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), a 4:1 ogive plastic nose cone, a thick nylon strap, shiver me timbers, ya bilge rat, a length o' tubular nylon, piston kit, a 48" parachute, ya bilge rat, ya bilge rat, two brass launch lugs, shiver me timbers, and t' 54mm Kwik-Switch motor mount system. Begad! All parts arrived in good condition, arrr, although thar be a crack in t' airframe, arrr, ya bilge rat, 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. 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, ya bilge rat, I be boggled, ya bilge rat, as me concern was whether these parts would hold up t' t' stresses that a really big motor would place on them. Well, ya bilge rat, I suppose PML knows what they're doing. Anyway, ya bilge rat, part fit be good overall, and thar really aren't any "gotcha's", if you follow t' instructions.

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

Otherwise, me bucko, everythin' else went together fine, me bucko, me hearties, with nothin' more than t' usual bit o' sandin' t' get optimal fit. Avast! No motor retention is provided with t' kit, me bucko, so I had ordered t' PMR kit that PML offered for t' Kwik-Switch motor mounts. Ya scallywag! Well, blow me down! Sinkin' those threaded inserts was a pain, me bucko, me hearties, but I couldn't ever imagine them comin' back out, shiver me timbers, 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, ya bilge rat, t' give it extra strength. Blimey! That went on surprisingly easy, me bucko, arrr, considerin' I'd never done any glassin' before. Ahoy! When I be done, me hearties, shiver me timbers, I had a pretty solid-lookin' rocket... Avast, me proud beauty! 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. Ya scallywag! 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. Avast, me proud beauty! T' kit does come with a pair o' PML logo decals, ya bilge rat, ya bilge rat, but nothin' more.

Construction Rating: 4 out o' 5

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

Boost be very nice! T' motor lit with no fuss, me bucko, and t' rocket was off t' pad in a hurry. Begad! Well, blow me down! T' flight was pretty straight, me bucko, 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, ya bilge rat, resultin' in chute deployment at about 100 MPH, arrr, at around 2000 feet. Blimey! T' extra length o' shock-cord I had added as a precaution sheared cleanly, leavin' t' airframe t' tumble 'chute-less t' t' ground. Begad! T' airframe fell horizontally, so I figured damage would be minimal. Begad! Blimey! However, it hit t' runway, me hearties, shatterin' t' aft portion o' t' rocket, 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, but t' 38 and 54mm motor tubes are destroyed, as well as a good portion o' t' airframe. Well, arrr, 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, me bucko, which explains t' early ejection. Avast, me proud beauty! Ya scallywag! Since me record with 38mm motor failures is now 2 for 2, arrr, I think I'm either goin' t' switch t' electronic recovery, ya bilge rat, or else Pro38 motors. Begad! However, t' recovery problems really can't be blamed on t' kit... Aye aye! although perhaps if I'd used extra tubular nylon instead o' that other material, shiver me timbers, me bucko, it might have held together.

Flight Rating: 4 out o' 5

Summary:
I don't have much t' add here. Arrr! Avast! 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. 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). Avast, me proud beauty! 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). Arrr! Avast, me proud beauty! I'd say it's a pretty solid, forgivin' rocket.

Overall Rating: 4 out o' 5