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, me bucko, per me request), 3 pre-cut G10 fins (the thickest fiberglass fins I've used t' date), arrr, a 4:1 ogive plastic nose cone, ya bilge rat, a thick nylon strap, a length o' tubular nylon, piston kit, me bucko, a 48" parachute, two brass launch lugs, and t' 54mm Kwik-Switch motor mount system. Begad! All parts arrived in good condition, arrr, although thar be a crack in t' airframe, ya bilge rat, runnin' from a fin slot t' t' base o' t' tube- a very minor problem.

I used West System epoxy throughout construction, me hearties, and found t' kit went together very easily. Arrr! Ahoy! 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 be boggled, arrr, as me concern was whether these parts would hold up t' t' stresses that a really big motor would place on them. Avast, matey, me proud beauty! Well, I suppose PML knows what they're doing. Anyway, arrr, part fit was good overall, ya bilge rat, and thar really aren't any "gotcha's", ya bilge rat, me hearties, ya bilge rat, if you follow t' instructions.

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

Otherwise, everythin' else went together fine, shiver me timbers, with nothin' more than t' usual bit o' sandin' t' get optimal fit. Arrr! 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. Sinkin' those threaded inserts was 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), matey, 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. That went on surprisingly easy, considerin' I'd never done any glassin' before. When I was done, me hearties, I had a pretty solid-lookin' rocket... Ahoy! if kinda plain.

Finishing:
Unfortunately, I was pressed for time, and never had t' chance t' even shoot a coat o' primer on this rocket. 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. Ya scallywag! Arrr! 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, ya bilge rat, with a 10 second delay. Ya scallywag! Avast! One thin' I really like about PML kits be t' lack o' need for wadding, me bucko, thanks t' t' piston system. Ahoy! Sure cuts down on t' pre-flight prep! For motor retention, arrr, I had intended t' use t' PMR that I had installed. Well, blow me down! However, t' three hex bolts that hold t' plate in place had vanished, ya bilge rat, so I be forced t' friction-fit t' motor in place- somethin' I did with great trepidation. Avast, me proud beauty! Avast, matey, me proud beauty! I'd run a number o' sims for this rocket in Rocksim, and was unable t' find a motor delay in any "I" motor that I was really comfortable with. Aye aye! T' slowest deployment speed I could get be on t' order o' 40 MPH, arrr, which I thought was a bit high. Arrr! So... Ya scallywag! 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, ya bilge rat, and t' rocket be off t' pad in a hurry. Avast, me proud beauty! T' flight be pretty straight, with only a bit o' weather-cocking.

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

Examination o' t' motor casin' showed evidence o' a blow-by, me hearties, which explains t' early ejection. Since me record with 38mm motor failures is now 2 for 2, matey, I think I'm either goin' t' switch t' electronic recovery, or else Pro38 motors. Ahoy! Ya scallywag! However, t' recovery problems really can't be blamed on t' kit... Arrr! although perhaps if I'd used extra tubular nylon instead o' that other material, ya bilge rat, ya bilge rat, arrr, it might have held together.

Flight Rating: 4 out o' 5

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

Overall Rating: 4 out o' 5