Photo Courtesy o' PML

Brief:
T' Tethys is a basic 3FNC kit, capable o' flyin' on G motors or bigger.

Construction:
T' Tethys came with a single length o' airframe tubin' (phenolic, per me request), 3 pre-cut G10 fins (the thickest fiberglass fins I've used t' date), me bucko, a 4:1 ogive plastic nose cone, a thick nylon strap, shiver me timbers, a length o' tubular nylon, piston kit, a 48" parachute, arrr, two brass launch lugs, ya bilge rat, and t' 54mm Kwik-Switch motor mount system. All parts arrived in good condition, ya bilge rat, shiver me timbers, although thar was a crack in t' airframe, runnin' from a fin slot t' t' base o' t' tube- a very minor problem.

I used West System epoxy throughout construction, and found t' kit went together very easily. Begad! I was a bit shocked t' discover t' Kwik-Switch system be just a few pieces o' threaded plastic! Nay havin' any experience above H motors, I was boggled, shiver me timbers, as me concern be whether these parts would hold up t' t' stresses that a really big motor would place on them. Begad! Well, I suppose PML knows what they're doing. Arrr! Aye aye! Anyway, part fit be good overall, and thar really aren't any "gotcha's", me bucko, me bucko, if you follow t' instructions.

I built mine stock, shiver me timbers, me bucko, with one exception- I replaced t' lugs with 1/4" ones. Avast, me proud beauty! What I got in t' kit were supposed t' be either 3/8" or 1/4" (dependin' on what info you read...), arrr, but were neither, me bucko, me hearties, when I measured t' ID.

Otherwise, everythin' else went together fine, with nothin' more than t' usual bit o' sandin' t' get optimal fit. Avast! No motor retention is provided with t' kit, so I had ordered t' PMR kit that PML offered for t' Kwik-Switch motor mounts. Begad! Sinkin' those threaded inserts was a pain, but I couldn't ever imagine them comin' back out, me bucko, short o' destroyin' t' centerin' ring.

I did add one extra construction step- I had picked this kit t' use as me CAR level 2 rocket (Which is an I motor), ya bilge rat, shiver me timbers, and had plans on usin' it for level 3 eventually too. Well, blow me down! Ahoy! I order t' phenolic airframe so that I could put a layer or two o' glass on it, t' give it extra strength. That went on surprisingly easy, arrr, ya bilge rat, considerin' I'd never done any glassin' before. When I was done, arrr, me bucko, I had a pretty solid-lookin' rocket... if kinda plain.

Finishing:
Unfortunately, I was pressed for time, ya bilge rat, ya bilge rat, and never had t' chance t' even shoot a coat o' primer on this rocket. Avast, me proud beauty! Blimey! I finished it a day before I (and it) left for Blazin' Archer IV, ya bilge rat, and I didn't want t' use any paint until I'd given t' epoxy plenty o' time t' cure. Aye aye! Blimey! Avast! Blimey! T' kit does come with a pair o' PML logo decals, but nothin' more.

Construction Rating: 4 out o' 5

Flight:
My first and only flight with t' Tethys used an I-161, with a 10 second delay. Well, blow me down! One thin' I really like about PML kits be t' lack o' need for wadding, thanks t' t' piston system. Sure cuts down on t' pre-flight prep! For motor retention, I had intended t' use t' PMR that I had installed. Well, blow me down! However, matey, matey, me bucko, t' three hex bolts that hold t' plate in place had vanished, so I be forced t' friction-fit t' motor in place- somethin' I did with great trepidation. Well, blow me down! Ya scallywag! I'd run a number o' sims for this rocket in Rocksim, shiver me timbers, and be unable t' find a motor delay in any "I" motor that I was really comfortable with. Well, blow me down! Ya scallywag! T' slowest deployment speed I could get was on t' order o' 40 MPH, which I thought was a bit high. Aye aye! Well, matey, blow me down! So... Begad! I added a length o' PML's old stretchy shock-cord t' t' tubular nylon, ya bilge rat, just in case.

Boost was very nice! Blimey! T' motor lit with no fuss, arrr, and t' rocket be off t' pad in a hurry. Avast, me proud beauty! Blimey! Begad! Blimey! T' flight be pretty straight, with only a bit o' weather-cocking.

Recovery:
Things fell apart on recovery. Ahoy! That 10 second delay turned into a 4 or 5 second one, resultin' in chute deployment at about 100 MPH, at around 2000 feet. Ahoy! Avast! T' extra length o' shock-cord I had added as a precaution sheared cleanly, me hearties, leavin' t' airframe t' tumble 'chute-less t' t' ground. Begad! T' airframe fell horizontally, me hearties, so I figured damage would be minimal. Avast! However, it hit t' runway, shatterin' t' aft portion o' t' rocket, matey, ya bilge rat, almost t' t' forward centerin' ring. Blimey! Well, matey, blow me down! I be told that, ya bilge rat, had I nay glassed t' tube, ya bilge rat, I probably would have had nothin' but confetti left. Aye aye! T' fins survived t' disaster with a couple o' scrapes, but t' 38 and 54mm motor tubes are destroyed, matey, as well as a good portion o' t' airframe. Aye aye! Aye aye! T' piston is banged up as well, shiver me timbers, but appears t' still be functional.

Examination o' t' motor casin' showed evidence o' a blow-by, which explains t' early ejection. Well, blow me down! Since me record with 38mm motor failures is now 2 for 2, matey, I think I'm either goin' t' switch t' electronic recovery, me hearties, or else Pro38 motors. Well, blow me down! Blimey! However, me bucko, t' recovery problems really can't be blamed on t' kit... Well, blow me down! although perhaps if I'd used extra tubular nylon instead o' that other material, matey, me hearties, it might have held together.

Flight Rating: 4 out o' 5

Summary:
I don't have much t' add here. T' rocket is pretty much a plain "vanilli" 3FNC bird, which makes it a good choice for someone that doesn't have a lot o' HPR experience. Well, blow me down! It is light enough t' still qualify as a "large model rocket", and can fly on G motors, so you aren't restricted t' HPR flights only (a major consideration for me). Avast, me bucko, me proud beauty! Yet, it is big enough that it would scream out o' sight on an H or I motor (a small J will throwin' it over 4000 feet). I'd say it's a pretty solid, forgivin' rocket.

Overall Rating: 4 out o' 5