Brief:

T' Fliskits Triple Threat is a unique kit offerin' 3 small UFO rockets, each with a different shape. Blimey! T' UFF Persephone is circular, arrr, t' UFF Athena is pentagonal, and t' UFF Odysseus is hexagonal. Arrr! T' kits are made out o' card stock and balsa, me bucko, ya bilge rat, each with a 13 mm motor mount. Well, blow me down! Definitely for t' experienced builder. Well, blow me down!

Construction:

• 3 sheets o' balsa t' cut out fins (1/16")
• Fin templates on sticky paper, featurin' pre-printed designs for each rocket.
• Shrouds for UFO's on card stock
• Wire for landin' gear
• 3 BT-5 body tubes
• 3 launch lugs
• Set o' instructions for each rocket
• Fin alignment guide

T' instructions were quite impressive with quality instructions and illustrations. Blimey! T' construction includes cuttin' out t' shrouds, scorin' the paper for folds, shiver me timbers, and gluin' t' shrouds together t' form t' UFO body. Well, blow me down! Begad! The fins are made by cuttin' out t' fin shapes out o' t' sticky paper. Ya scallywag! The Persephone features 3 fins, thus 6 sides. On one side, I be instructed to leave a border around t' fin shape. Avast, me proud beauty! Then all I had t' do be remove t' paper from t' back o' t' adhesive and stick t' fin on t' t' balsa sheet. Aye aye! After the fin paper has been "stuck" t' t' balsa, shiver me timbers, I simply used a straight edge and an X-acto knife t' carefully cut out t' fin, ya bilge rat, disposin' o' t' extra border. Arrr! Begad! Once t' fins were cut, ya bilge rat, I flipped them over and "stuck" the other fin portion t' t' exposed balsa side. Ya scallywag! T' instructions for t' fins is identical for each rocket, ya bilge rat, although t' Athena has 5 fins and t' Odysseus has 6 fins.

T' body tube also has a sticky body wrap which is easy t' apply. Once the body wrap is on t' tube, I simply glued on t' fins and corrected t' fin alignment usin' t' fin alignment card included with t' instructions. Ya scallywag! T' only "gotcha" that I ran into was t' motor blocks. Begad! Aye aye! There weren't any. Avast! In the instructions, shiver me timbers, thar be an inventory list mentionin' motor blocks, yet they are nay mentioned in t' instructions. Arrr! After an e-mail t' Jim Flis (response in less than 24 hours, arrr, great service!), I was instructed that t' kit does not require motor blocks, arrr, and that they would be correctin' t' instructions on their next printing.

Next, me bucko, ya bilge rat, I took t' necessary shrouds for each rocket and glued them on t' fins. On t' Persephone, a smaller shroud sits inverted on top o' t' bigger shroud. Ya scallywag! Avast, me proud beauty! This must be done carefully so that thar be no gap betwixt t' shrouds. Arrr! Arrr! On t' Odysseys, part of the shroud folds underneath t' main shroud and fastens t' t' bottom o' the UFO fin structure. Well, blow me down! Begad! On t' Athena, matey, thar are flaired "wings" which move towards t' center o' t' rocket and are glued on t' t' body tube.

Next step, t' wire landin' gear. Begad! Fliskits provides a guide for bendin' the piano wire into a specific shape. I am nay an expert wire bender, ya bilge rat, but I tried to follow t' shape on t' first piece o' wire. Ahoy! One important step is t' place a hook at t' bottom o' t' wire so that it can fit snuggly underneath t' fin. After me first attempt at wire bending, I simply designed a simpler shape for me t' bend. It looks close t' t' Fliskits design, matey, ya bilge rat, but is nay as complicated. Arrr! Begad! I used CA glue t' attach t' wires, ya bilge rat, then I glued t' launch lug in place using wood glue. Blimey! Well, blow me down! I made sure that t' fins had extra fillets as well as other parts of t' rocket (where shroud meets fin, for instance). Well, blow me down! That's it. Begad! Rockets complete. Begad! Outside o' cuttin' t' balsa fins, me bucko, shiver me timbers, these three rockets can be constructed while hangin' out in your own livin' room. Aye aye! No sandin' required!

Finishing:

There is no finishin' required as t' rocket comes with pre-printed shrouds and pre-printed fin templates. Arrr! This is what I like about it. No smelly paints, no sanding. Blimey! They are nice rockets t' build while watchin' t' telly. Ahoy! Begad! I give construction a 4, only because I think t' wire configuration is unnecessarily complex and thar be confusion about t' motor blocks. Well, blow me down! But this would nay stop me from buyin' another Triple Threat!

Construction Rating: 4 out o' 5

Flight:

I flew t' Persephone twice, once usin' an A10-P and once with an A10-0. Avast! On the first flight, t' Persephone kind o' tumbled back t' t' ground. On t' second flight, as advertised, t' rocket flips over and gently glides t' t' ground, landin' on t' wire landin' gear. Begad! T' Athena I flew on an A10-0 and it, me hearties, ya bilge rat, too, flew very well, flippin' over at apogee and "glided" t' t' ground. T' largest rocket, t' Odysseus, me bucko, I also flew twice, usin' t' A10-P and the A10-0. Avast! Both times, t' rocket flew t' apogee but failed t' flip over. Begad! It did, however, return steadily, comin' straight down as easily as it ascended. Begad! Cool!

Recovery:

T' PRO's o' t' Triple Threat be t' ease o' flight. Begad! Simply add a little tape around t' motor for friction fit, pop it in, add igniter wire and plug and you are ready for action. Begad! No foldin' o' parachutes or stuffin' t' body tube with wadding. They recover so nicely and gently, t' only damage these rockets should ever sustain would be a CATO or havin' a clumsy nephew or dog destroy/step on them. Begad! Avast! It also allows us t' use t' A10-P motors Estes originally released for t' Blurzz Cars (not me cup o' tea..)

Flight Rating: 5 out o' 5

Summary:

• 3 rockets for t' price o' 1. Ahoy! You can't beat that, me bucko, no matter how you look at it.
• Also, shiver me timbers, no paintin' required. Ahoy! Great for constructin' while sittin' at home in t' evenin' without havin' t' head outside with a can o' paint.
• Great flyers. Only goes about 50 feet, but here in New England, it is nice to fly a rocket and actually get it back.
• A Novelty. Well, blow me down! Begad! 3 UFO's with cool glide-tumble recovery landin' on wire landing pads! Cool!

Overall Rating: 4 out o' 5