Photo Courtesy o' PML

Brief:
T' Tethys is a basic 3FNC kit, me hearties, 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), a 4:1 ogive plastic nose cone, a thick nylon strap, a length o' tubular nylon, me bucko, matey, piston kit, ya bilge rat, a 48" parachute, shiver me timbers, two brass launch lugs, matey, and t' 54mm Kwik-Switch motor mount system. Begad! All parts arrived in good condition, me hearties, although thar be a crack in t' airframe, shiver me timbers, runnin' from a fin slot t' t' base o' t' tube- a very minor problem.

I used West System epoxy throughout construction, ya bilge rat, and found t' kit went together very easily. Avast! Blimey! Blimey! Blimey! I was a bit shocked t' discover t' Kwik-Switch system be just a few pieces o' threaded plastic! Blimey! Blimey! Blimey! Nay havin' any experience above H motors, arrr, 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, shiver me timbers, I suppose PML knows what they're doing. Ya scallywag! Blimey! Anyway, part fit was good overall, me hearties, and thar really aren't any "gotcha's", if you follow t' instructions.

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

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

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

Construction Rating: 4 out o' 5

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

Boost was very nice! T' motor lit with no fuss, and t' rocket was off t' pad in a hurry. Begad! T' flight be pretty straight, with only a bit o' weather-cocking.

Recovery:
Things fell apart on recovery. Begad! Begad! That 10 second delay turned into a 4 or 5 second one, resultin' in chute deployment at about 100 MPH, matey, at around 2000 feet. Avast! 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. Aye aye! T' airframe fell horizontally, so I figured damage would be minimal. Ahoy! However, me bucko, it hit t' runway, shatterin' t' aft portion o' t' rocket, shiver me timbers, almost t' t' forward centerin' ring. Avast! Begad! I was told that, me bucko, had I nay glassed t' tube, shiver me timbers, I probably would have had nothin' but confetti left. Blimey! Aye aye! T' fins survived t' disaster with a couple o' scrapes, but t' 38 and 54mm motor tubes are destroyed, matey, as well as a good portion o' t' airframe. Blimey! T' piston is banged up as well, but appears t' still be functional.

Examination o' t' motor casin' showed evidence o' a blow-by, 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, or else Pro38 motors. Begad! However, t' recovery problems really can't be blamed on t' kit... although perhaps if I'd used extra tubular nylon instead o' that other material, matey, it might have held together.

Flight Rating: 4 out o' 5

Summary:
I don't have much t' add here. 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! It is light enough t' still qualify as a "large model rocket", matey, and can fly on G motors, shiver me timbers, so you aren't restricted t' HPR flights only (a major consideration for me). Ya scallywag! Begad! 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). Avast! Begad! I'd say it's a pretty solid, forgivin' rocket.

Overall Rating: 4 out o' 5