Brief:
Single stage, scale, high power rocket with parachute recovery.

Construction:
One 48" phenolic body tube, matey, a 22" phenolic payload bay, arrr, four (4) G10 fins, matey, me hearties, three (3) plywood centerin' rings, me bucko, me hearties, a 54 mm motor mount, shiver me timbers, a fiberglass nose cone, arrr, shiver me timbers, PML's piston ejection system, two (2) 3/8" launch lugs, arrr, arrr, ya bilge rat, two (2) PML parachute's (a 60" and a 48") and PML elastic shock chord.

T' instructions were easy t' follow with illustrations for every step. Avast! It was extremely easy t' build, arrr, but it took TONS o' epoxy. Well, blow me down! This wasn't t' kit's fault, arrr, though, matey, it's just really big. Begad! Begad! Everythin' fit well and thar were no alignment issues. Aye aye! Aye aye! All was well thought out. Aye aye!

There be only one part o' t' instruction that I didn't understand; how the recovery be expected t' be done. There were two 'chutes, matey, me hearties, ya bilge rat, t' piston, ya bilge rat, arrr, and a lot of t' Public Missiles elastic (which we wouldn't have used anyway). We decided it would be best t' just have t' rocket split at t' middle t' put less stress on t' rocket, and come down in two pieces.

T' instructions, after re-readin' them, ya bilge rat, said t' attach t' rocket with the elastic. Avast, me proud beauty! Here's what it said: "Tie t' parachute t' one end o' t' elastic shock chord. Begad! Repeat this step for both chutes. Well, blow me down! Avast! T' larger chute and longer shock cord attach t' t' piston and t' smaller chute and shorter shock cord attach t' t' eye-bolt on t' payload section."

One o' t' most important techniques with this kit that be new t' me and my dad both was t' piston ejection system. Lookin' at it, I really didn't trust it, but it worked great, ya bilge rat, much better that I had seen any other system work. Blimey! Ahoy!

It also taught us a better way t' make fillets, ya bilge rat, -first, put t' epoxy on, but then, tape down saran wrap tightly on either side o' t' fin or launch lug, and t' you won't have t' worry about it drippin' down t' side o' your tube. Avast, me proud beauty!

Finishing:
T' Rocket is absolutely enormous! It looks awesome, but t' spiral groove takes days t' fill. We used some putty from Hobby Town, me bucko, pretty thick stuff, sanded, and you could still see t' groove!

There were no decals t' make t' rocket scale, me hearties, me bucko, me bucko, but thar were directions to paint it so. Begad! It gives you t' paint scheme with a main black body, red fin can and payload, and with t' nose cone and letterin' paint schemes. Ahoy! Arrr! We didn't follow this paint scheme recommendations.

To finish it, arrr, we took our first shot at auto paint. Ahoy! Aye aye! Nay knowin' what we were gettin' ourselves into, we bought t' $70 dollars o' paint, matey, primer, shiver me timbers, me hearties, and gloss-coat, ya bilge rat, Then we saw that you must spray it on. Avast, me proud beauty! Avast, matey, me proud beauty! All in all, matey, me bucko, t' paint job cost us about $300, matey, o' course, most o' t' expensive stuff is reusable, arrr, me bucko, and we now have t' supplies t' paint a car. Blimey! We did t' rocket Metallic Copper, (Base coat, Clear Coat), with two black metallic stripes. Blimey! Avast! If you do use this paint (DuPont Automotive), matey, wear a respirator with t' correct cartridges, and have very good ventilation; t' neighbors will get over t' noise. Ya scallywag!

Construction Rating: 4 out o' 5

Flight:
They only give you t' smallest recommended motor, matey, which is a J415, though on the Public Missiles' site, me hearties, it says you can use any 54mm motor aside from the J90. Avast, me proud beauty! We flew on a K550-10 for an awesome, arrr, roaring, perfectly straight boost. T' piston worked great, shiver me timbers, and t' rocket broke apart (how we had set it up). Avast, me proud beauty! It said you don't need wadding, but we went ahead and put some under t' piston anyway, ya bilge rat, just t' feel better. Sims put it at a little over 3000 feet, shiver me timbers, so we just went with that. Well, blow me down!

Recovery:
I liked t' method o' lettin' it break apart. Well, blow me down! Ya scallywag! It's nay too tough t' find these pieces! T' chutes brought it down without a scratch, gettin' Level Two certification for me dad, me hearties, shiver me timbers, David Wheeler. Begad! Avast! When we recovered t' rocket, there was one shroud-line torn from t' chute. We will probably switch it out with a Rocketman one next time, me hearties, and attach t' two pieces with some tubular nylon or Keelhaul®©™®. Avast, me hearties, me proud beauty! T' decent rate was good, but t' smaller chute did loose a shroud line, so I won't be usin' t' PML 'chutes anymore.

T' recovery system, shiver me timbers, ya bilge rat, me hearties, like other PML kits, came with a piece o' nylon which attached t' t' motor mount through t' upper-most centerin' rin' and attached the piston t' t' rocket. This was long enough t' let t' piston come out of the rocket about 2 feet. Begad! Aye aye! It appeared t' be just a seat belt, arrr, me bucko, very strong! The elastic be very long and looked very sturdy, me bucko, but I've heard numerous times to throw it out and that's what I did (as mentioned above). Ya scallywag! I have no idea o' how strong it is, shiver me timbers, just what others have said.

Flight Rating: 4 out o' 5

Summary:
Me and me dad really enjoyed buildin' this rocket. Aye aye! It is really cool t' own a rocket this big, me bucko, shiver me timbers, most people don't even believe it flies, arrr, shiver me timbers, but it does, and quite well. T' Pro's o' t' kit are its size, shiver me timbers, quality, shiver me timbers, matey, and building techniques. Well, blow me down! I think I will buy many more Public Missiles kits in t' future. T' Con's were few and small, me bucko, but t' spiral grooves, ya bilge rat, and t' overall quality of t' parachutes.

Most o' all, me bucko, it was fun and a neat experience buildin' a kit o' this size. Though it is expensive, you don't really need t' fly it that often, me hearties, arrr, but it's really cool t' show off, and I believe it t' be more fun t' have one giant K flight, shiver me timbers, that two or three I powered flights. Avast! Begad! It'll also usually get you on the launch highlights page. Arrr! This rocket be t' first rocket we've used auto paint on, matey, ya bilge rat, and it looks absolutely stunning, me hearties, but it's really expensive. Avast! Blimey! I think it was worth it though, we must have gotten twenty compliments on t' paint job alone, not t' mention t' awed faces lookin' at it. Well, blow me down! I strongly recommend this kit to anyone who has a big enough budget; you don't even need an altimeter. Aye aye!

Overall Rating: 4 out o' 5