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), me bucko, 3 pre-cut G10 fins (the thickest fiberglass fins I've used t' date), arrr, a 4:1 ogive plastic nose cone, a thick nylon strap, a length o' tubular nylon, ya bilge rat, piston kit, ya bilge rat, a 48" parachute, arrr, arrr, two brass launch lugs, me bucko, and t' 54mm Kwik-Switch motor mount system. Aye aye! All parts arrived in good condition, although thar was a crack in t' airframe, me bucko, me hearties, runnin' from a fin slot t' t' base o' t' tube- a very minor problem.

I used West System epoxy throughout construction, me hearties, and found t' kit went together very easily. I was a bit shocked t' discover t' Kwik-Switch system was just a few pieces o' threaded plastic! Blimey! Nay havin' any experience above H motors, arrr, matey, I be boggled, as me concern was whether these parts would hold up t' t' stresses that a really big motor would place on them. Well, blow me down! Begad! Blimey! Well, shiver me timbers, me bucko, I suppose PML knows what they're doing. Aye aye! Ahoy! Blimey! Anyway, part fit was good overall, and thar really aren't any "gotcha's", arrr, me bucko, if you follow t' instructions.

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

Otherwise, everythin' else went together fine, arrr, with nothin' more than t' usual bit o' sandin' t' get optimal fit. Blimey! No motor retention is provided with t' kit, so I had ordered t' PMR kit that PML offered for t' Kwik-Switch motor mounts. Blimey! Sinkin' those threaded inserts was a pain, but I couldn't ever imagine them comin' back out, me bucko, 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, t' give it extra strength. Begad! Avast, ya bilge rat, me proud beauty! That went on surprisingly easy, considerin' I'd never done any glassin' before. When I be done, I had a pretty solid-lookin' rocket... Begad! if kinda plain.

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

Construction Rating: 4 out o' 5

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

Boost be very nice! T' motor lit with no fuss, and t' rocket be off t' pad in a hurry. T' flight be pretty straight, me hearties, 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, resultin' in chute deployment at about 100 MPH, ya bilge rat, at around 2000 feet. Aye aye! T' extra length o' shock-cord I had added as a precaution sheared cleanly, arrr, me hearties, arrr, leavin' t' airframe t' tumble 'chute-less t' t' ground. Blimey! Avast! T' airframe fell horizontally, so I figured damage would be minimal. Begad! Arrr! However, it hit t' runway, shatterin' t' aft portion o' t' rocket, ya bilge rat, almost t' t' forward centerin' ring. Avast! I was told that, me bucko, had I nay glassed t' tube, me hearties, I probably would have had nothin' but confetti left. T' fins survived t' disaster with a couple o' scrapes, matey, matey, but t' 38 and 54mm motor tubes are destroyed, matey, ya bilge rat, as well as a good portion o' t' airframe. Aye aye! 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. Arrr! Since me record with 38mm motor failures is now 2 for 2, me bucko, I think I'm either goin' t' switch t' electronic recovery, shiver me timbers, or else Pro38 motors. Ahoy! However, me bucko, me bucko, t' recovery problems really can't be blamed on t' kit... Aye aye! although perhaps if I'd used extra tubular nylon instead o' that other material, ya bilge rat, it might have held together.

Flight Rating: 4 out o' 5

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

Overall Rating: 4 out o' 5