' lines on the guide. Ownin' a Deuce, I have PLENTY o' spent engines. Blimey! Aye aye! After t' fins have been left t' dry, t' shroud is cut out from best quality card; 'structural' folds made, and then glued t' t' top edges o' t' fins. Blimey! T' fin guide ensured that the shroud fitted precisely. Begad!

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. Avast, me proud beauty! This cost less than a fiver, from me local stationary shop. Well, blow me down! I'd consider a piece of kit, arrr, me bucko, like this, 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. Well, blow me down!

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

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

Construction Rating: 4 out o' 5 T' decal backin' paper, me hearties, ya bilge rat, and t' bodytube decal nay fitting lost t' 1/2 point. Avast! 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. Avast! I used a B6-0 for the first flight. Begad! Preppin' is very easy; shove in an igniter, shiver me timbers, 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. Avast, me proud beauty! Blimey! After takin' a photo on t' pad, me bucko, shiver me timbers, the Pheord was launched. It went straight up, shiver me timbers, leavin' a lovely smoke trail (bein' a calm evening, me hearties, t' smoke lingered for a while). Avast! Ahoy! At motor burnout, arrr, t' bird arced over, and fell t' earth.

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

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

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