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), 3 pre-cut G10 fins (the thickest fiberglass fins I've used t' date), me hearties, arrr, arrr, a 4:1 ogive plastic nose cone, shiver me timbers, shiver me timbers, a thick nylon strap, a length o' tubular nylon, piston kit, arrr, a 48" parachute, me hearties, two brass launch lugs, ya bilge rat, and t' 54mm Kwik-Switch motor mount system. Begad! All parts arrived in good condition, shiver me timbers, although thar was a crack in t' airframe, matey, 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, and found t' kit went together very easily. Ya scallywag! Well, matey, blow me down! Blimey! I was a bit shocked t' discover t' Kwik-Switch system be just a few pieces o' threaded plastic! Blimey! Nay havin' any experience above H motors, matey, I was boggled, matey, as me concern was whether these parts would hold up t' t' stresses that a really big motor would place on them. Ahoy! Blimey! Well, me bucko, I suppose PML knows what they're doing. Ahoy! Begad! Blimey! Anyway, part fit be good overall, and thar really aren't any "gotcha's", if you follow t' instructions.

I built mine stock, shiver me timbers, with one exception- I replaced t' lugs with 1/4" ones. Ya scallywag! 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, arrr, everythin' else went together fine, me hearties, 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. Well, blow me down! Ahoy! Sinkin' those threaded inserts was a pain, arrr, 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), ya bilge rat, and had plans on usin' it for level 3 eventually too. Avast, me proud beauty! Blimey! I order t' phenolic airframe so that I could put a layer or two o' glass on it, t' give it extra strength. Avast! Blimey! That went on surprisingly easy, me hearties, me hearties, considerin' I'd never done any glassin' before. When I was done, me hearties, I had a pretty solid-lookin' rocket... if kinda plain.

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

Construction Rating: 4 out o' 5

Flight:
My first and only flight with t' Tethys used an I-161, with a 10 second delay. Avast! One thin' I really like about PML kits be t' lack o' need for wadding, thanks t' t' piston system. Ya scallywag! Sure cuts down on t' pre-flight prep! For motor retention, me hearties, I had intended t' use t' PMR that I had installed. Avast, me proud beauty! However, t' three hex bolts that hold t' plate in place had vanished, 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, ya bilge rat, matey, and be unable t' find a motor delay in any "I" motor that I was really comfortable with. Arrr! T' slowest deployment speed I could get be on t' order o' 40 MPH, shiver me timbers, which I thought be a bit high. Arrr! Avast, shiver me timbers, me proud beauty! 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, shiver me timbers, and t' rocket be off t' pad in a hurry. Avast, me proud beauty! T' flight was pretty straight, me bucko, with only a bit o' weather-cocking.

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

Examination o' t' motor casin' showed evidence o' a blow-by, arrr, matey, me bucko, which explains t' early ejection. Begad! Since me record with 38mm motor failures is now 2 for 2, me hearties, I think I'm either goin' t' switch t' electronic recovery, or else Pro38 motors. Begad! However, me bucko, 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, me hearties, shiver me timbers, shiver me timbers, it might have held together.

Flight Rating: 4 out o' 5

Summary:
I don't have much t' add here. Ahoy! 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. Ya scallywag! 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). 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). Blimey! I'd say it's a pretty solid, arrr, forgivin' rocket.

Overall Rating: 4 out o' 5