The phoenixhawk is a a relatively new addition to the flow rivers. It was designed by Qualyntilan Esprilalree, the same elf who developed the shrikeship[1] and helped with the Hummingbird for House Shambrath of Greatspace[2]. Qualyntilan was never happy with the shrikeship, despite its popular success. The shrikeship had problems with its piercing ram, which had a habit of breaking off, and landing gear, which caused landed ships to tip over when the wind blew.
The phoenixhawk addresses the ram problem by removing it all together. Though plans were made for adding a cone ram[1][3] to this design, they were dropped by Qualyntilan during construction due to second thoughts about the strength of the frame. The open mouthed "head" hints at its intended use as a weapon, but mostly serves as a lookout post or a small garden.
The new landing gear was placed further out and closer to the body for stability.
Apart from being a good solid ship, the phoenixhawk has a lot of deckspace for a craft its size. The wings, which were strengthened to make it a better warship, also serve as a foundation for the deck expansion. According to Qualyntilan, the idea came to him when he saw a gnomish deathglory[1] in battle, and how the extended weapon platforms gave their gunners an increased field of fire. Qualyntilan improved the design by placing the weapons onto the ship's solid wings, which gave them additional support and resistance to combat stresses.
Phoenixhawk crews tend to be varied because the ship hasn't seen much action in space... yet. The elven navy is currently testing this design as a support vessel for their own ships.
Warship: Like the shrikeship, the phoenixhawk makes an excellent warship. The lack of a ram hasn't greatly hindered its performance, and the thicker hull and extra weapons more than make up for its loss.
Adventuring: Adventurers tend to fall in love with this ship. The large amount of room, and the ability to survive a run-in with harmful elements, makes it a favorite.
The only numerous variation, if less than a handful can be called numerous, is the addition of a cone ram to the ship. Heavy structural supports are part of the original design, and modifying the "head" of the ship to accept the ram is not a very difficult task. (The addition of a cone ram costs only half as much because of this.) Contrary to Qualyntilan's early worries, this design is quite stable.
