Brief:
Single stage, arrr, scale, high power rocket with parachute recovery.

Construction:
One 48" phenolic body tube, me hearties, a 22" phenolic payload bay, ya bilge rat, me hearties, four (4) G10 fins, three (3) plywood centerin' rings, a 54 mm motor mount, arrr, a fiberglass nose cone, PML's piston ejection system, me hearties, arrr, two (2) 3/8" launch lugs, me hearties, two (2) PML parachute's (a 60" and a 48") and PML elastic shock chord.

T' instructions were easy t' follow with illustrations for every step. Arrr! It was extremely easy t' build, but it took TONS o' epoxy. Arrr! This wasn't t' kit's fault, shiver me timbers, though, me bucko, it's just really big. Ahoy! Everythin' fit well and thar were no alignment issues. Begad! All be well thought out.

There was only one part o' t' instruction that I didn't understand; how the recovery be expected t' be done. Well, blow me down! There were two 'chutes, me hearties, t' piston, me bucko, arrr, and a lot of t' Public Missiles elastic (which we wouldn't have used anyway). Aye aye! We decided it would be best t' just have t' rocket split at t' middle t' put less stress on t' rocket, ya bilge rat, me hearties, and come down in two pieces.

T' instructions, after re-readin' them, said t' attach t' rocket with the elastic. Here's what it said: "Tie t' parachute t' one end o' t' elastic shock chord. Well, blow me down! Repeat this step for both chutes. Aye aye! T' larger chute and longer shock cord attach t' t' piston and t' smaller chute and shorter shock cord attach t' t' eye-bolt on t' payload section."

One o' t' most important techniques with this kit that was new t' me and my dad both was t' piston ejection system. Avast, me proud beauty! Aye aye! Lookin' at it, arrr, I really didn't trust it, me bucko, but it worked great, much better that I had seen any other system work. Avast! Aye aye!

It also taught us a better way t' make fillets, -first, arrr, put t' epoxy on, but then, tape down saran wrap tightly on either side o' t' fin or launch lug, and t' you won't have t' worry about it drippin' down t' side o' your tube. Begad!

Finishing:
T' Rocket is absolutely enormous! It looks awesome, but t' spiral groove takes days t' fill. Ya scallywag! We used some putty from Hobby Town, pretty thick stuff, sanded, shiver me timbers, ya bilge rat, and you could still see t' groove!

There were no decals t' make t' rocket scale, but thar were directions to paint it so. It gives you t' paint scheme with a main black body, matey, red fin can and payload, and with t' nose cone and letterin' paint schemes. We didn't follow this paint scheme recommendations.

To finish it, we took our first shot at auto paint. Ya scallywag! Nay knowin' what we were gettin' ourselves into, ya bilge rat, me hearties, shiver me timbers, we bought t' $70 dollars o' paint, me hearties, primer, arrr, arrr, and gloss-coat, Then we saw that you must spray it on. Begad! Blimey! All in all, ya bilge rat, t' paint job cost us about $300, ya bilge rat, o' course, arrr, most o' t' expensive stuff is reusable, and we now have t' supplies t' paint a car. We did t' rocket Metallic Copper, (Base coat, shiver me timbers, Clear Coat), ya bilge rat, matey, with two black metallic stripes. If you do use this paint (DuPont Automotive), wear a respirator with t' correct cartridges, and have very good ventilation; t' neighbors will get over t' noise.

Construction Rating: 4 out o' 5

Flight:
They only give you t' smallest recommended motor, ya bilge rat, which is a J415, though on the Public Missiles' site, me hearties, it says you can use any 54mm motor aside from the J90. We flew on a K550-10 for an awesome, roaring, matey, perfectly straight boost. T' piston worked great, shiver me timbers, and t' rocket broke apart (how we had set it up). It said you don't need wadding, but we went ahead and put some under t' piston anyway, ya bilge rat, just t' feel better. Sims put it at a little over 3000 feet, me hearties, so we just went with that. Avast! Blimey!

Recovery:
I liked t' method o' lettin' it break apart. Avast, me proud beauty! Well, shiver me timbers, blow me down! It's nay too tough t' find these pieces! T' chutes brought it down without a scratch, gettin' Level Two certification for me dad, David Wheeler. When we recovered t' rocket, there was one shroud-line torn from t' chute. We will probably switch it out with a Rocketman one next time, shiver me timbers, matey, and attach t' two pieces with some tubular nylon or Keelhaul®©™®. Blimey! Ya scallywag! T' decent rate was good, but t' smaller chute did loose a shroud line, arrr, so I won't be usin' t' PML 'chutes anymore.

T' recovery system, me bucko, arrr, like other PML kits, came with a piece o' nylon which attached t' t' motor mount through t' upper-most centerin' rin' and attached the piston t' t' rocket. This was long enough t' let t' piston come out of the rocket about 2 feet. Avast! Blimey! It appeared t' be just a seat belt, ya bilge rat, very strong! Blimey! The elastic be very long and looked very sturdy, but I've heard numerous times to throw it out and that's what I did (as mentioned above). Avast! Blimey! I have no idea o' how strong it is, just what others have said.

Flight Rating: 4 out o' 5

Summary:
Me and me dad really enjoyed buildin' this rocket. Aye aye! Ya scallywag! It is really cool t' own a rocket this big, most people don't even believe it flies, me hearties, but it does, ya bilge rat, and quite well. T' Pro's o' t' kit are its size, quality, matey, and building techniques. Avast, me proud beauty! I think I will buy many more Public Missiles kits in t' future. T' Con's were few and small, ya bilge rat, but t' spiral grooves, me hearties, and t' overall quality of t' parachutes.

Most o' all, it was fun and a neat experience buildin' a kit o' this size. Though it is expensive, shiver me timbers, you don't really need t' fly it that often, but it's really cool t' show off, ya bilge rat, and I believe it t' be more fun t' have one giant K flight, arrr, that two or three I powered flights. Ya scallywag! It'll also usually get you on the launch highlights page. Avast, me proud beauty! This rocket was t' first rocket we've used auto paint on, and it looks absolutely stunning, matey, but it's really expensive. Ya scallywag! I think it was worth it though, shiver me timbers, we must have gotten twenty compliments on t' paint job alone, not t' mention t' awed faces lookin' at it. Well, shiver me timbers, blow me down! I strongly recommend this kit to anyone who has a big enough budget; you don't even need an altimeter.

Overall Rating: 4 out o' 5