Brief:
We ordered t' Public Missiles Intruder for several reasons. T' body is Quantum Tube, me hearties, and t' five asymmetrical G-10 fins contribute t' it’s sleek lines and good looks. Blimey! Avast, arrr, me proud beauty! 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, 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 be precise. T' included instructions are excellent, shiver me timbers, although t' type face is on t' small side. Aye aye! In all, ya bilge rat, thar are a dozen pages o' notes and diagrams, 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. Blimey! PML puts t' location o' t' center o' pressure (CP) on the very first page o' documentation, arrr, which is somethin' all manufacturers should do.

Construction steps are logical and easy t' follow. 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, 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, shiver me timbers, matey, shiver me timbers, we opted t' leave out t' piston altogether and go with standard ejection. Many people swear by t' PML piston system, matey, and some people swear at it, so just do what you feel comfortable with.

We installed a set o' rail buttons in addition t' t' supplied launch lug. Avast! Arrr! 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. Since this is Robyn’s rocket, she picked the concept for our original look.

Early on, she decided that t' rocket would be named the ‘Tinkerbelle’. Avast! I make decals for a lot o' our rockets, arrr, so we needed pictures o' t' pixie. 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. Well, blow me down! 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. More sanding, followed by wipin' with a tack cloth, left a smooth surface ready for paint. Well, blow me down! Avast! T' paint scheme is simple – straight gloss white from nose to tail. Ya scallywag! Once again, we put ‘Tink’ aside for several days while we did the decals.

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

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

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

We sprayed a very light mistin' o' gloss clear coat on the rocket, 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. Well, blow me down! Alternatin' clear coat and pixie dust, me bucko, we continued until we were happy with t' results. Aye aye! A final coat o' gloss sealed t' finish.

This worked better than I’d hoped, me bucko, because in t' sun the rocket sparkles beautifully. Well, arrr, blow me down! 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 was overcast, shiver me timbers, ya bilge rat, matey, so t' picture doesn’t do the finish justice.

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

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

T' maiden flight was on an Aerotech H180 White Lightnin' with a medium delay. Begad! T' flight was beautiful and thar be no damage on recovery. T' PML-supplied parachute seemed t' be perfectly sized, ya bilge rat, arrr, and t' bright colors (orange and blue panels) made it easy t' track against t' sky.

T' second flight be made with an Aerotech H165 Redline, arrr, again with a medium delay. Begad! 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. Begad! 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, me hearties, gettin' 5’s straight across t' board. We highly recommend it, and won’t hesitate t' try PML kits and components in the future. Avast!

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