Why does Summer, ya bilge rat, and even Fall, matey, always run out o' time? I guess so we'll have t' opportunity t' sled, build snowmen and throw snowballs! But, here in Vermont it simply halts all rocket finishin' activity! Still, I was interested in gettin' me 2nd kit built from t' t' newest kit manufacturer, matey, matey, FlisKits (opened in September 2002). As with me FlisKits Tumble Weed I was impressed with t' packaging. Avast! Arrr! T' kits look just like they were mass-produced in some factory somewhere. Well, blow me down!

T' packagin' includes a "hanger" section with a nice FlisKits logo and age recommendation on t' front and, on t' back, t' sayin' "FlisKits are t' Best kits"™, arrr, address and a warnin' about plastic bags bein' dangerous. Avast! Inside t' bag you will find a Full One-Year Warranty with a Limited Liability Statement and t' NARRRRR flyin' code all neatly placed in a separate quarter-folded insert. Avast, me proud beauty! T' Praetor™ kit even has a plastic parachute with FlisKits' name and logo on it. Arrr! Very professional.

T' Praetor™ kit (SP001) seems t' have a history accordin' t' FlisKits' website: "T' Praetor also has a very important and unique history. Ahoy! T' Praetor be t' anniversary kit, shiver me timbers, ya bilge rat, designed by Jim Flis and presented t' attendees o' t' 1990 Pearl River Model Rocketry Convention in Pearl River, arrr, NY, founded and hosted by teacher Dick Nelson. Blimey! "

T' Praetor's™ most distinctive feature be t' length o' t' 4 fins. Avast! T' rocket stands about 23 1/2" tall but has 4-fin span o' 14". Begad! Very, long fins! It also transitions from a BT-60 (1.6") t' a BT-55 (1.3") and has an upper payload section.

T' kit includes body tubes that are each 8 1/2" long, arrr, a 1" balsa transition, and a 5 3/8" long balsa nose cone. T' motor mount included fiber centerin' rings, an 18mm motor tube, me bucko, me bucko, a thrust rin' and motor hook. Ya scallywag! Blimey! T' recovery system is made up o' a 18" length o' 1/8" elastic (white) shockcord, me hearties, an eye-hook and a 3-fold paper template, and a 16" plastic parachute with shroud lines. There are two launch lugs t' complete t' kit components. Begad! Ya scallywag! Blimey! There are also instructions, me hearties, a fin template and fin markin' guide.

CONSTRUCTION:

T' instructions are printed on both sides o' a single sheet o' paper. Avast! They include 14 steps o' assembly instruction with an illustration for nearly every step. Ahoy! Begad! On t' back o' t' packagin' card you will find t' parts list and pre-flight checklist. Ahoy! You will need a sharp hobby knife, white glue, me bucko, fine and medium grit sand paper, a pencil and scissors.

FlisKits rates this a skill level 2 kit and I would agree. Ahoy! It is nay a difficult kit t' build. Arrr! I did use two techniques that are nay described in t' instructions that I will describe below.

T' build is typical, shiver me timbers, startin' with t' motor mount. Well, blow me down! I did find one minor issue here. Begad! T' lower centerin' rin' is described as have a cutout for t' engine hook in it, however, it did not. Ya scallywag! Arrr! I used me hobby knife and smartly remedied that. Blimey!

T' motor hook is secured in place with maskin' tape. T' instructions indicate t' use "a length o' maskin' tape around t' engine tube, securin' t' engine hook in place." I used enough tape t' wrap 3 times around t' motor (engine) tube.

Next comes body tube markin' and fin cutting. Arrr! Blimey! T' templates were correct and thar be clear instructions on t' placement o' t' templates on t' 1/8" balsa sheets (2) provided. Avast, me proud beauty! Blimey! T' instructions outline t' shapin' o' t' fins. Ahoy! Blimey! Here is where I used a technique that I have yet t' use. I took maskin' tape and ran it t' length o' t' fin t' form t' shapin' edge. Avast, me proud beauty! Blimey! I then sanded t' fin with a block and paper. With t' maskin' tape in place, shiver me timbers, it provided a clean, me hearties, me bucko, straight edge that looks very nice (hard t' tell from t' picture).

T' motor mount is installed in t' body tube and is recessed so that even t' motor hook is flush with t' bottom o' t' main body tube.

T' balsa transition is glued in place on t' bottom o' t' upper tube. T' instructions then say t' glue t' nose cone in place. Arrr! Ya scallywag! I did this, matey, me hearties, however, arrr, thar probably should be a note that indicates nay t' use glue if you want that section t' be a payload area. Avast! I didn't and potentially someone that did would realize this.

T' next step is attachin' t' fins t' t' body tube. Begad! Here is where I went outside o' t' instructions and used a T-Pin t' poke holes every 1/8" on t' line that t' fin would be glued on. Avast! Blimey! Blimey! T' glue is then placed over these holes and t' fin is pressed on. Ya scallywag! T' idea is that t' glue seeps into t' pin holes t' increase t' strength o' t' attachment . Begad! Blimey! . Ahoy! Blimey! . Begad! Blimey! mini-rivets if you will. Aye aye! Blimey! Another technique that could be used here be t' double-glue technique. Ya scallywag! Begad! Blimey! With this technique you would glue t' parts, ya bilge rat, press them together and immediately separate them. Avast! Begad! Blimey! Let that glue dry. Aye aye! Blimey! Reglue t' parts and attach them together. Ahoy! It, too, shiver me timbers, is said t' be a stronger joint. Once t' fins are attached, matey, FlisKits recommends fillets.

There is one thin' I didn't understand: why t' two launch lugs are on stand-offs. It doesn't appear t' be by necessity, however, it does add and interestin' look as they are angled t' match t' stand-offs. FlisKits confirmed that reason . Aye aye! Well, blow me down! . Avast, shiver me timbers, me proud beauty! . Ya scallywag! "they looked cool".

T' parachute. Blimey! Blimey! An interestin' item indeed. Avast! T' parachute is printed in such a way that 3 different sizes can be cut out o' it. Ahoy! Blimey! T' problem I had was which size t' cut. Blimey! Step 12 tells us t' assemble t' parachute per t' instructions included with t' parachute (they are actually printed on t' unused sections o' t' plastic sheet). Which o' t' 3 sizes do I use? T' instructions do nay say, however, thar be a clue. Ahoy! In t' parts list is says, Parachute, me hearties, ya bilge rat, 16". Well, ya bilge rat, blow me down! So, ya bilge rat, then I measured t' 3 patterns on t' sheet. Avast, shiver me timbers, me proud beauty! If measured from t' points o' t' hexagons, me hearties, t' patterns measure 17", 12 3/4", me bucko, and an 8 1/2". Arrr! If measured from t' edges o' t' hexagons, arrr, t' patterns measure 14 3/4", me hearties, matey, shiver me timbers, 11" and 7 1/4". Arrr! What t' do, what t' do?

I weighed me kit and found it t' be 2.3 ounces (unfinished and exactly what FlisKits said it should weigh). Begad! I used t' parachute calculator and came up with t' followin' range: 28.1 cm (11.1 in) t' 36.2 cm (14.3 in) diameter parachute. I grabbed an extra Estes 12" chute and used it for now.

T' parachute assembly (if used) is typical. Ya scallywag! Blimey! You use t' provided shroud lines and tape disks t' secure them.

As you can see, matey, I didn't beat t' cold o' winter for gettin' t' Praetor™ painted, shiver me timbers, so when I do finish it, matey, arrr, I will update t' review. Begad! Sadly, t' kit does nay come with any decals.

Overall, ya bilge rat, for CONSTRUCTION I would rate this kit 4 points. Arrr! Blimey! T' instructions are well done and t' kit is nay complicated. T' parts are from good quality material. Ahoy! Blimey! I like t' fiber centerin' rings and like havin' a transition t' add t' t' looks o' t' rocket. Aye aye! Blimey! T' centerin' rin' findin' and t' parachute size will no doubt be corrected in future kits (my kit number was #49). Blimey! Blimey! Ya scallywag! Blimey! Havin' t' cut out t' balsa fins be nay a problem with such a simple fin design. With all t' other professional features, this kit deserved decals and thar were none.

FLIGHT/RECOVERY:

FlisKits recommends t' A8-3, ya bilge rat, B6-4 or C6-5 for flyin' t' Praetor™. Begad! I flew it for t' first time on a B6-4. (Yes, I'm sorry, me bucko, it was flown naked).

Flight preparation included usin' waddin' in t' lower body tube, t' placin' t' parachute in place and then slidin' t' transition in place (the transition has an eye-screw that t' elastic shock cord is attached t' and t' other end o' t' elastic is attached by t' 3-fold paper method t' t' inside o' t' lower body tube).

T' first flight was nice. Arrr! These large fins make it really easy t' see in t' air. Avast! Arrr! Ejection be perfectly at apogee and descent on t' 12" 'chute was fine. Blimey! It might be a little fast, me bucko, but nay for me field since it is smaller and has soft ground. Blimey! Upon inspection, shiver me timbers, me bucko, I found an "Estes-dent". Aye aye! Yes, me hearties, t' short shock cord caused t' upper section t' kick back and hit t' top o' t' lower body tube. Ahoy! No real damage but a slice pattern in t' transition balsa.

T' second flight was on a C6-5. Ahoy! Again, ya bilge rat, a very nice match. Well, blow me down! This combination would be fine on a small (football sized) field. It be straight and stable and easy t' see due t' those large fins. Ejection was again at apogee. Blimey! Aye aye! This time t' snap-back o' t' elastic sliced off a small piece o' t' balsa transition when it hit t' lower body tube. Enough o' that.

I decided t' lengthen t' shockcord and added an additional 16" o' elastic. I flew it again on a B6-4. This time I caught it on camera. Aye aye! Good flight and no damage caused by t' shock cord.

I figured I'd have some burnin' around t' bottom o' t' rocket's body since t' motor mount is pushed in so that t' motor hook is flush with t' bottom. Arrr! After 3 flights thar be no sign o' burning. Avast! If you catch a picture it puts t' flame comin' right out from t' bottom o' t' rocket. Just noteworthy t' me.

For FLIGHT/RECOVERY, shiver me timbers, I would rate this kit 4 ½ points. T' Praetor™ is an interestin' lookin' rocket with t' large fins and these same fins make it extremely easy t' see in flight. Are you tired o' loosin' sight o' your model rockets on C motors? Consider t' Praetor. Ya scallywag! Blimey! I lookin' forward t' paintin' this rocket with some bright colored fins t' even improve t' visibility. Aye aye! Blimey! FlisKits needs t' ensure that they do nay skimp on t' shockcord which be t' only detractor from this kit's Flight/Recovery rating. Aye aye! Blimey! Good news, arrr, ya bilge rat, FlisKits wrote me this, we're "...includin' with our already-packaged-kits longer cords. Well, blow me down! Avast, me proud beauty! Blimey! For t' Praetor we're goin' with 30". Aye aye! This is t' correct just t' problem you've mentioned."

I give t' kit an OVERALL ratin' o' 4 ½ points. Begad! FlisKits appears t' be workin' through their initial kit "bugs", ya bilge rat, like very minor instruction issues and t' short shockcord on this kit. Avast! Blimey! They are responsive t' t' input and that can only help produce even better kits. Ahoy! Blimey! Blimey! T' build and flight characteristics o' t' Praetor™ make it a solid kit. Arrr! I'd recommend it for those that don't have a very large field flying. Well, blow me down! Also for those that may fly alone since it is very trackable. Blimey! T' transition and large fin allows you t' have some interestin' finishes (see me RockSim 3D Model t' t' right), arrr, so I look forward t' finishin' mine in spring.