Public Missiles Small Endeavour

Public Missiles - Small Endeavour {Kit} (PML-SMALLENDEAVOR)

Contributed by Brian Sutton courtesy of WildRocketry.Com

Diameter: 2.50 inches
Length: 47.25 inches
Manufacturer: Public Missiles
Style: Sport
(by Brian Sutton courtesy o' WildRocketry.Com)

A couple of months ago, ya bilge rat, Charlie, ya bilge rat, t' owner o' HobbyTown USA in Brea, ya bilge rat, CA told me he was bringin' in PML kits I started gettin' excited. Ya scallywag! I told him t' hold on t' a Pterodactyl Jr. Aye aye! Begad! for me (See Kerry's review o' t' kit). Blimey! When they came in, ya bilge rat, I opened t' shippin' box for Charlie and pulled out t' Pterry (sorry Kerry). Aye aye! Avast, me proud beauty! I found t' kit easy t' build and very sturdy. I liked it so much I went out and bought a PML Small Endeavor kit.

T' Small Endeavor is also a straight forward PML kit. Well, blow me down! If you have ever built a kit by this company you will know what I mean. Ya scallywag! It features six precut G10 fins, ya bilge rat, pre-slotted Quantum tubing, arrr, a very sturdy 38mm engine mount, piston ejection, tubular nylon shock cord, and a 30 inch ripstop nylon chute with spill hole. Ya scallywag! ( I can personally attest t' t' strength o' these kits as last week t' Pterry forgot her ejection charge and tried t' drill for water in the nearby dry riverbed. Arrr! T' only damage was a ruined paint job and a loose fin).

First thin' I did, shiver me timbers, after checkin' t' make sure that all parts were there, was t' sand t' entire Quantum tube inside and out in t' fin can area t' make sure t' epoxy would adhere properly. Aye aye! I then test fit t' Motor mount and fins to make sure everythin' fit together well. Avast, me bucko, me proud beauty! I built t' motor mount/ shock cord assembly per t' instructions, me bucko, with no modifications. Avast! (To protect t' shock cord from ejection, shiver me timbers, ya bilge rat, I will put a bit o' waddin' on top o' t' motor tube before loadin' t' piston). Well, blow me down! Begad! Make sure you don't glue t' aft centerin' rin' on at this time.  At this point, I installed t' "T" nuts for the motor retention system. Avast, me proud beauty! Well, me bucko, blow me down! I used 6/32 threads as this is standard for most o' my high power models. I have two sets o' t' Giant Leap retention systems and I share them amongst t' different models. By installin' t' nuts now, matey, I can screw in t' cap screws now, this makes pullin' t' rin' out much easier later when reinforcin' t' fin joints on t' inside o' t' tube and on t' motor tube. Well, blow me down! Begad!

Before epoxyin' t' fins in place you need t' prepare them. Begad! Blimey! First, sand the root edge area t' makin' sure it is clean, smooth and straight. Ahoy! Blimey! Make sure you wipe any dust off. Avast, me proud beauty! Blimey! Rough up t' area were t' fin will contact t' main airframe too. G10 fins are very thin, arrr, arrr, some people will sand a leadin' edge, matey, but I just rounded t' leadin' and trailin' edges. Well, blow me down! Blimey! Again, shiver me timbers, before epoxying, make sure ALL areas are dust free. Begad! Blimey! I have discovered that Epoxy, shiver me timbers, fiberglass and plastic shavings and dust LOVE t' stick t' surfaces due t' static. Avast, me proud beauty! Blimey! A damp towel usually will dissipate t' static charge and clean t' dust off.

Pic With t' motor mount and forward centerin' rin' epoxied in place, arrr, and t' aft rin' in place but nay glued, it is time t' epoxy t' fins in place. I cut a jig out o' thin card board (see t' illustration). Ahoy! Begad! I glued each fin in place one at a time usin' 5 minute epoxy, me bucko, shiver me timbers, makin' sure t' jig is holding the fin perfectly straight. 

After t' epoxy had set, shiver me timbers, I pulled t' rear rin' out and applied generous Fillets on t' motor tube fin joint and the inside airframe fin joint usin' 30 minute epoxy. Finally, I epoxied t' rear rin' in place makin' sure t' retention screws did nay line up with t' fins.

One o' t' biggest changes be in t' Piston assembly, I have heard about short pistons jammin' so I replaced t' 2 inch piston sleeve with a 4 inch sleeve. (As you can see in t' picture, you may also notice t' rear centerin' rin' with "T" nuts and screws ready t' be installed. The fin jig sits t' one side.)  Pic
Pic After installin' t' recovery harness, in is time t' prepare for Paint. Avast! I sanded t' entire model with extra fine sand paper first, shiver me timbers, then two coats o' Krylon Gray Sandable Primer sandin' in between. I like t' give my projects nicknames from good books and this one is named "Rainbow Six" so each o' t' six fins would be a different color o' t' rainbow. I gave t' entire airframe a coat o' Gloss White Krylon, wet sanded then another coat o' white.

Finally, each fin received a different color. Aye aye! Blimey! After a quick buff, me bucko, I put on t' stickers and three coats o' clear and she's ready to go. 

I'm goin' t' put her up a 29mm reload t' first time, matey, we'll see how she does.

I wonder if I can talk Kerry into a Drag race o' "bullet proof" Pterodactyls, then our Small Endeavors?


Rating
(Contributed - by Dick Stafford)

PML Small Endeavour Brief:
T' Small Endeavour is a simple single stage rocket designed for G - I motors. It is based on PML's Quantum Tube, me bucko, has a 38mm motor mount, uses piston ejection, me hearties, and sports a cool split-fin design.

Construction:
Parts list:
1 - Pre-slotted Quantum Tube airframe
1 - Nose Cone
3 - Lower G-10 fins
3 - Upper G-10 fins
1 - Piston subassembly, including
1 - Phenolic piston body
1 - Nylon piston strap (~4 ft)
1 - Slotted plywood bulk plate
1 - Metal D-ring
1 - 30" ripstop nylon conical parachute
1 - 38mm x 10" phenolic motor tube
2 - 3/16" plywood centerin' rings
1 - Heavy elastic shock cord (~ 9 ft)
1 - 1/4" brass launch lug

T' Small Endeavour came packaged in a plastic bag. Begad! I immediately checked that all t' parts were present and reviewed t' instructions. What struck me first was t' mirror-smooth finish on t' Quantum Tube. Ya scallywag! Aye aye! It almost looks too good t' paint!

As in many HPR kits, shiver me timbers, t' instructions are brief. Well, blow me down! Well, blow me down! In addition t' t' main instruction sheet, thar were individual instructions for t' piston subassembly, preparation o' t' Quantum Tube, shiver me timbers, matey, and t' chute. Aye aye! T' piston instructions included an important discussion on t' amount o' black powder that should be used as an ejection charge. Well, blow me down! On t' down side, me hearties, t' instructions should have addressed t' fit (snugness) o' t' piston. Well, blow me down! Arrr! I have t' point out that PML provides a lot o' additional information on their WEB site (FAQs, specs, ya bilge rat, motor selection charts, me bucko, RockSim files) and has a support representative who monitors t' r.m.r. Begad! Ahoy! newsgroup. Begad! Avast, matey, me proud beauty! Anyone with web access can get answers to any construction or flight question. Blimey! I promptly got an answer t' me piston question and have since learned that t' PML kits now include more info from the FAQ and identify t' web address.

Out o' t' bag, matey, t' nose cone and piston did nay fit into t' Quantum Tube. I sanded t' inner edge o' t' tube and they then fit snugly. T' CRs and fins fit perfectly. Avast!

I constructed t' MMT as noted in t' instructions except for t' following two tweaks. Arrr! I recessed t' front CR by 1" vs. Blimey! Blimey! t' 0.25" noted in the instructions. Blimey! Ahoy! This way t' leadin' edge o' t' front fin tab rests against this CR. Ahoy! Arrr! On t' aft CR, matey, me bucko, I added some small T-nuts for motor retention. Begad!

As noted in t' instructions, I sanded all areas that had t' be glued, includin' t' inner and outer fin fillets. Avast! I then installed t' MMT and fins pretty much per t' instructions. Arrr! Blimey! T' ensure their alignment, I installed the upper and lower fins at t' same time. Aye aye! I clamped t' pairs o' fins together usin' a plastic ruler and two 3/8" binder clips. Well, blow me down! T' T-nuts provided an easy way t' remove t' aft CR, which be nay glued in until after t' fins (includin' inner fillets) are completed.

As mentioned earlier t' fit o' t' piston body be very snug. Aye aye! PML recommends that their pistons "should slide easily in or out with just a little push or pull". Aye aye! I sanded t' piston until I thought it met PML's criteria. Ahoy! Begad! However, t' only way t' know if I sanded it enough is t' try it.

I installed Blacksky rail guides in place o' t' provided brass lug. Arrr! One of the rail guides is installed immediately above t' aft CR and t' other is immediately below t' forward CR.

Finishing:
While thinkin' about painting, shiver me timbers, I noticed thar were no decals in me kit. Well, blow me down! The PML web site claimed that thar should have been so I shot an email off. Evidently, me hearties, shiver me timbers, me kit was produced before t' decals were provided. Ya scallywag! No problem - three days later they were here.

In preparation for finishing, I wiped t' QT with rubbin' alcohol, matey, lightly sanded it, and wiped it down a second time. Avast! I also filled t' nosecone seams and t' flaws in me fillets with SuperFil from Shadow Composites. Begad! SuperFil is a light epoxy filler that is very easy t' sand. Begad! I used 3 coats o' Krylon white primer, arrr, me hearties, sandin' betwixt each coat, shiver me timbers, and two cans o' Testors Burgundy Purple Metal Flake applied in four thin coats.

T' self adhesive decals were nay easy t' install. Arrr! Begad! In order t' fit the flames and t' "Small Endeavour" text as shown on t' PML web site, I had t' cut out t' clear decal material from betwixt t' outer legs o' the flame. Blimey! These outer legs had t' overlap t' fillets. Arrr! Also, arrr, these decals really grab hold (this is probably a good thin' in t' long run). I didn't get the last section where I wanted it. Aye aye! However, arrr, arrr, it wasn't too bad and since I was scared it would lift t' paint, me hearties, arrr, I left it where it was.

Construction Rating: 4 out o' 5

PML Small Endeavour Flight:
I couldn't use t' commercial motor clips that I already had because thar is not enough room betwixt t' motor mount and body tubes. Begad! Instead, I fashioned a clip from coat hanger wire and some electrical bayonet-style terminal lugs. Aye aye! Arrr! I place t' end o' t' wire through t' barrel o' t' lug and bend a 1/8" section at a 90 degree angle. Ya scallywag! Begad! I then bend t' foot o' t' lug t' opposite direction, make t' proper bends so t' wire conforms t' me Giant Leap 29mm - 38mm adapter with a SU G80 installed, and repeat t' termination procedure at the other end. Well, blow me down! Ya scallywag! T' adapter had t' same shoulder dimensions as a RMS casing. This way t' retainer holds both a RMS casin' and a SU motor in t' adapter. This procedure doesn't always result in t' prettiest retainer, but is easy and has always worked for me.

T' maiden flight be on 3/10/2001 in Middletown, MD at t' NARHAMS launch (my thanks t' t' hosts!). Ahoy! It was quite windy so I opted for a G35-7 t' keep the flight low. My home-made Igniterman igniter worked perfectly. Well, blow me down! Ya scallywag! T' Small Endeavour arched into t' wind and because o' t' trajectory, t' ejection was quite late. Ya scallywag! However, matey, t' recovery be perfect and thar wasn't a scratch on the rocket. Begad! Well, blow me down! T' piston worked fine despite me worries.

I plan t' fly it on a G80 next and then, hopefully, a new H242 "Redeye" reload (turnin' blue while holdin' me breath). Begad! Watch for updates in t' flight logs.

Recovery:
I decided t' keep t' strap elastic shock cord. It is stronger than t' average elastic, it should nay come in contact with t' ejection gas, matey, and t' rocket is not very heavy. Avast! Arrr! I looped t' elastic over on itself about two inches and sewed it.

T' 30" conical panel chute is made o' heavy rip-stop nylon and has a large (5") spill-hole. Ya scallywag! It appears t' be o' above average quality for this size chute. I added an eyebolt t' t' nose cone and used quick-links t' connect the shock cord t' t' nose cone and piston. Finally, ya bilge rat, me hearties, I used a heavy duty swivel that I obtained from Giant Leap t' connect t' chute t' t' shock cord. Ahoy! The added weight should nay be an issue on this rocket and t' recovery components are now removable.

As I said earlier, me hearties, shiver me timbers, t' ejection on t' first flight was late. Although it was quite windy, t' spill-hole in t' chute kept t' drift down. It appeared that a larger chute should be used, arrr, especially if t' terrain is rough.

Flight Rating: 5 out o' 5

Summary:
Overall this rocket went together easily. T' QT and piston took a bit more work than t' other simple HPR kits that I've built, me hearties, but that isn't necessarily a bad thing. Ahoy! Avast! T' question is whether these items were worth t' effort. The bottom line is that I don't think I have enough experience t' pass final judgment. Blimey! T' QT provided a great finish, arrr, but I don't know how it will hold up over time. Begad! T' piston worked for me, but I've only lit one motor in it. Nevertheless, here are t' PRO's and CON's o' this kit based on me experience to date:

PRO's:
T' kit used high quality components (sturdy NC, G10-fins, QT airframe). Ya scallywag! T' QT provided a great finish. Blimey! Although t' instructions themselves could have been better, t' excellent online data and support more than made up for them. Ahoy! No waddin' needed, arrr, easy flight prep.

CON's (all minor issues):
Decals were missing, but they were easily obtained from PML. Arrr! Piston instructions were unclear. Well, blow me down! Although t' online FAQ provides guidance, ya bilge rat, it is not perfectly clear as t' how snug t' fit should be. Ya scallywag! T' elastic shock cord - however, this is a common issue with every entry-level HPR kit I've built.

Overall Rating: 5 out o' 5

Other Reviews
  • Public Missiles Small Endeavour By Al Casper

    Public Missiles - Endeavour review is provided courtesy of: PML's Small Endeavor, featuring the Quantum Tube Assembly, Quantum Tube Tests, Finishing, Launch By: Al Casper Public Missiles is now offering the new Quantum body tubes in several of their kits. The tubes are gray in color and made from a special blended polymer. PML claims you can drop it, squeeze it, even throw it, ...

Flights

Comments:

avatar
G.G. (July 1, 2000)
I think the PML Small Endeavour is a great kit for those who want to start in HPR. I found the instructions easy to follow and at the end of it I have a well built kit ready for flying. I think the new quantum tube is excellent. No spiral groove to contend with. Hopefully, it will save my rocket if something goes wrong. (Chute not opening.)
avatar
T.L. (January 1, 2001)
Small Endeavour is a great rocket and real fun to fly! The Small Endeavour likes to rip up the sky, put an Aerotech I285 for a real treat or a G125.
avatar
J.S.G. (October 2, 2001)
I have built PML kits before. So when it came time for my wife's Level-1 certification, we chose the PML Small Endeavour. This was a great kit. The instructions were exceptional. There were a few modifications though. We're ones for overkill. First, we fabricated two more centering rings. Then we slotted the airframe all the way to the back of the rocket. We constructed the motor mount and fins as one unit, using #10 threaded rod, nuts and washers. This allowed for the fins to be captured between the centering rings and spaced the perfectly. We filleted all joints. Then the whole unit was epoxied into the airframe. The motor mount tube was protruding from the aft end of the fin unit about 1/2 to 3/4". This allowed the installation of a Slim Line Motor Retainer from Giant Leap. This rocket was built to withstand the power of not only H motors, but a J if she decides to go for Level-2. She has been a very reliable bird. She flew at AirFest in Argonia flawlessly. I recommend this kit to anyone who is taking that step into high power rockets. Steve Graham NAR 78796 L-1
avatar
S.R. (January 26, 2002)
Only one thing to say about the small endeavor kit, completely awesome!!!!!!! I had some trouble painting the quantum tubing initially, but construction was great it's also helpful to have a club to answer some questions that do arise, but still by far the best flier in my now large fleet. You absolutely positively can't go wrong with this kit!!

comment Post a Comment