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), matey, arrr, a 4:1 ogive plastic nose cone, a thick nylon strap, arrr, matey, a length o' tubular nylon, arrr, piston kit, matey, me hearties, a 48" parachute, two brass launch lugs, and t' 54mm Kwik-Switch motor mount system. Begad! Arrr! All parts arrived in good condition, although thar be a crack in t' airframe, ya bilge rat, arrr, 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, me proud beauty! Well, shiver me timbers, blow me down! I was a bit shocked t' discover t' Kwik-Switch system be just a few pieces o' threaded plastic! Nay havin' any experience above H motors, 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, blow me down! Begad! Well, matey, I suppose PML knows what they're doing. Well, blow me down! Anyway, me bucko, part fit be good overall, ya bilge rat, and thar really aren't any "gotcha's", ya bilge rat, if you follow t' instructions.

I built mine stock, with one exception- I replaced t' lugs with 1/4" ones. 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, matey, when I measured t' ID.

Otherwise, everythin' else went together fine, with nothin' more than t' usual bit o' sandin' t' get optimal fit. No motor retention is provided with t' kit, arrr, arrr, so I had ordered t' PMR kit that PML offered for t' Kwik-Switch motor mounts. Sinkin' those threaded inserts was a pain, matey, 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), 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. Arrr! Well, blow me down! That went on surprisingly easy, me bucko, considerin' I'd never done any glassin' before. When I was done, ya bilge rat, I had a pretty solid-lookin' rocket... if kinda plain.

Finishing:
Unfortunately, me hearties, ya bilge rat, I was pressed for time, matey, and never had t' chance t' even shoot a coat o' primer on this rocket. Ya scallywag! Well, blow me down! I finished it a day before I (and it) left for Blazin' Archer IV, me hearties, 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. One thin' I really like about PML kits be t' lack o' need for wadding, thanks t' t' piston system. Blimey! Well, blow me down! Sure cuts down on t' pre-flight prep! For motor retention, matey, arrr, 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, matey, so I was forced t' friction-fit t' motor in place- somethin' I did with great trepidation. Aye aye! I'd run a number o' sims for this rocket in Rocksim, matey, me bucko, and be unable t' find a motor delay in any "I" motor that I was really comfortable with. Well, blow me down! T' slowest deployment speed I could get be on t' order o' 40 MPH, which I thought be a bit high. So... Ya scallywag! I added a length o' PML's old stretchy shock-cord t' t' tubular nylon, me hearties, just in case.

Boost was very nice! T' motor lit with no fuss, matey, and t' rocket be off t' pad in a hurry. Arrr! T' flight be pretty straight, 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, shiver me timbers, at around 2000 feet. Ya scallywag! 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. Blimey! T' airframe fell horizontally, me bucko, so I figured damage would be minimal. Aye aye! However, it hit t' runway, me hearties, shatterin' t' aft portion o' t' rocket, almost t' t' forward centerin' ring. Well, blow me down! I be told that, had I nay glassed t' tube, I probably would have had nothin' but confetti left. Blimey! T' fins survived t' disaster with a couple o' scrapes, me bucko, arrr, but t' 38 and 54mm motor tubes are destroyed, as well as a good portion o' t' airframe. T' piston is banged up as well, me bucko, but appears t' still be functional.

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

Flight Rating: 4 out o' 5

Summary:
I don't have much t' add here. Avast, me proud beauty! T' rocket is pretty much a plain "vanilli" 3FNC bird, me hearties, which makes it a good choice for someone that doesn't have a lot o' HPR experience. Arrr! It is light enough t' still qualify as a "large model rocket", arrr, arrr, and can fly on G motors, so you aren't restricted t' HPR flights only (a major consideration for me). Well, blow me down! 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). Ahoy! I'd say it's a pretty solid, arrr, forgivin' rocket.

Overall Rating: 4 out o' 5