<Li> Fairchild C - 119F, BuNo. 131691 - Phoenix film prop . </Li> <Li> Fairchild C - 119F, BuNo. 131706 - Phoenix film prop . </Li> <P> A Phoenix that could be taxied but not flown was built for closeups . The Phoenix in flying scenes were done using a radio - controlled model and computer graphics . </P> <P> Flight of the Phoenix has received generally mixed reviews from critics . On Rotten Tomatoes, the film holds a "rotten" score of 30%, with an average rating of 4.8 / 10 . On Metacritic, the film holds a score of 47 out of 100, indicating "mixed or average reviews ." The main criticism for the film was its similarity to the original; John Anderson from Newsday said, "if you've seen the original, there's absolutely no difference in what happens . And very little reason to check it out ." Aerofiles, a non-commercial website focusing on North American aviation history, called the film "perhaps the worst remake ever of a classic film ." Stephen Holden of The New York Times said the film is a "rickety update of the far superior 1965 movie" that "throws in every cheap trick in the manual to pump up your heartbeat (and) is so manipulative that the involuntary jolts of adrenaline it produces make you feel like a fool ." Roger Ebert of the Chicago Sun - Times gave the film two stars, writing "I'm not recommending it for those who know the original, but it might work nicely enough for those who have not (seen it)." </P>

Did the plane in flight of the phoenix really fly