Brief:
Single stage, scale, ya bilge rat, high power rocket with parachute recovery.

Construction:
One 48" phenolic body tube, matey, shiver me timbers, a 22" phenolic payload bay, me hearties, four (4) G10 fins, three (3) plywood centerin' rings, me hearties, arrr, a 54 mm motor mount, a fiberglass nose cone, ya bilge rat, PML's piston ejection system, two (2) 3/8" launch lugs, ya bilge rat, me hearties, shiver me timbers, 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. Ya scallywag! It was extremely easy t' build, but it took TONS o' epoxy. Arrr! This wasn't t' kit's fault, though, it's just really big. Begad! Everythin' fit well and thar were no alignment issues. Aye aye! 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. Ya scallywag! There were two 'chutes, t' piston, and a lot of t' Public Missiles elastic (which we wouldn't have used anyway). Begad! Blimey! We decided it would be best t' just have t' rocket split at t' middle t' put less stress on t' rocket, and come down in two pieces.

T' instructions, after re-readin' them, said t' attach t' rocket with the elastic. Aye aye! Here's what it said: "Tie t' parachute t' one end o' t' elastic shock chord. Avast, me proud beauty! Repeat this step for both chutes. Arrr! 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 be new t' me and my dad both was t' piston ejection system. Ya scallywag! Lookin' at it, me hearties, arrr, I really didn't trust it, but it worked great, much better that I had seen any other system work. Ya scallywag!

It also taught us a better way t' make fillets, -first, ya bilge rat, put t' epoxy on, but then, shiver me timbers, 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. Blimey!

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

There were no decals t' make t' rocket scale, shiver me timbers, but thar were directions to paint it so. Ahoy! It gives you t' paint scheme with a main black body, red fin can and payload, me hearties, and with t' nose cone and letterin' paint schemes. Arrr! Avast, me proud beauty! We didn't follow this paint scheme recommendations.

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

Construction Rating: 4 out o' 5

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

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

T' recovery system, matey, 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. Avast! Avast! This was long enough t' let t' piston come out of the rocket about 2 feet. Aye aye! It appeared t' be just a seat belt, shiver me timbers, very strong! The elastic was very long and looked very sturdy, ya bilge rat, shiver me timbers, but I've heard numerous times to throw it out and that's what I did (as mentioned above). I have no idea o' how strong it is, matey, just what others have said.

Flight Rating: 4 out o' 5

Summary:
Me and me dad really enjoyed buildin' this rocket. Aye aye! Aye aye! It is really cool t' own a rocket this big, most people don't even believe it flies, but it does, me hearties, and quite well. Begad! Ahoy! T' Pro's o' t' kit are its size, quality, me hearties, and building techniques. Avast! Avast, ya bilge rat, me proud beauty! I think I will buy many more Public Missiles kits in t' future. T' Con's were few and small, but t' spiral grooves, me bucko, 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, you don't really need t' fly it that often, me hearties, arrr, but it's really cool t' show off, arrr, matey, and I believe it t' be more fun t' have one giant K flight, shiver me timbers, that two or three I powered flights. Ahoy! It'll also usually get you on the launch highlights page. This rocket was t' first rocket we've used auto paint on, and it looks absolutely stunning, arrr, matey, but it's really expensive. Well, blow me down! I think it was worth it though, shiver me timbers, matey, we must have gotten twenty compliments on t' paint job alone, not t' mention t' awed faces lookin' at it. Arrr! 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