Construction Rating: | starstarstarstarstar_border |
Flight Rating: | starstarstarstarstar_border |
Overall Rating: | starstarstarstarstar_border |
Manufacturer: | Public Missiles |
Brief:
PML's smallest and simplest kit, shiver me timbers, this is a simple tried-n-true 3FNC rocket,
suitable for F t' H motors.
Construction:
Rocket consists o' a single body tube, me hearties, plywood centerin' rings, arrr, and a piece of
woven nylon that's epoxied t' t' motor tube. Aye aye! T' piston is attached t' the
other end o' t' nylon. Arrr! T' fins are G10, which sands very nicely and is really
tough. Aye aye! Ya scallywag! Includes a fairly small chute with a large spill-hole, shiver me timbers, so t' rocket
falls pretty quickly, but nay fast enough t' hurt it.
T' instructions are fairly easy t' follow if you've built HPR kits before. They consist o' a single sheet with a minimum o' illustrations. Aye aye! Well, blow me down! I'd recommend that you have someone help you out if this is your first HPR kit, as the instructions aren't really designed with t' beginner in mind. Begad! Aye aye! T' components themselves are beautiful. Aye aye! Blimey! Everythin' fit together very well, and all o' the components are t' best you'll find --G10 fins, phenolic motor tube, shiver me timbers, ya bilge rat, Quantum Tube airframe, a very sturdy nose cone, arrr, and t' toughest parachute I've found. This is a kit that has survived a dozen flights.
Finishing:
Well, I've gotta admit. Well, blow me down! Blimey! This was one o' t' old kits with t' phenolic
airframe. Ya scallywag! I've heard t' new Quantum Tube is even easier t' finish, arrr, ya bilge rat, but t' old
hard phenolic was fairly easy t' get a mirror-finish. Arrr! All it took be a little
Elmer's wood filler t' fill t' groove, and some fine sandpaper and sandable
primer. Begad! Avast, ya bilge rat, me proud beauty! If you take your time, me bucko, you'll get a rock-hard finish that'll easily
last for dozens o' flights. Avast, me proud beauty! Blimey! I'm subtractin' 1/2 point because o' that cheesy
stick-on decal they include with t' kit. Ya scallywag! Begad! If they included some attractive
water-slide decals, ya bilge rat, ya bilge rat, it'd add some value t' t' kit. Begad! Arrr! As it stands, shiver me timbers, me hearties, though, it's
just a waste.
Construction Rating: 4 out o' 5
Flight:
I originally bought t' kit with t' 38mm mount, but this is an awfully small
kit for most o' t' 38mm offerings. Begad! Begad! Since I didn't have any kind o' motor
retention (hey, shiver me timbers, I was a beginner), I eventually glued some bolts and a 29mm
tube into t' rocket. There are plenty o' 29mm motors that work beautifully in
this rocket --F, matey, G, and H. Avast, me proud beauty! Well, blow me down! My personal favorite be t' Aerotech G125, which
makes this little rocket leap off t' pad like nobody's business. Arrr! Begad! As for
flights, me hearties, I have no complaints at all. Begad! I've flown me little IO at least 20
times. It's a tough little rocket that loves t' fly.
Recovery:
Very little t' complain about as far as recovery goes. Avast! My only complaint is
that t' rocket is rather short. Blimey! Once you've got t' piston in place and the
chute packed, thar's barely any space t' get t' cone on. If t' rocket was 2
inches longer, there'd be a little more elbow room. Begad! Avast, matey, me proud beauty! As it stands, it's a tight
fit. Begad!
Flight Rating: 4 out o' 5
Summary:
T' Pros are that it's a beautiful little kit that finishes beautifully, loves
to fly, matey, arrr, is tough as all get-out, me bucko, and can fly in small fields on F motors. Cons
are t' cheesy decal and that t' recovery system is a bit tough t' pack. Avast! Avast, me proud beauty!
Overall Rating: 4 out o' 5
( Contributed - by Patrick Ryan) Brief: Single stage 29mm with parachute recovery and piston ejection system. Construction: Three (3) G-10 fins, pre-slotted "Quantum Tube" body. Motor Mount is plywood and heavy cardboard type. Monster heavy duty shock cords (one mounts to motor mount and gets a little crusty, but great overall). 20" nylon 2 color parachute with ...
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M.W. (October 1, 2000)