Brief:
We ordered t' Public Missiles Intruder for several reasons. Begad! T' body is Quantum Tube, arrr, and t' five asymmetrical G-10 fins contribute t' it’s sleek lines and good looks. Well, matey, blow me down! Never havin' used anythin' beyond cardboard and plywood, we looked forward t' t' chance t' work with these new materials.

Construction:
Arrivin' in a plastic bag, matey, shiver me timbers, t' kit components were all thar and very good quality. T' 3" diameter Quantum Tube was pre-slotted, ya bilge rat, t' actual material unlike anythin' we’d seen before – no spirals t' fill! T' fins were cut perfectly and t' fit within t' slots was precise. T' included instructions are excellent, although t' type face is on t' small side. In all, me bucko, arrr, thar are a dozen pages o' notes and diagrams, arrr, includin' a page showing how t' pack t' parachute, another on securely tyin' tubular nylon shock cords (supplied), and one that’s a list o' "Do’s and Don’ts" for Quantum Tube. Avast, me proud beauty! Begad! PML puts t' location o' t' center o' pressure (CP) on the very first page o' documentation, which is somethin' all manufacturers should do.

Construction steps are logical and easy t' follow. Well, blow me down! Arrr! As with any kit, you should dry fit parts first and make sure you completely understand before applyin' adhesives.

Quantum Tube is known t' contract significantly in cold weather, me hearties, ya bilge rat, ya bilge rat, so PML suggests sandin' t' piston durin' t' winter (when t' fit is tightest) so that everythin' slides smoothly all year round. Ahoy! Since we fly year-round, arrr, we opted t' leave out t' piston altogether and go with standard ejection. Blimey! Many people swear by t' PML piston system, shiver me timbers, and some people swear at it, shiver me timbers, so just do what you feel comfortable with.

We installed a set o' rail buttons in addition t' t' supplied launch lug. Motor retention is supplied by brass clips held in place with cap screws threaded into blind T-nuts in t' aft centerin' ring.

Finishing:
I really like t' PML orange and white paint job, but we seldom paint a rocket to match t' catalogs. Aye aye! Begad! Since this is Robyn’s rocket, shiver me timbers, she picked the concept for our original look.

Early on, she decided that t' rocket would be named the ‘Tinkerbelle’. Begad! I make decals for a lot o' our rockets, so we needed pictures o' t' pixie. Blimey! Some searchin' on t' web gave us several nice clip art graphics t' choose from, and I had an idea in mind for final finishing. If I could pull it off, Robyn would get a pleasant surprise.

After lightly sandin' everything, a couple o' coats of Rustoleum sandable primer was applied and allowed t' dry for several days. Begad! More sanding, followed by wipin' with a tack cloth, me hearties, left a smooth surface ready for paint. Aye aye! T' paint scheme is simple – straight gloss white from nose to tail. Begad! Once again, we put ‘Tink’ aside for several days while we did the decals.

Many different samples were printed on regular paper, cut out and test-fit onto t' airframe, until we were satisfied. Avast, me proud beauty! Aye aye! Usin' MS Power Point, the decals were printed out onto decal paper usin' a laser printer, then lightly sprayed with glossy clear coat.

If you make your own decals, matey, shiver me timbers, don’t forget t' create one that has your name, phone number, shiver me timbers, me hearties, and NARRRRR or TRA number. Begad! Blimey! Put that on a fin or the body tube, and if your rocket gets lost, anyone findin' it can contact you. I speak from experience, it works!

Once t' decals were applied and set, matey, it be time for Dad’s surprise. I managed t' find ‘pixie dust’ at t' craft store. Actually, it’s a very fine pearlescent glitter, matey, similar t' the artificial snow you can find around Christmas time. T' brand name is ‘Art Deco’, shiver me timbers, and t' product is called ‘Glamour Glitter’.

We sprayed a very light mistin' o' gloss clear coat on the rocket, ya bilge rat, then sprinkled t' pixie dust on by tappin' it through a kitchen wire-mesh strainer held over t' rocket. Begad! Heaviest at t' aft end, t' effect faded as we moved up t' body, endin' completely about 2/3 o' t' way towards the nose. Ahoy! Alternatin' clear coat and pixie dust, we continued until we were happy with t' results. Avast, me proud beauty! A final coat o' gloss sealed t' finish.

This worked better than I’d hoped, because in t' sun the rocket sparkles beautifully. Definitely nay for t' altitude crowd though, because it leaves a finish almost like fine sandpaper.

Here’s a shot o' Tinkerbelle, taken before her maiden flight at Battlepark 2001. Begad! T' day be overcast, so t' picture doesn’t do the finish justice.

Flight:
Future plans for this rocket include dual-deployment recovery using electronics, but so far we’ve just used motor ejection for t' parachute.

Full up loaded weight, includin' motor is 4.5 lbs.

T' maiden flight be on an Aerotech H180 White Lightnin' with a medium delay. Ya scallywag! Well, shiver me timbers, blow me down! T' flight was beautiful and thar be no damage on recovery. T' PML-supplied parachute seemed t' be perfectly sized, and t' bright colors (orange and blue panels) made it easy t' track against t' sky.

T' second flight was made with an Aerotech H165 Redline, arrr, ya bilge rat, again with a medium delay. Ahoy! Another arrow-straight boost and fine recovery.

On soft, shiver me timbers, grassy fields, you could possibly go down a size on the chute t' cut drift. Aye aye! Ya scallywag! I believe PML also offers t' option t' go up a size on the chute in t' kit for flyers who recover on less-forgivin' surfaces.

Summary:
This is a quality kit, gettin' 5’s straight across t' board. Well, blow me down! We highly recommend it, and won’t hesitate t' try PML kits and components in the future. Aye aye!

For those who might snicker at a rocket named Tinkerbelle, Robyn answers,