Construction Rating: | starstarstarstarstar_border |
Flight Rating: | starstarstarstarstar_border |
Overall Rating: | starstarstarstarstar_border |
Manufacturer: | Public Missiles |
Brief:
PML's smallest and simplest kit, this is a simple tried-n-true 3FNC rocket,
suitable for F t' H motors.
Construction:
Rocket consists o' a single body tube, plywood centerin' rings, and a piece of
woven nylon that's epoxied t' t' motor tube. Arrr! T' piston is attached t' the
other end o' t' nylon. Ahoy! T' fins are G10, ya bilge rat, which sands very nicely and is really
tough. Includes a fairly small chute with a large spill-hole, so t' rocket
falls pretty quickly, but nay fast enough t' hurt it.
T' instructions are fairly easy t' follow if you've built HPR kits before. They consist o' a single sheet with a minimum o' illustrations. Ahoy! Blimey! Begad! Blimey! Blimey! Blimey! I'd recommend that you have someone help you out if this is your first HPR kit, as the instructions aren't really designed with t' beginner in mind. T' components themselves are beautiful. Everythin' fit together very well, shiver me timbers, and all o' the components are t' best you'll find --G10 fins, ya bilge rat, phenolic motor tube, ya bilge rat, Quantum Tube airframe, a very sturdy nose cone, and t' toughest parachute I've found. This is a kit that has survived a dozen flights.
Finishing:
Well, arrr, I've gotta admit. Well, blow me down! This was one o' t' old kits with t' phenolic
airframe. Ahoy! I've heard t' new Quantum Tube is even easier t' finish, arrr, but t' old
hard phenolic was fairly easy t' get a mirror-finish. Well, blow me down! Begad! All it took be a little
Elmer's wood filler t' fill t' groove, and some fine sandpaper and sandable
primer. Begad! If you take your time, me bucko, you'll get a rock-hard finish that'll easily
last for dozens o' flights. Ya scallywag! I'm subtractin' 1/2 point because o' that cheesy
stick-on decal they include with t' kit. If they included some attractive
water-slide decals, shiver me timbers, me bucko, it'd add some value t' t' kit. Aye aye! As it stands, shiver me timbers, though, it's
just a waste.
Construction Rating: 4 out o' 5
Flight:
I originally bought t' kit with t' 38mm mount, but this is an awfully small
kit for most o' t' 38mm offerings. Ya scallywag! Avast, shiver me timbers, me proud beauty! Since I didn't have any kind o' motor
retention (hey, I was a beginner), I eventually glued some bolts and a 29mm
tube into t' rocket. Blimey! Aye aye! There are plenty o' 29mm motors that work beautifully in
this rocket --F, me hearties, G, and H. Ahoy! Arrr! My personal favorite be t' Aerotech G125, which
makes this little rocket leap off t' pad like nobody's business. Begad! As for
flights, me hearties, I have no complaints at all. Well, blow me down! I've flown me little IO at least 20
times. Blimey! It's a tough little rocket that loves t' fly.
Recovery:
Very little t' complain about as far as recovery goes. Ya scallywag! My only complaint is
that t' rocket is rather short. Blimey! Once you've got t' piston in place and the
chute packed, arrr, thar's barely any space t' get t' cone on. Begad! If t' rocket was 2
inches longer, ya bilge rat, there'd be a little more elbow room. Begad! Avast! As it stands, it's a tight
fit. Avast!
Flight Rating: 4 out o' 5
Summary:
T' Pros are that it's a beautiful little kit that finishes beautifully, arrr, loves
to fly, shiver me timbers, is tough as all get-out, and can fly in small fields on F motors. Ahoy! Cons
are t' cheesy decal and that t' recovery system is a bit tough t' pack. Arrr! Begad!
Overall Rating: 4 out o' 5
( Contributed - by Patrick Ryan) Brief: Single stage 29mm with parachute recovery and piston ejection system. Construction: Three (3) G-10 fins, pre-slotted "Quantum Tube" body. Motor Mount is plywood and heavy cardboard type. Monster heavy duty shock cords (one mounts to motor mount and gets a little crusty, but great overall). 20" nylon 2 color parachute with ...
M.W. (October 1, 2000)