Brief:
This is a downscale of Fliskits popular Praetor model. It is a single stage Micromaxx rocket that uses streamer recovery and features a balsa transition, balsa nose cone, and nice, big wide fins.

Construction:
Components from Fliskits are great as usual. This kit comes with:

• 1 balsa nose cone
• 1 balsa transition
• 2 body tubes
• launch lug material
• motor mount kit with centering rings
• Kevlar®
• mylar streamer
• balsa for fins and launch lug standoffs
• waterslide decals

Fliskits always provides great instructions, and this kit lives up to the great Fliskits reputation. I like how the instructions are also Micromaxx in that they fold up on smaller card material than the "original size" Fliskits rocket instructions.

This kit is pretty easy to put together, particularly if you have Micromaxx building experience. I began with the engine mount which included a motor stop and two centering rings. Fliskits includes Kevlar®, which is not only a nice touch, but really the most efficient method of providing recovery for a model this small.

I used the attached fin template to cut out four fins as well as two launch lug standoffs. The fins were shaped and glued on the body pretty easily. The launch lug standoffs are easy. I found it easier to glue the launch lugs right on the standoffs first before gluing them to the rocket. I always have launch rods around my build table to make sure that I am putting the lugs on correctly.

The upper body is easy. Glue nose cone to one end of smaller diameter body tube and glue transition to other end. Fliskits includes a small nail that is used to attach the Kevlar® from the lower body tube to the upper body tube. The rocket separates at the transition. Next, I attached the mylar streamer.

Finishing:
I gave the rocket a few shots of silver acrylic then added some black to the rocket. Since the rocket is so small, I didn't worry too much about filling in the seams and grains. I wanted a good looking model, but I didn't want to weigh it down with unnecessary layers of filler and paint.

The decals went on pretty easily, too. They are great quality. I always give my decals a good coat of Microscale Liquid Decal Film before applying my decals. I find this stuff toughens up the decals and prevents a lot of ripping.

The only thing I would think about changing is the length of the Kevlar®. I think Fliskits gives ample Kevlar®. It doesn't have to be that long. It could be shorter, which would also help in prepping on the field. It is hard to get all that Kevlar® into such a small body tube.

Construction Rating: 4 out of 5

Flight:
Prepping is easy. Put a few small balls of wadding in the lower body tube, roll up mylar streamer and place streamer and Kevlar® into rocket. A little less Kevlar® would make the prepping slightly easier. There is no engine hook so friction fitting is the way to go. I always make sure I have a little tape out on the field when I fly Micromaxx rockets.

I only had a chance to fly this rocket once as a fin broke off on landing. I suspect the neighborhood kids are not familiar with the frailty of Micromaxx rockets as one of them kind of grabbed the Petite Praetor roughly while retrieving it for me. However, the rocket is now fixed and ready to fly again.

The flight that all of us witnessed was remarkable. Not only is the Petite Praetor a great stable flyer, it achieved a very respectable altitude (it really got up there) for being a rather large MMX rocket. In addition to this, it was very easy to spot in all aspects of flight (boost, coast, recovery). I give this rocket two thumbs up.

Recovery:
The shock cord is entirely made out of Kevlar®, so this showed hardly any wear whatsoever. The mylar streamer was undamaged as well. There is plenty of room for wadding in this rocket, so make sure you take advantage of this.

Flight Rating: 5 out of 5

Summary:
No negatives, only positives:

• Micromaxxes are cool
• Great flight performance, very stable flights
• Cool looking rocket, neat design
• Waterslide Decals!
• Balsa nose cone, transitions, and sheets to cut your own fins

Overall Rating: 5 out of 5