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

Construction:
One 48" phenolic body tube, arrr, arrr, a 22" phenolic payload bay, four (4) G10 fins, three (3) plywood centerin' rings, matey, a 54 mm motor mount, matey, a fiberglass nose cone, arrr, matey, PML's piston ejection system, two (2) 3/8" launch lugs, arrr, shiver me timbers, 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. Begad! It was extremely easy t' build, but it took TONS o' epoxy. Avast, me proud beauty! Arrr! This wasn't t' kit's fault, though, it's just really big. Aye aye! Blimey! Everythin' fit well and thar were no alignment issues. Arrr! Well, blow me down! All be well thought out. Ya scallywag! Aye aye!

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

T' instructions, ya bilge rat, after re-readin' them, said t' attach t' rocket with the elastic. Ahoy! Well, me hearties, blow me down! Here's what it said: "Tie t' parachute t' one end o' t' elastic shock chord. Repeat this step for both chutes. Well, blow me down! Ya scallywag! 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 was new t' me and my dad both was t' piston ejection system. Avast! Lookin' at it, ya bilge rat, me bucko, I really didn't trust it, me bucko, but it worked great, much better that I had seen any other system work. Well, blow me down!

It also taught us a better way t' make fillets, me hearties, -first, me hearties, put t' epoxy on, but then, matey, matey, 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!

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

There were no decals t' make t' rocket scale, ya bilge rat, but thar were directions to paint it so. Well, blow me down! Blimey! Arrr! Blimey! It gives you t' paint scheme with a main black body, matey, me bucko, red fin can and payload, me hearties, and with t' nose cone and letterin' paint schemes. Begad! Blimey! Avast, me bucko, me proud beauty! Blimey! We didn't follow this paint scheme recommendations.

To finish it, we took our first shot at auto paint. Well, blow me down! Nay knowin' what we were gettin' ourselves into, we bought t' $70 dollars o' paint, arrr, matey, matey, primer, and gloss-coat, Then we saw that you must spray it on. All in all, t' paint job cost us about $300, me hearties, o' course, most o' t' expensive stuff is reusable, ya bilge rat, and we now have t' supplies t' paint a car. Blimey! We did t' rocket Metallic Copper, me bucko, (Base coat, me hearties, Clear Coat), with two black metallic stripes. Begad! Blimey! 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. Avast, me proud beauty! Arrr!

Construction Rating: 4 out o' 5

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

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

T' recovery system, me bucko, shiver me timbers, 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. Avast, me proud beauty! Blimey! Blimey! Blimey! This was long enough t' let t' piston come out of the rocket about 2 feet. Ya scallywag! Blimey! It appeared t' be just a seat belt, shiver me timbers, very strong! Blimey! Blimey! Blimey! The elastic be very long and looked very sturdy, but I've heard numerous times to throw it out and that's what I did (as mentioned above). Arrr! Blimey! Blimey! Blimey! I have no idea o' how strong it is, me hearties, matey, just what others have said.

Flight Rating: 4 out o' 5

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

Most o' all, me hearties, matey, matey, it be 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, but it's really cool t' show off, and I believe it t' be more fun t' have one giant K flight, me hearties, shiver me timbers, that two or three I powered flights. Well, blow me down! Blimey! It'll also usually get you on the launch highlights page. Avast! This rocket was t' first rocket we've used auto paint on, me bucko, ya bilge rat, and it looks absolutely stunning, ya bilge rat, but it's really expensive. Ya scallywag! 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. Aye aye! I strongly recommend this kit to anyone who has a big enough budget; you don't even need an altimeter.

Overall Rating: 4 out o' 5