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), shiver me timbers, 3 pre-cut G10 fins (the thickest fiberglass fins I've used t' date), a 4:1 ogive plastic nose cone, shiver me timbers, a thick nylon strap, a length o' tubular nylon, arrr, matey, piston kit, a 48" parachute, me hearties, two brass launch lugs, me bucko, me bucko, me bucko, and t' 54mm Kwik-Switch motor mount system. Ahoy! All parts arrived in good condition, ya bilge rat, 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. Ya scallywag! Ya scallywag! I be a bit shocked t' discover t' Kwik-Switch system was just a few pieces o' threaded plastic! Nay havin' any experience above H motors, me bucko, I was boggled, shiver me timbers, as me concern was whether these parts would hold up t' t' stresses that a really big motor would place on them. Arrr! Well, ya bilge rat, I suppose PML knows what they're doing. Avast! Anyway, part fit was good overall, matey, and thar really aren't any "gotcha's", arrr, ya bilge rat, if you follow t' instructions.

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

Otherwise, me bucko, everythin' else went together fine, me hearties, matey, with nothin' more than t' usual bit o' sandin' t' get optimal fit. Aye aye! No motor retention is provided with t' kit, so I had ordered t' PMR kit that PML offered for t' Kwik-Switch motor mounts. Sinkin' those threaded inserts be a pain, arrr, but I couldn't ever imagine them comin' back out, me hearties, 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), shiver me timbers, and had plans on usin' it for level 3 eventually too. Avast, me proud beauty! I order t' phenolic airframe so that I could put a layer or two o' glass on it, t' give it extra strength. Ahoy! That went on surprisingly easy, considerin' I'd never done any glassin' before. Avast, me proud beauty! When I be done, arrr, I had a pretty solid-lookin' rocket... Ya scallywag! if kinda plain.

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

Construction Rating: 4 out o' 5

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

Boost was very nice! T' motor lit with no fuss, and t' rocket was off t' pad in a hurry. T' flight was pretty straight, with only a bit o' weather-cocking.

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

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

Flight Rating: 4 out o' 5

Summary:
I don't have much t' add here. Ya scallywag! Blimey! Ya scallywag! Blimey! 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. Begad! Blimey! 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). Begad! Blimey! Yet, me hearties, 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). Aye aye! Blimey! I'd say it's a pretty solid, forgivin' rocket.

Overall Rating: 4 out o' 5