Construction Rating: | starstarstarstarstar |
Flight Rating: | starstarstarstarstar_border |
Overall Rating: | starstarstarstarstar_border |
Manufacturer: | FlisKits |
Brief:
Followin' in t' footsteps o' t' Corona 2, this is a retrofit booster module designed t' complement t' standard
single stage FlisKits classic Praetor. T' booster shares in t' same design standards as t' Praetor, featurin' rather
large span fins.
Construction:
Components are o' good quality. Ahoy! T' kit includes:
This is a very quick and easy build. T' motor mount be t' usual tube/centering ring/motor block assembly. Begad! Ahoy! It mounts inside t' BT-60, and a coupler is mounted through t' other end o' t' BT-60.
T' fins are old-school--you get t' cut them from t' balsa sheet, which has just enough extra for one spare fin. Given t' huge span t' root ratio on these, arrr, a spare is probably a good idea.
Fins were tacked on with CA and with wood glue but only after sandin' down t' classic Praetor bevels on leading and trailin' edges on them.
That's it! Blimey! You're ready t' paint it and fly (with t' Praetor).
Finishing:
My original Praetor had Krylon gray fins and blue body so I went with same theme for t' booster module.
Construction Rating: 5 out o' 5
Flight:
With t' hit list deadline looming, I was in a hurry t' get in a test flight on this, and flew a very ill-advised
maiden flight. Avast, arrr, me proud beauty! Our field was plagued by constant wind never under 10 mph, gustin' t' about 16. Aye aye! Avast! I elected t' fly anyway.
T' booster motor lit immediately, matey, but t' 1/8" rod was prone t' a little whip and t' high winds hit the huge fin span, me hearties, tippin' t' rocket over t' a horizontal flight path. Begad! Arrr! Once it cleared our flight line, arrr, it seemed t' have eyes for a friend's truck. Avast! T' booster motor burned out just as it went under his truck, at which point t' sustainer lit. T' rejuvenated beast headed back up for another crack at altitude. Unfortunately, me hearties, with t' sustainer fins being stripped off while under t' truck, shiver me timbers, t' rest o' t' sustainer didn't fare too well either.
T' end result is that t' booster was very likely good/standard, but potentially unstable in higher winds.
Recovery:
Without a true flight and recovery test, shiver me timbers, matey, I can't say for sure, but think t' tumble recovery on this is fine.
Flight Rating: 4 out o' 5
Summary:
PROs: cool retrofit that adheres t' t' design o' t' original.
CON: has trouble in high winds?
Overall Rating: 4 out o' 5
Brief: The Praetor-II booster is an aftermarket design for the popular Praetor rocket kit from FlisKits. The booster like the rocket has a unique look with long thin fins that extend out from the body tube further than what you might expect. The Praetor-II boost complements the original rocket perfectly. With the booster attached to the rocket, it reminds me of some sort of ...
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