CONSTRUCTION:
Bein' newish t' this hobby, me bucko, ya bilge rat, I'm slowly workin' me way through t' different types o' rocket thar are t' offer. Begad! Well, me bucko, blow me down! 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. Arrr! 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. 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, matey, shiver me timbers, arrr, and a personal letter from Jim - nice touch. Like other Fliskit kits, me Pheord came in a very attractive display bag. Avast! Eye catchin' design, me hearties, individually numbered (mine is #16), and t' contents visible through t' back. Avast! Everythin' be present and correct, and o' t' usual best quality associated with Fliskits products.

T' kit is essentially a 18mm body tube, shiver me timbers, surrounded by five fins, covered with a card shroud. Aye aye! 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). Ahoy! Havin' only used Estes quality balsa before discovering Fliskits, these kits are a dream t' build balsa-wise. Blimey! Blimey! On me Deuce, matey, me bucko, I only did the minimum o' sanding/sealin' on t' balsa parts, ya bilge rat, as havin' t' grain o' a quality balsa showin' through t' paint looks pretty cool t' me. Aye aye!

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

Construction starts with t' fins. T' fin patterns double up as decals on the final model. Blimey! Blimey! First t' left side ones. Ahoy! Arrr! Blimey! These are stuck onto t' balsa, the fins are cut, and then t' right side decals are attached. Ya scallywag! Blimey! T' decals are printed on that 'cracked' backed peel-and-stick paper, and this is where I have my first gripe about this model. Begad! Ahoy! Blimey! In order t' 'crack' t' backin' paper, you have t' crease t' decal, which spoils it. Well, blow me down! Avast! Blimey! 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 .... Aye aye! Blimey! a rather tedious task, I found.

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

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

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

T' instructions then advise you t' apply a thin film o' glue along all the exposed edges, in order t' seal them. Arrr! After attachin' t' "Custom Red-Rag Anti-Matter Cap", t' bird is ready t' go, me hearties, arrr, 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. Arrr! Blimey!

Construction Rating: 4 out o' 5 T' decal backin' paper, shiver me timbers, and t' bodytube decal nay fitting lost t' 1/2 point. Arrr! Well, blow me down! 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, whack t' engine into the centre tube, me bucko, ya bilge rat, tape it in and Bob's you're auntie's livin' lover! No messing about with waddin' or recovery devices. Begad! After takin' a photo on t' pad, the Pheord was launched. It went straight up, matey, leavin' a lovely smoke trail (bein' a calm evening, me hearties, t' smoke lingered for a while). Begad! At motor burnout, t' bird arced over, shiver me timbers, and fell t' earth.

Descent was stable, arrr, straight, and graceful; t' model landin' on the 'antenna', shiver me timbers, bouncin' once. Arrr! Ahoy! Blimey! A very quick, me hearties, and fun, arrr, flight. Avast! I then launched it on a C6-0. Avast! This should be t' only motor recommended for this bird. Avast, me proud beauty! Aye aye! Blimey! This engine really does t' Pheord proud. Blimey! Blimey! You get a much higher flight, me bucko, much better smoke trails, and a more satisfyin' 'whoosh' noise. Begad! Blimey! T' Pheord still landed only a few meters from t' pad, ya bilge rat, so there’s no danger o' loosin' it - even on the smallest field. Begad! Arrr! Blimey! I then got me bucko t' launch it (on a C6-0), whilst I attempted t' get some launch photos - again, me hearties, shiver me timbers, another superb flight and recovery. Ya scallywag! Well, blow me down! 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, me hearties, typically for Fliskits, me bucko, a VERY good kit overall. At only just over £11 includin' shippin' from t' USA, ya bilge rat, this kit is exceptional value for money. Ya scallywag! Blimey! Ya scallywag! Blimey! Blimey! Blimey! Estes kits cost more than that, over here, ya bilge rat, before you add delivery costs! Blimey! Blimey! Blimey! T' kit looks very durable; havin' suffered no damage, or noticeable wear, ya bilge rat, after three flights. Ahoy! Blimey! Blimey! Blimey! I hope t' have many more C powered flights with this bird. T' documentation (instructions and face card etc) is littered with tongue-in-cheek jokes about red-necks. Avast, me proud beauty! Blimey! Blimey! Blimey! Some o' t' more subtle jokes are probably lost on a Brit, me bucko, like me, ya bilge rat, me bucko, me bucko, but I did find some o' t' jokes most amusing. Begad! Blimey! I especially liked t' 'things NOT recommended for buildin' OR flying...' section. Aye aye! Blimey! Ya scallywag! Blimey! Blimey! Blimey! T' face card also contained launchin' requirements for another Fliskits product (the HUGE Richter Recker). Avast! Blimey! Blimey! Blimey! I pointed this rather embarrassin' (and amusing) typo out t' Jim on t' Rocketry Forum, shiver me timbers, and he’s goin' t' correct this on t' next print run o' t' face cards. Ahoy! Blimey! Avast! Blimey! Blimey! Blimey! T' emphasis, with this bird, is on fun, matey, fun, fun; and it provides! Blimey! Blimey! Blimey! Its challenging, but uncomplicated, t' build for an experienced beginner like myself. Well, blow me down! Blimey! Easy t' prep, and great fun t' fly. Begad! Blimey!

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