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), ya bilge rat, 3 pre-cut G10 fins (the thickest fiberglass fins I've used t' date), ya bilge rat, matey, a 4:1 ogive plastic nose cone, shiver me timbers, me bucko, a thick nylon strap, a length o' tubular nylon, me hearties, piston kit, me bucko, ya bilge rat, a 48" parachute, me bucko, two brass launch lugs, matey, and t' 54mm Kwik-Switch motor mount system. Ya scallywag! All parts arrived in good condition, although thar was a crack in t' airframe, 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, me hearties, 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, I was boggled, me bucko, as me concern was whether these parts would hold up t' t' stresses that a really big motor would place on them. Well, matey, I suppose PML knows what they're doing. Anyway, ya bilge rat, part fit was good overall, me bucko, 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. Blimey! Ahoy! 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, when I measured t' ID.

Otherwise, me hearties, everythin' else went together fine, with nothin' more than t' usual bit o' sandin' t' get optimal fit. Arrr! 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! Sinkin' those threaded inserts was a pain, 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, and had plans on usin' it for level 3 eventually too. Begad! I order t' phenolic airframe so that I could put a layer or two o' glass on it, t' give it extra strength. Avast, me proud beauty! That went on surprisingly easy, me hearties, considerin' I'd never done any glassin' before. Well, blow me down! When I was done, I had a pretty solid-lookin' rocket... Arrr! Begad! if kinda plain.

Finishing:
Unfortunately, I was pressed for time, shiver me timbers, shiver me timbers, and never had t' chance t' even shoot a coat o' primer on this rocket. Aye aye! 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! Aye aye! 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. Aye aye! One thin' I really like about PML kits be t' lack o' need for wadding, thanks t' t' piston system. Blimey! Avast, matey, 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. However, matey, 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. Ya scallywag! 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 be really comfortable with. Avast! Ya scallywag! T' slowest deployment speed I could get was on t' order o' 40 MPH, which I thought was a bit high. Ya scallywag! So... Ahoy! 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, ya bilge rat, and t' rocket was off t' pad in a hurry. 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, me hearties, resultin' in chute deployment at about 100 MPH, at around 2000 feet. T' extra length o' shock-cord I had added as a precaution sheared cleanly, leavin' t' airframe t' tumble 'chute-less t' t' ground. Well, blow me down! Blimey! T' airframe fell horizontally, so I figured damage would be minimal. Avast! However, me hearties, matey, it hit t' runway, me hearties, shiver me timbers, shatterin' t' aft portion o' t' rocket, ya bilge rat, almost t' t' forward centerin' ring. Avast! Avast! I was told that, had I nay glassed t' tube, ya bilge rat, I probably would have had nothin' but confetti left. Well, blow me down! T' fins survived t' disaster with a couple o' scrapes, me hearties, matey, 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, but appears t' still be functional.

Examination o' t' motor casin' showed evidence o' a blow-by, which explains t' early ejection. Well, ya bilge rat, blow me down! 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, me bucko, shiver me timbers, shiver me timbers, or else Pro38 motors. Well, blow me down! However, 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, ya bilge rat, it might have held together.

Flight Rating: 4 out o' 5

Summary:
I don't have much t' add here. Well, blow me down! 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. Aye aye! It is light enough t' still qualify as a "large model rocket", and can fly on G motors, matey, so you aren't restricted t' HPR flights only (a major consideration for me). Blimey! 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, me hearties, forgivin' rocket.

Overall Rating: 4 out o' 5