Construction Rating: | starstarstarstarstar_border |
Flight Rating: | starstarstarstarstar_border |
Overall Rating: | starstarstarstarstar_border |
Manufacturer: | Public Missiles |
Brief:
PML's smallest and simplest kit, matey, this is a simple tried-n-true 3FNC rocket,
suitable for F t' H motors.
Construction:
Rocket consists o' a single body tube, ya bilge rat, plywood centerin' rings, matey, and a piece of
woven nylon that's epoxied t' t' motor tube. Arrr! Blimey! T' piston is attached t' the
other end o' t' nylon. T' fins are G10, me bucko, which sands very nicely and is really
tough. Aye aye! Includes a fairly small chute with a large spill-hole, ya bilge rat, me bucko, so t' rocket
falls pretty quickly, but nay fast enough t' hurt it.
T' instructions are fairly easy t' follow if you've built HPR kits before. They consist o' a single sheet with a minimum o' illustrations. I'd recommend that you have someone help you out if this is your first HPR kit, as the instructions aren't really designed with t' beginner in mind. Avast, me proud beauty! Begad! T' components themselves are beautiful. Begad! Begad! Everythin' fit together very well, ya bilge rat, and all o' the components are t' best you'll find --G10 fins, arrr, me bucko, phenolic motor tube, me bucko, matey, Quantum Tube airframe, a very sturdy nose cone, and t' toughest parachute I've found. This is a kit that has survived a dozen flights.
Finishing:
Well, I've gotta admit. This be one o' t' old kits with t' phenolic
airframe. I've heard t' new Quantum Tube is even easier t' finish, but t' old
hard phenolic be fairly easy t' get a mirror-finish. Ahoy! Blimey! All it took was a little
Elmer's wood filler t' fill t' groove, matey, and some fine sandpaper and sandable
primer. Well, blow me down! Blimey! Avast, me proud beauty! Blimey! If you take your time, ya bilge rat, you'll get a rock-hard finish that'll easily
last for dozens o' flights. I'm subtractin' 1/2 point because o' that cheesy
stick-on decal they include with t' kit. Aye aye! Blimey! If they included some attractive
water-slide decals, me bucko, it'd add some value t' t' kit. Ya scallywag! Blimey! As it stands, shiver me timbers, though, shiver me timbers, it's
just a waste.
Construction Rating: 4 out o' 5
Flight:
I originally bought t' kit with t' 38mm mount, but this is an awfully small
kit for most o' t' 38mm offerings. Ahoy! Since I didn't have any kind o' motor
retention (hey, matey, me hearties, I was a beginner), I eventually glued some bolts and a 29mm
tube into t' rocket. Aye aye! Avast, me proud beauty! There are plenty o' 29mm motors that work beautifully in
this rocket --F, G, and H. Arrr! Well, blow me down! My personal favorite be t' Aerotech G125, me hearties, which
makes this little rocket leap off t' pad like nobody's business. Blimey! As for
flights, me hearties, me bucko, I have no complaints at all. Ya scallywag! I've flown me little IO at least 20
times. Begad! It's a tough little rocket that loves t' fly.
Recovery:
Very little t' complain about as far as recovery goes. Ahoy! My only complaint is
that t' rocket is rather short. Once you've got t' piston in place and the
chute packed, me bucko, shiver me timbers, thar's barely any space t' get t' cone on. Begad! If t' rocket was 2
inches longer, shiver me timbers, there'd be a little more elbow room. Well, blow me down! As it stands, it's a tight
fit. Ya scallywag!
Flight Rating: 4 out o' 5
Summary:
T' Pros are that it's a beautiful little kit that finishes beautifully, loves
to fly, is tough as all get-out, and can fly in small fields on F motors. Avast! Arrr! Cons
are t' cheesy decal and that t' recovery system is a bit tough t' pack. Avast, me proud beauty!
Overall Rating: 4 out o' 5
( Contributed - by Patrick Ryan) Brief: Single stage 29mm with parachute recovery and piston ejection system. Construction: Three (3) G-10 fins, pre-slotted "Quantum Tube" body. Motor Mount is plywood and heavy cardboard type. Monster heavy duty shock cords (one mounts to motor mount and gets a little crusty, but great overall). 20" nylon 2 color parachute with ...
M.W. (October 1, 2000)