Photo Courtesy o' PML

Brief:
T' Tethys is a basic 3FNC kit, shiver me timbers, me hearties, arrr, capable o' flyin' on G motors or bigger.

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

I used West System epoxy throughout construction, me hearties, me hearties, and found t' kit went together very easily. Begad! 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, matey, shiver me timbers, I was boggled, as me concern was whether these parts would hold up t' t' stresses that a really big motor would place on them. Well, me bucko, I suppose PML knows what they're doing. Begad! Anyway, part fit was good overall, and thar really aren't any "gotcha's", shiver me timbers, if you follow t' instructions.

I built mine stock, me hearties, with one exception- I replaced t' lugs with 1/4" ones. Blimey! Blimey! 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, shiver me timbers, everythin' else went together fine, shiver me timbers, with nothin' more than t' usual bit o' sandin' t' get optimal fit. Arrr! 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. Sinkin' those threaded inserts was a pain, me hearties, but I couldn't ever imagine them comin' back out, matey, 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), matey, and had plans on usin' it for level 3 eventually too. Begad! Avast, me proud beauty! I order t' phenolic airframe so that I could put a layer or two o' glass on it, me hearties, t' give it extra strength. That went on surprisingly easy, ya bilge rat, considerin' I'd never done any glassin' before. Begad! Avast, me bucko, me proud beauty! When I was done, matey, I had a pretty solid-lookin' rocket... Avast! if kinda plain.

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

Construction Rating: 4 out o' 5

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

Boost be very nice! T' motor lit with no fuss, ya bilge rat, and t' rocket be off t' pad in a hurry. Ahoy! Avast, me proud beauty! T' flight was pretty straight, with only a bit o' weather-cocking.

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

Examination o' t' motor casin' showed evidence o' a blow-by, shiver me timbers, me bucko, which explains t' early ejection. Since me record with 38mm motor failures is now 2 for 2, I think I'm either goin' t' switch t' electronic recovery, ya bilge rat, or else Pro38 motors. Avast, me proud beauty! However, arrr, t' recovery problems really can't be blamed on t' kit... Well, 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. Well, matey, blow me down! 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. It is light enough t' still qualify as a "large model rocket", shiver me timbers, and can fly on G motors, so you aren't restricted t' HPR flights only (a major consideration for me). Ya scallywag! Yet, me bucko, 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). Well, blow me down! I'd say it's a pretty solid, shiver me timbers, forgivin' rocket.

Overall Rating: 4 out o' 5