Photo Courtesy o' PML

Brief:
T' Tethys is a basic 3FNC kit, ya bilge rat, capable o' flyin' on G motors or bigger.

Construction:
T' Tethys came with a single length o' airframe tubin' (phenolic, arrr, per me request), ya bilge rat, 3 pre-cut G10 fins (the thickest fiberglass fins I've used t' date), arrr, a 4:1 ogive plastic nose cone, a thick nylon strap, shiver me timbers, ya bilge rat, a length o' tubular nylon, piston kit, arrr, me bucko, a 48" parachute, two brass launch lugs, shiver me timbers, matey, and t' 54mm Kwik-Switch motor mount system. Ya scallywag! Begad! All parts arrived in good condition, although thar was a crack in t' airframe, arrr, me bucko, 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. Ahoy! 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, I was boggled, as me concern be whether these parts would hold up t' t' stresses that a really big motor would place on them. Well, I suppose PML knows what they're doing. Ahoy! Avast! Anyway, me hearties, part fit was good overall, ya bilge rat, 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. Ya scallywag! Begad! Blimey! What I got in t' kit were supposed t' be either 3/8" or 1/4" (dependin' on what info you read...), matey, but were neither, shiver me timbers, when I measured t' ID.

Otherwise, arrr, everythin' else went together fine, with nothin' more than t' usual bit o' sandin' t' get optimal fit. Aye aye! Begad! No motor retention is provided with t' kit, so I had ordered t' PMR kit that PML offered for t' Kwik-Switch motor mounts. 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), and had plans on usin' it for level 3 eventually too. Avast! I order t' phenolic airframe so that I could put a layer or two o' glass on it, t' give it extra strength. Aye aye! That went on surprisingly easy, me hearties, me hearties, arrr, considerin' I'd never done any glassin' before. Begad! Aye aye! When I was done, I had a pretty solid-lookin' rocket... Begad! if kinda plain.

Finishing:
Unfortunately, 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. Avast, me proud beauty! Avast, me hearties, me proud beauty! Blimey! T' kit does come with a pair o' PML logo decals, 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, me hearties, with a 10 second delay. Aye aye! One thin' I really like about PML kits be t' lack o' need for wadding, ya bilge rat, arrr, thanks t' t' piston system. Ahoy! Avast, arrr, me proud beauty! Sure cuts down on t' pre-flight prep! For motor retention, I had intended t' use t' PMR that I had installed. Ahoy! Begad! However, t' three hex bolts that hold t' plate in place had vanished, so I was forced t' friction-fit t' motor in place- somethin' I did with great trepidation. Avast, me proud beauty! I'd run a number o' sims for this rocket in Rocksim, me bucko, and was unable t' find a motor delay in any "I" motor that I be really comfortable with. Blimey! Arrr! T' slowest deployment speed I could get was on t' order o' 40 MPH, which I thought was a bit high. Begad! 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, arrr, and t' rocket was off t' pad in a hurry. Ya scallywag! T' flight was pretty straight, with only a bit o' weather-cocking.

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

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

Flight Rating: 4 out o' 5

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

Overall Rating: 4 out o' 5