[Innova] All Things FIREBIRD

[Horsman]

Firebird experts -

If I were to look for a very throwable firebird that can be straightened out to fly about <300', what physical characteristics aside from PLH would I look for?

I'm asking because I'm imagining a domey (pop topped maybe) Star FB about 168g. As long as the domeyness didn't push the PLH too high, I figure it would fly pretty nice and mellow but still fade and skip like a firebird. Or even just a thrashed FB.

I figure what I'm looking for is not too far off from an earlier Sexton FB, just looking for a less boutique disc.

EDIT: Worth noting that I like the almost matte finish star, maybe it's older, without the gloss I've seen on newer star. Also pretty stiff.

Ive found a few firebirds that were like this. In the high 160's, decent dome and slightly gummy. Those for me were like slightly OS thunderbirds

 

[BuzzzChief]

Going down in weight may or may not help, I've thrown upper 160's that were still super beefy. Dome is a more reliable indicator of a straighter Firebird in my experience. Color glows are nice.

Also I know it's blasphemy because I'm a "firebird for life" club member, but a Z Raptor is pretty perfect for that slot too. And it's got a more comfortable grip for forehand.

 

[dehaas]

I've got a 166ish gstar that has a nice mellow dome that rides a lot straighter before fading. If you're basically looking for a longer distance driving firebird I'd go this route. Not OS enough to be a trick shot disc so won't get bludgeoned by trees, hopefully.

Mine is a bit worn in, has lost more fade than HSS. People talking about "flippy" firebirds are torque monkeys or think "less fade" means "flippy".

 

[Alexplz]

I've got a 166ish gstar that has a nice mellow dome that rides a lot straighter before fading. If you're basically looking for a longer distance driving firebird I'd go this route. Not OS enough to be a trick shot disc so won't get bludgeoned by trees, hopefully.

Mine is a bit worn in, has lost more fade than HSS. People talking about "flippy" firebirds are torque monkeys or think "less fade" means "flippy".

I would go straight to GStar, but I would prefer the ground play of stiff star.

Will keep an eye out for something domey.

 

[GoobyPls]

People talking about "flippy" firebirds are torque monkeys or think "less fade" means "flippy".

I had a 150-ish DX Firebird that did indeed get flippy after an unfortunate run-in with a parking lot. After that it developed a touch of high speed turn, even for my noodle arm.

 

[Alexplz]

I had a 150-ish DX Firebird that did indeed get flippy after an unfortunate run-in with a parking lot. After that it developed a touch of high speed turn, even for my noodle arm.

Crazy to me that the jump from base plastic durability even to Pro/X level durability is so dramatic. I have an X Buzzz that I thrashed in order to knock off some HSS/LSS to no avail.

I literally blasted it into a brick wall pushing 100 times. Cut my finger on the one of the many, many gashes and scrapes. Boiled it and left it to cool in a taco'd position between books. Hit it with a sanding block to at least smooth the significant road rash scrapes.

Damned if the thing still flies 5/5/-.5/1.5 at least. I must have started with a freakishly stable X Buzzz. I think sometimes discs have a lot of HSS that I simply don't come close to with my power, and therefore have a lot of HP when it comes to beating in.

 

[kevdiv48]

Crazy to me that the jump from base plastic durability even to Pro/X level durability is so dramatic. I have an X Buzzz that I thrashed in order to knock off some HSS/LSS to no avail.

I literally blasted it into a brick wall pushing 100 times. Cut my finger on the one of the many, many gashes and scrapes. Boiled it and left it to cool in a taco'd position between books. Hit it with a sanding block to at least smooth the significant road rash scrapes.

Damned if the thing still flies 5/5/-.5/1.5 at least. I must have started with a freakishly stable X Buzzz. I think sometimes discs have a lot of HSS that I simply don't come close to with my power, and therefore have a lot of HP when it comes to beating in.

The major factor is wing size and shape when it comes to baseline plastic durability. The sharper the wing the greater the effect damage has on flight. From my experience wings that are fairway driver sized and larger can break in rather quickly. Mids and especially putters have blunt profiles that don't change flight as quickly or as much when damaged.

 

[autocrosscrx]

So, I had never thrown or even held a Firebird, but they've been on my radar for a while.

The other day, I pulled one out of a pond. It is inked, so I'll get it back to the owner, but I wanted to throw it a bit first. It has the Innova F2 stamp with the FIREBIRD raised lettering on the bottom, DX plastic, 172g. Pretty good shape. The edge of the rim doesn't have much as far as rash or dents, maybe one tiny dent. Really chalky. Lord knows how long it was in the pond. Also relatively domey.

So I'm really excited to try this. I throw a forehand with a lot of anny angle. Disc flips and lands as a roller. I rarely forehand, so I grab everything out of my bag that is remotely stable (Destroyer, Teebirds, Buzz, Zone, Judge) and try to throw the same shot. They all come out of and finish with some fade and land flat. I throw the Firebird again, same thing.

So I try it backhand. I throw my Destroyer and a Champ Teebird as flat as possible. Both go pretty straight and fade. Then I throw this Firebird, It turns. It comes back some, but it lands about 25 feet right of the Teebird which finished about 50 feet right of the Destroyer. I throw the Firebird on hyzer and it flips to flat. It is a really nice flight, but I'd say somewhere between a Teebird and Beast in stability.

Is this a freak? Do they ever get the stamping on the bottom wrong?

So I'm really excited to throw this.

 

[Jay Dub]

DX Firebirds can break into rollers if used enough. Sounds like you found one pretty beat in.

 

[Moose33]

Domey DX Firebirds aren't really Firebirds, they are sometimes quite understable. I had some like this a couple of years ago and if you need to try a flatter champ if you want the real Firebird experience.

 

[autocrosscrx]

Domey DX Firebirds aren't really Firebirds, they are sometimes quite understable. I had some like this a couple of years ago and if you need to try a flatter champ if you want the real Firebird experience.

The flat ones are probably a lot harder to pull out with a retriever!

 

[Moose33]

The flat ones are probably a lot harder to pull out with a retriever!

Can confirm lol, but they throw amazing lines.

 

[rusch_bag]

I feel safe sharing this now that I have gotten a handful, but sun king has some splatter star firebirds that are really nice. They are extremely flat, are on the softer side of star, and they seem a little less overstable right out of the box than a normal flat firebird. I put one in the bag and it has become a workhorse for me forehand and backhand. They are great cold weather firebirds for us northern folk.

 

[i like trees]

How do the Marwede firebirds fly?

 

[SuperWookie]

Anyone know the deal with these older Star XXL Firebirds? Good, bad? Flat or slightly domey? Super O/S or a little bit better of a thrower? And most importantly, how does it compare to the other FB's?

 

[Moonshine]

How do the Marwede firebirds fly?

Mine is super flat and overstable. I've heard some have slight dome and are more of a sexton type flight.

 

[Moose33]

Mine is super flat and overstable. I've heard some have slight dome and are more of a sexton type flight.

Mine is near FAF as well, really nice OS flight for the glow bag, it will give the EO LXC Felon a ten for its money.

 

[auzcar]

I've thrown and owned 5-6 champ Firebirds the last couple of years and they have all had the same very OS flight. I bought a star Firebird a few weeks ago and this is very much different. It's a lot straighter and I can get much more distance with it, I love it though but would compare it closer to a slightly lower glide Thunderbird than the champ Firebirds I have. If I put some power behind it I can get it to hold an anhyzer for quite a while.

Is this normal? If that's the case I might need to stock up. At the moment I hesitate to rely on this disc too much since I don't know if I can get a replacement for it or not.

 

[@CD-]

Yes, pretty normal from my sample size of 2 171/172g Star FB. Less OS through the high speed flight but fades and finishes by just falling out of the sky. Still hold up to wind pretty well and not US by any means.

 

[tylerc]

Is this normal? If that's the case I might need to stock up. At the moment I hesitate to rely on this disc too much since I don't know if I can get a replacement for it or not.

This is what I have been doing for several years. I have a few pfn stars that are beat to a slight turn with a fade or hold an anny for the whole flight. It is really nice. At around a 400ft shot they are dead straight with 10 feet of fade at the end. My favorite touch forehand woods driver for 250-325