In selectin' me first High Power Rocket and bein' a new t' HPR, with little knowledge o' materials and techniques, me bucko, I wanted somethin' that was easy to build yet robust enough for me Level 1 certification. Aye aye! Blimey! I selected t' PML Quasar.

T' finished Quasar is 56” long, me bucko, arrr, weighs about 2 ½ pounds without motor. Aye aye! Begad! T' kit comes with all hardware required to complete t' rocket, matey, and thar are 5 separate instruction sheets!

First out o' t' bag was t' DOs and DON’Ts of Quantum Tube. Avast, me hearties, me proud beauty! T' tube be pre-slotted and required very little in t' way of deburrin' or other cleanup. Begad! As suggested in t' DOs section, be sure to rough-up locations on t' Quantum tube where you will be applyin' adhesives to insure a stronger bond.

Next came t' instructions for t' Kwik-Switch 2000, which has already been reviewed by Todd Harrison here on WildRocketry. Arrr! Begad! My comments on t' KS-2000 include only a suggestion that t' screw mount alignment be double or triple-checked for fit with t' centerin' rings in place to insure smooth operation before applyin' t' epoxy. Begad! T' motor tubes are about 14 inches long, and a slight misalignment o' t' screw mounts make t' motor tube assemblies difficult, shiver me timbers, but nay impossible, me bucko, t' install.

I was impressed with t' rocket kit itself. Havin' built kits rangin' from plastic models through unlimited class radio control sailplanes over t' years, t' first thin' I noticed about this kit was that all t' parts fit together perfectly with virtually no sanding. I was impressed. Well, blow me down! T' payload section is 9” long and includes t' eyebolt, arrr, nuts and washers and provides enough room for future electronics. Aye aye! Avast! T' rocket comes with nylon straps for t' recovery system and piston ejection. Begad! Well, arrr, blow me down! T' piston slides very smoothly on t' inside surface o' t' Quantum tube, which seems like it will cause less worry about t' piston hangin' up at ejection. Avast, me proud beauty! I did add a Nomex® sleeve around t' nylon strap below t' piston t' protect against premature failure.

I was concerned about t' parachute. Ya scallywag! Usin' t' RockSim data provided by PML on their website, t' rocket would be 38 ounces without motor, which puts it at t' upper limit o' t' 36” chute packed with the kit. In talkin' t' more experienced rocketeers, I have found that many manufacturers often supply a chute that’s too small. Arrr! I decided t' replace the supplied chute with a 48”.

T' instruction sheet for t' Piston Ejection System was very helpful for a person new t' HPR in that in addition t' assembly instructions (straightforward with t' supplied D ring), it included a realistic discussion o' airframe pressurization and proper use o' ejection powder for various sizes o' rockets.

T' last sheet, “Tyin' Tubular Nylon”, recalled an article in “High Power Rocketry” magazine about t' use o' knots in nylon. Now, shiver me timbers, after all these years, by Boy Scout experience will get some use.

All-in-all, shiver me timbers, ya bilge rat, this kit be a joy t' build. Well, blow me down! Now off t' the range!