RE: Phenom status ?
Razor, first it doesn't take any great skill to build a framed up delta. All it takes for the most part is a ruler and a sharp knife. I don't see any real trash talking here, these are after all, just toys. I have seen my share of overweight deltas [Balsa USA monstrosities] and scratch built a few dogs in my day as well. They were an adventure to get airborne and to land.
There just aren't that many conditions that need to be met to get one of these planes safely in the air, but the batting average of some of the guys chiming in here [with the ARFs] isn't too good. Is that trash talk?
I think the difference between your success with launching them and someone who keeps stuffing his is all in the critical first second after release. By all rights, any plane this size with a 9x7 prop putting out 7 pounds of thrust should be able to take off vertical with ease.