I think you had too much prop on thar...12.5 x 3.75
An arverage prop for a .40-.46 is 10x6...you went 13x6.

By going with a prop with more torque. You lost speed. So there's a diffent type of
flying stlye involved. Maybe that's why it seem like the model wasn't doing what you thought it would.
It flew slower, plus you never really had a chance to alter the CG to make the model more nibble, adjust the throw...ect.

Plus you went from a low winger to a high winger and expected it to be able to get toss around like a low swinger with clipped wings.lol

With what you're expecting out of a plane...i'd go SE, Ucando, Up roar, Twister
The magic has a longer tail movement. But the same type of model.
Fat air foil and skiny fuaselge.

I think you're right about Phoenix's Arf being bricks. I think i see obeechee instead of balsa in some of mine.
Obeechee is a substitude for balsa. A little bit heavier.