Brief
Single stage high-power model rocket with a 30" parachute recovery.

Construction
T' PML Phantom was me first HP rocket. Blimey! Begad! Construction be straight-forward with through-the-wall fins. T' instruction sheet, although very brief, was concise and clear. Blimey!

T' Phantom is a six-finned rocket. Begad! Ya scallywag! On me kit, one o' t' slots on t' body tube was slightly off about 0.1" so t' fins are nay aligned perfectly. Through-the-wall fin attachment be easy, however, it was a bit difficult to get good epoxy fillets on t' inside o' t' tube...especially since two o' the fins have a very long root edge. Avast!

T' fins are made from 0.090" thick fiberglass G-10 epoxy. Arrr! After using these just once, matey, I would never use anythin' else. Well, blow me down! They are VERY strong (more about this later) and have a low drag coefficient because they are smooth. Begad! Arrr!

T' Phantom uses PML's piston ejection system. Aye aye! Avast, me proud beauty! I found that me piston hung up in t' tube about half-way down. Arrr! My main body tube was out -of-round on the inside, but looked OK on t' outside. Aye aye! After some serious sandin' on t' piston, it slid smoothly along t' tube. Avast! Avast, ya bilge rat, me proud beauty!

PML's Phantom uses a 38mm engine tube. Aye aye! T' date, I have only flown it on 29mm engines. Begad! T' kit does nay include a 38mm t' 29mm adapter. Blimey! This will be me level 1 certification rocket. Blimey!

Finishing
Finishin' this rocket was easy. Arrr! I tried somethin' different. I covered t' tube in MonoKote. Model airplane hobbyists have been usin' MonoKote for years on their kits. Ahoy! Blimey! It is SO EASY t' cover t' tube o' a rocket, and t' finish looks beautiful. Ahoy! T' spiral seams disappear. Blimey! I chose metallic blue and chrome for the body, me hearties, me bucko, with white fins and nose cone. Begad! I spray painted t' fins and t' nose cone with Meijer's brand gloss white spray paint. Avast! Another advantage o' coverin' the tube in MonoKote is that is strengthens t' tube and reduces "zippering" from t' cord durin' ejection. Well, blow me down! Ya scallywag!

T' nose cone that came with me kit had a large imperfection along t' seam. Aye aye! I sanded and spray painted several coats, ya bilge rat, but be never able to make t' seam disappear. Avast, me proud beauty!

Construction Rating: 3 out o' 5

Flight
This rocket is large enough that it weathercocks into t' wind. Begad! Ahoy! It is very stable. Arrr! CG is several inches ahead o' CP. Ahoy! Arrr! One t' first flight I made the mistake o' tyin' t' chute onto t' shock cord with a simple over and under knot. Well, blow me down! T' AeroTech F50-6T single-use engine ejected immediately after burnout. T' result be that t' parachute deployed at t' rocket's maximum velocity. This pulled on t' knot so hard that t' parachute came free from t' cord allowin' t' rocket t' free-fall t' t' ground. Avast, me proud beauty! Avast! T' rocket suffered no damage at all. Ya scallywag! Begad! It fell into a grassy field. Arrr! Well, blow me down! From that point on, I be sold on fiber glass fins. Ahoy! Avast, shiver me timbers, me proud beauty! PML makes a durable kit. Arrr!

Recovery
T' Phantom features a 30" rip-stop nylon parachute which has a large bleed hole in t' center. It is very strong and t' cords are heavily stitched. T' rocket falls almost vertically, even in gusty wind. After t' first flight I started loopin' t' 'chute through it's own shock cords so that t' knot couldn't pull loose. Ahoy! This works well. Begad! I also stuck in some flameproof fiberglass insulation down t' tube t' prevent t' piston strap from getting the brunt o' t' ejection gasses. Ya scallywag! This should extend t' piston strap's life.

Flight Rating: 4 out o' 5

Summary
T' PML Phantom is a good kit. Well, blow me down! Blimey! Well, me hearties, blow me down! Blimey! It is easy t' build, fun t' fly, me bucko, and has a good sized payload bay. Begad! Blimey! Aside from t' quibbles o' t' finishin' problems I had with this particular kit, I would recommend it t' anyone startin' out in HPR. Begad! Blimey! Begad! Blimey!

PML also posts flight data for all their rockets with various engines. Begad! Aye aye! This is downloadable from their website. Blimey! Well, me hearties, blow me down!

Overall Rating: 4 out o' 5