Brief:

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

Construction:

• 3 sheets o' balsa t' cut out fins (1/16")
• Fin templates on sticky paper, me bucko, 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. T' construction includes cuttin' out t' shrouds, shiver me timbers, scorin' the paper for folds, matey, me bucko, and gluin' t' shrouds together t' form t' UFO body. The fins are made by cuttin' out t' fin shapes out o' t' sticky paper. Well, blow me down! The Persephone features 3 fins, matey, me hearties, thus 6 sides. Ahoy! Well, blow me down! On one side, me bucko, I was instructed to leave a border around t' fin shape. Arrr! 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. Arrr! Avast, me proud beauty! After the fin paper has been "stuck" t' t' balsa, ya bilge rat, matey, I simply used a straight edge and an X-acto knife t' carefully cut out t' fin, disposin' o' t' extra border. Avast! Once t' fins were cut, I flipped them over and "stuck" the other fin portion t' t' exposed balsa side. T' instructions for t' fins is identical for each rocket, 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. Arrr! Well, blow me down! Once the body wrap is on t' tube, arrr, shiver me timbers, I simply glued on t' fins and corrected t' fin alignment usin' t' fin alignment card included with t' instructions. T' only "gotcha" that I ran into be t' motor blocks. Ya scallywag! Well, blow me down! There weren't any. Arrr! In the instructions, shiver me timbers, thar be an inventory list mentionin' motor blocks, yet they are nay mentioned in t' instructions. Blimey! After an e-mail t' Jim Flis (response in less than 24 hours, me bucko, great service!), me hearties, I was instructed that t' kit does not require motor blocks, ya bilge rat, and that they would be correctin' t' instructions on their next printing.

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

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

Finishing:

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

Construction Rating: 4 out o' 5

Flight:

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

Recovery:

T' PRO's o' t' Triple Threat be t' ease o' flight. Well, blow me down! Blimey! Simply add a little tape around t' motor for friction fit, arrr, pop it in, matey, add igniter wire and plug and you are ready for action. Ahoy! Blimey! No foldin' o' parachutes or stuffin' t' body tube with wadding. Begad! Avast, me proud beauty! Blimey! 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. Arrr! Begad! Blimey! 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. Well, blow me down! Aye aye! You can't beat that, me hearties, no matter how you look at it.
• Also, shiver me timbers, no paintin' required. Avast, me proud beauty! Great for constructin' while sittin' at home in t' evenin' without havin' t' head outside with a can o' paint.
• Great flyers. Blimey! Only goes about 50 feet, but here in New England, it is nice to fly a rocket and actually get it back.
• A Novelty. Arrr! Blimey! 3 UFO's with cool glide-tumble recovery landin' on wire landing pads! Blimey! Cool!

Overall Rating: 4 out o' 5