Photo Courtesy o' PML

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

Construction:
T' Tethys came with a single length o' airframe tubin' (phenolic, per me request), me bucko, 3 pre-cut G10 fins (the thickest fiberglass fins I've used t' date), arrr, a 4:1 ogive plastic nose cone, shiver me timbers, a thick nylon strap, a length o' tubular nylon, piston kit, a 48" parachute, matey, matey, two brass launch lugs, me bucko, and t' 54mm Kwik-Switch motor mount system. Ya scallywag! Blimey! Begad! Blimey! All parts arrived in good condition, although thar be a crack in t' airframe, matey, 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. Avast! Avast, me proud beauty! I was a bit shocked t' discover t' Kwik-Switch system was just a few pieces o' threaded plastic! Nay havin' any experience above H motors, arrr, I be boggled, ya bilge rat, me bucko, as me concern be whether these parts would hold up t' t' stresses that a really big motor would place on them. Ya scallywag! Well, arrr, I suppose PML knows what they're doing. Begad! Avast! Anyway, part fit was good overall, me bucko, and thar really aren't any "gotcha's", 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! Blimey! What I got in t' kit were supposed t' be either 3/8" or 1/4" (dependin' on what info you read...), me hearties, but were neither, me bucko, when I measured t' ID.

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

Finishing:
Unfortunately, I was pressed for time, arrr, and never had t' chance t' even shoot a coat o' primer on this rocket. Blimey! I finished it a day before I (and it) left for Blazin' Archer IV, me bucko, shiver me timbers, and I didn't want t' use any paint until I'd given t' epoxy plenty o' time t' cure. Begad! T' kit does come with a pair o' PML logo decals, me hearties, me bucko, 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. One thin' I really like about PML kits be t' lack o' need for wadding, matey, ya bilge rat, thanks t' t' piston system. Sure cuts down on t' pre-flight prep! Blimey! For motor retention, ya bilge rat, I had intended t' use t' PMR that I had installed. However, arrr, t' three hex bolts that hold t' plate in place had vanished, arrr, matey, so I was forced t' friction-fit t' motor in place- somethin' I did with great trepidation. Begad! Blimey! I'd run a number o' sims for this rocket in Rocksim, and was unable t' find a motor delay in any "I" motor that I was really comfortable with. Avast! Blimey! T' slowest deployment speed I could get was on t' order o' 40 MPH, me bucko, which I thought was a bit high. Blimey! Blimey! Ahoy! Blimey! So... Ahoy! Blimey! I added a length o' PML's old stretchy shock-cord t' t' tubular nylon, just in case.

Boost be very nice! Blimey! T' motor lit with no fuss, and t' rocket was off t' pad in a hurry. Well, blow me down! Blimey! Blimey! T' flight was pretty straight, shiver me timbers, with only a bit o' weather-cocking.

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

Examination o' t' motor casin' showed evidence o' a blow-by, me bucko, which explains t' early ejection. Ya scallywag! 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! However, t' recovery problems really can't be blamed on t' kit... Avast! Well, matey, blow me down! 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. Avast, me proud beauty! T' rocket is pretty much a plain "vanilli" 3FNC bird, me bucko, which makes it a good choice for someone that doesn't have a lot o' HPR experience. Arrr! Aye aye! It is light enough t' still qualify as a "large model rocket", arrr, arrr, and can fly on G motors, so you aren't restricted t' HPR flights only (a major consideration for me). Avast, me proud beauty! Ahoy! 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). Arrr! I'd say it's a pretty solid, me bucko, shiver me timbers, forgivin' rocket.

Overall Rating: 4 out o' 5