Fliskits...I'm hooked

[Johnnie]

I am a High Power man at heart, but when your Daughter asks you to make her a Barbie Rocket for her B'Day...well anyway, she just makes my heart swell. A "Barbie" rocket??!!

The 1st thing I had to do was get the High Power bug out of my ear, as my soon to be 5 year old Daddies Little Girl does not care about Barbie on an H128 She wants those little motors that she can put in herself...

I searched the web looking for that perfect "Barbie" contender, and I just can't seem to find it. But what I did find was that Jim Flis has some really cool kits, and the price is right, and I'm hooked.

So here is the list, for my little girls B'Day, I will get her a Deuces wild...now some of you might think that I will be getting it for me because it is a cool cluster rocket...well you are wrong, as I will buy (2), and that way I will have one of my own.

But I don't think I will stop there, as My son wants me to get him a rocket for Christmas, one that we can work on together, and one that he can fly by himself...well I don't know about you guys, but I think my boy needs a Richter Recker, what do you think?...and yes, I will pick one up for myself

So where to buy?? From Fliskits?? or other vender??

Oh and to me, clustering is still somewhat of a Higher power thing

any help on where to buy, cause if not, I'll just go straight to the source, as he has carts...

Johnnie Paul

 

[NUBlackshirts]

I can sympathize with you on the "Barbie" rocket. My daughter now has a "Scooby Doo" rocket (Estes Fat Boy) and a "Clifford The Big Red Dog" rocket (Quest Super Eagle). And every time we go out to launch, we HAVE to launch one of hers along with the others.

 

[Johnnie]

Clifford, thats funny cause my daughter sleeps with a Big RED Clifford dog, and we have to watch alot of Scooby Doo as well...and not the newer Scooby Doo's either, but the really Old Scoobly Doo's. (they were the best anyways)

On that Barbie thing, My wife was designated to do the Paint Job, I'm just supposed to build it...whew!

Johnnie Paul
TRA 08705 SR L2
NAR 73740 (Not activated)

 

[jflis]

Johnnie,

i'm not sure where you are located, but from our main page you can click on "Find a retailer" link (on the left menu bar) to see if we have a retailer in your area. We have a very limited number of retailers at this time (to change in 2004), but we do have some and they have a good stock of our kits.

We also have one in the north east corner of Mass, but I haven't had the chance to post his information (Pratt Hobby Shop (NOT to be confused with Pratt Hobbies in VA)).

Also, feel free to order direct from our site. We have very good feedback from our customers on the handling of online orders.

jim

 

[seo]

Originally posted by Johnnierkt
So where to buy?? From Fliskits?? or other vender??

Don't do it!!!!!!!!!!!!!! No!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Once you start, you won't be able to stop!!

You'll be visiting the Fliskits site everyday looking for more stuff!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Johnnie]

Like most guys, I waited till nearly too late to order...

Pratt Hobby Shop has (2) DW's, and no RR's, and Common Wealth displays is not open today...I'll get here though.

Johnnie Paul

 

[Johnnie]

I have not been this excited about ordering rockets since...last week? well anyways, I got some very good responses from Jim Flis and Hangar 11, thanks guys, and my order has been placed. Sometime after the 1st of the year, I should have pics to post of dueling Deuces and Rockin Richter Reckers...

Johnnie Paul

 

[raw9jr]

I'd be interested in a picture of the Clifford Rocket, my 2 yr old son sleeps with Clifford. He'd think it is cool.

My 6 year daughter is very interested in painting a rocket for me and enjoys launches. She's my designated recoverer.
I saw a review on EMRR that used colorful sticky labels on some BLUs that I think my daughter would love.

 

[eugenefl]

Wow...your son gets a RR! I tell ya what, his friends will be envious! Now *that* is certainly one way of getting the kids involved. Imagine if rocketry ever became as popular as Pokemon! Whoa....scary....

Jim, keep tooling away at those marketing ideas cause you never know!

 

[Johnnie]

Clifford The Big Red Rocket

Eugene, my son is determined to be a Mars Terra farmer, or a Shuttle driver for interplanetary travel...

My daughter on the other hand feeds off of my excitement for the hobby and wants to be flying right there with her daddy...of course you all must realize, she will break her daddies heart one day and run off with some young Shuttle pilot...

Seriously though, Fliskits has got it goin on, and for the money, Estes just did not have that something new that my kids (or me for that matter) had not already seen. Our last launch we had was basically a low power launch, and it was same ol same ol...then a man from Tennessee brought out this signiture Blue and Yellow cluster rocket, and the motors were canted, and it was dual C6's...Wow!, that was a quick flight, and a beauty at that. I was hooked. So in my search for my Daughters "Barbie" rocket, I decided it would be a Deuce.


Johnnie Paul

 

[astrowolf67]

Johnnie,
Your gonna have to eventually get yourself a Spitfire also. I've got the Deuce, and the Spitfire, and had hoped to launch them last Saturday, but the wind scared me away from it. Fliskits are nothing but quality. I caught the bug after seeing them at NARAM, and getting to meet Jim. A quality company with a heck of a guy behind it.

 

[cydermaster]

Originally posted by eugenefl
Imagine if rocketry ever became as popular as Pokemon! Whoa....scary....

Now that would be MAD!

We sold Pokemon cards, where I work, and right at the hight of the craze, we would sell boxes and boxes of the things, every weekday between 3:30 & 4:00 - as the kids come home from school. These things were a total rip off - I didn't like selling them, but thats capitalism . I wouldn't have any reservation about kids buying shedloads of rocketry stuff etc. (especially if they buy it from me! :this forum needs a devil smiley: )

 

[Johnnie]

Hi David,

I was offered the Spitfire when I placed my order today, but figured I had enough on my plate with my latest order...I did seriously concidered it...oh well. The Spitfire is very unique, and may very well be in my future fleet.

Johnnie Paul

 

[lalligood]

I just want to chime in & say don't underestimate 2 other rockets in the FlisKits fleet: the odd Praetor & the miniscule Tumble Weed!

The Praetor has by far the slowest liftoff of any rocket in my fleet. It just is never in a hurry but it flies wonderfully. I know people often like to combine "slow" with "majestic" when describing a non-rapid liftoff. Fuggedabowdit...the Praetor is beyond majestic--it's SLOW-MOTION

And the Tumble Weed will be worth the hassle of hunting down some 1/2A3-2Ts to keep its flights to a height that you can track/recover it. Who said great things don't come in small packages?!? This little guy was immensely rewarding to build to boot!

I don't think you can go wrong with any FlisKits rocket... Enjoy!

 

[Rocketmaniac]

Originally posted by lalligood
I just want to chime in & say don't underestimate 2 other rockets in the FlisKits fleet: the odd Praetor & the miniscule Tumble Weed!

The Praetor has by far the slowest liftoff of any rocket in my fleet.

I am glad to hear that the Praetor is a great rocket.... I am finishing up mine, hope to fly it in Dec...........What is the best motor to use?

 

[n3tjm]

I have not built my Praetor yet, but this rocket looks like a perfect for a C6-5 motor . I wonder if she will hold well to a D13? One way too find out .

And the tumbleweed, if you check out the Fliskits movie, you will see my Tumbleweed rolling around on my table. I like flying it on 1/4A3-3T motors . So far I have not lost it

 

[cydermaster]

Deepsky only had A3-4Ts in stock, when I wanted to fly my Tumbleweed, so I tried one of them .... BAD MOVE! .... the Rocketry Gods were quick to notice my mistake, and assumed I was making a sacrifice. The last I saw of my Tumbleweed was the puff of smoke from the ejection charge!

 

[cls]

I was surprised to get my Tumbleweed back. I should have painted it day-glo orange but it's unfinished. it's sitting there on the shelf, looking at me, glad to be safe at home. (OK I am anthropomorphisizing a bit.)

you have only one option, Cydermaster: build an upscale one!!

 

[Rocketman35]

Johnnierkt
lol, funny i had the same problem. Dunno if you saw this thread and my quick ver of a Barbie rocket. (non-fliskits)

https://www.rocketryforum.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=5124

 

[Johnnie]

very nice Rocketman, I'm glad I am not alone in the overwhelming world of Barbie. Now my wife is beginning to chime in...

My wifes 1st boyfriend before I came along was Elvis ("Thank ya very much...") SO I guess I'll have to build a TCB (Taking Care of Business) rocket with a great big Lightning bolt on it...

Happy Thanksgiving all...

Johnnie Paul

 

[jflis]

The Praetor does *great* on the C6-5. You still need a *fairly* large field, but nothing all *that* dramatic as she is a drag hog and with those oversized fins, she is ALWAYS visible. She is a great small field rocket. With B motors you could launch it in a small baseball field with no worries.

I figured out how to fly the Tumbleweed on A10 motors and never loose it! it's great!

All you need is a 5-50 balsa adapter, about 18" of BT-50 and a NCB-50 nosecone.....

She is a great rocket, but you gotta have a *keen* eye to track her!
jim

 

[n3tjm]

Remember Jim, how was trying to loose mine... as an excuse to buy a new one? Launched it three times I believe... got it back each time .

So, think the Praetor stand up to a D13?

 

[jflis]

with a good smooth finish on the fins, epoxy attachment and good filets, she should, but i'll bet'cha she buzzes all the way up

You may even want to consider constructing it with TTW fins...

 

[jetra2]

I fiberglassed the fins on my Praetor and attached them with epoxy w/rivets. I have no doubt in my mind she'll hold up to a D13-4W easily. Heck...If D21's weren't so darned expensive, I would use one of those with no worries! So, I recommend that, if you're going to abuse this rocket with big motors, that you just strengthen the fins and make sure they are attached well.

Jason

 

[lalligood]

Now with 4 flights under my belt with my Praetor (1 on a B6-4 & 3 on C6-5s), I'd agree with EMRR's review & RockSim data (about halfway down the review) for the Praetor's performance. I love mine

Also, with 4 flights on my Tumble Weed (all of them on 1/2A3-2Ts) I seem to have run into an interesting anomaly... It has flown twice on two different days. All 4 motors were from the same pack. First flights both times were *absolutely perfect* according to Jim's/FlisKits' instructions. However, the second flights both times weren't so great... TW seemed to leave the pad a LOT slower (like I could almost see it! haha) but then it goes into a series of somersaults about 25-50ft up. The motor ejects soon afterwards & lands a few feet away. The rocket is completely undamaged. I wouldn't consider it a motor CATO but it sure ain't a normal flight either... Any ideas???

Three words of advice when launching a Tumble Weed: clear skies ONLY. OK, so it was partly cloudy here yesterday. I saw it disappear off the pad & then heard the ejection charge. It got lost in the cloud overhead (no contrast to see the ejection charge against). Next time I saw it was on the ground about 25yds away from the pad about 3 minutes after I launched it... Two other important words of advice for the TW: short grass. 'Nuff said

 

[Johnnie]

Jim,

Since I 1st started this thread, I have been re-reading all old posts on the TRF, specific to the DW and RR that I have purchased, and it dawned on me to ask...

When will you model or do you plan to model a cluster Nike Hercules like that Logo Icon on your web page? It is fairly complicated, and would be an expensive kit to offer, but I bet if you polled the people, I bet you would find alot of Adults like my self would buy 2 ea. one to fly, and one to display...

"...build it, and we will buy it..."

It would not have to be a two stage design (all though that would rule), but it would have to cluster, say (4) C6's or (4) D12's, or even go radical and cluster (4) E9's.

I have built the Launch Pad Plan Pak version of the mighty Hercules, and I tell ya, that Rocket God is crying out to be an Idol...

Johnnie Paul

 

[jflis]

Johnnie,

that discussion has occured a couple of times on TRF. I can say that it is under consideration but I couldn't say anything for sure till about Spring time...

jim

 

[Johnnie]

I can wait on the Nike...

On a finer note, I just ordered my 5th & 6th Fliskits in less than 4 days, as I just finished pre-ordering the TRES .

So over the next couple of weeks, I will receive (2) Deuces Wild kits, (2) Richter Reckers, and when shipping starts, will end up with a couple of TRES's. As stated before, my Daughter will get one of the Deuce's, my son will get one of the Reckers, and I believe the wife will get her TCB Elvis rocket when I build a TRES for her for her B'Day in January...or maybe I could show her where the glue is, and teach her the finer points of building a good Model Rocket.

Oddly enough, I have only witnessed one live fire of a deuce, and the rest of my experiance of Fliskits has come from reading everybodies great posts about this product. So what madness has come over me??? Like a child in a candy/toy store, I am patiently waiting for my orders...


Johnnie Paul

 

[jflis]

We've got you NOW, my pretty!...

...and your little wallet too!



(sorry couldn't resist! )

 

[eugenefl]

Jim, I like the reorganization of the news on the front page of the website.

Well, I've got my Tres and Long Overdue preorders in. I can't wait to get my hands on the Tres....