Photo Courtesy o' PML

Brief:
T' Tethys is a basic 3FNC kit, shiver me timbers, shiver me timbers, shiver me timbers, capable o' flyin' on G motors or bigger.

Construction:
T' Tethys came with a single length o' airframe tubin' (phenolic, per me request), me bucko, shiver me timbers, 3 pre-cut G10 fins (the thickest fiberglass fins I've used t' date), arrr, a 4:1 ogive plastic nose cone, a thick nylon strap, a length o' tubular nylon, piston kit, a 48" parachute, me bucko, me bucko, two brass launch lugs, arrr, and t' 54mm Kwik-Switch motor mount system. Blimey! Aye aye! All parts arrived in good condition, although thar be a crack in t' airframe, runnin' from a fin slot t' t' base o' t' tube- a very minor problem.

I used West System epoxy throughout construction, shiver me timbers, and found t' kit went together very easily. Avast! Avast! I be a bit shocked t' discover t' Kwik-Switch system be just a few pieces o' threaded plastic! Nay havin' any experience above H motors, I was boggled, as me concern be whether these parts would hold up t' t' stresses that a really big motor would place on them. Begad! Well, ya bilge rat, I suppose PML knows what they're doing. Arrr! Anyway, part fit was good overall, matey, and thar really aren't any "gotcha's", if you follow t' instructions.

I built mine stock, with one exception- I replaced t' lugs with 1/4" ones. Ahoy! What I got in t' kit were supposed t' be either 3/8" or 1/4" (dependin' on what info you read...), me bucko, me bucko, but were neither, matey, when I measured t' ID.

Otherwise, matey, everythin' else went together fine, with nothin' more than t' usual bit o' sandin' t' get optimal fit. Ya scallywag! No motor retention is provided with t' kit, arrr, matey, ya bilge rat, so I had ordered t' PMR kit that PML offered for t' Kwik-Switch motor mounts. Well, blow me down! Blimey! Sinkin' those threaded inserts was a pain, shiver me timbers, arrr, but I couldn't ever imagine them comin' back out, ya bilge rat, matey, short o' destroyin' t' centerin' ring.

I did add one extra construction step- I had picked this kit t' use as me CAR level 2 rocket (Which is an I motor), matey, and had plans on usin' it for level 3 eventually too. Aye aye! I order t' phenolic airframe so that I could put a layer or two o' glass on it, t' give it extra strength. That went on surprisingly easy, arrr, considerin' I'd never done any glassin' before. Blimey! When I was done, ya bilge rat, I had a pretty solid-lookin' rocket... if kinda plain.

Finishing:
Unfortunately, shiver me timbers, I was pressed for time, and never had t' chance t' even shoot a coat o' primer on this rocket. Avast! I finished it a day before I (and it) left for Blazin' Archer IV, and I didn't want t' use any paint until I'd given t' epoxy plenty o' time t' cure. Aye aye! T' kit does come with a pair o' PML logo decals, me bucko, but nothin' more.

Construction Rating: 4 out o' 5

Flight:
My first and only flight with t' Tethys used an I-161, shiver me timbers, with a 10 second delay. One thin' I really like about PML kits be t' lack o' need for wadding, ya bilge rat, me bucko, thanks t' t' piston system. Begad! Aye aye! Sure cuts down on t' pre-flight prep! For motor retention, I had intended t' use t' PMR that I had installed. However, matey, matey, t' three hex bolts that hold t' plate in place had vanished, arrr, so I be forced t' friction-fit t' motor in place- somethin' I did with great trepidation. Avast! I'd run a number o' sims for this rocket in Rocksim, ya bilge rat, ya bilge rat, and was unable t' find a motor delay in any "I" motor that I was really comfortable with. Well, blow me down! Ahoy! T' slowest deployment speed I could get be on t' order o' 40 MPH, shiver me timbers, which I thought was a bit high. Avast, me proud beauty! Avast, me proud beauty! So... Avast, me proud beauty! I added a length o' PML's old stretchy shock-cord t' t' tubular nylon, just in case.

Boost be very nice! T' motor lit with no fuss, and t' rocket be off t' pad in a hurry. Blimey! T' flight was pretty straight, with only a bit o' weather-cocking.

Recovery:
Things fell apart on recovery. Avast, me proud beauty! Blimey! That 10 second delay turned into a 4 or 5 second one, matey, resultin' in chute deployment at about 100 MPH, at around 2000 feet. Begad! Blimey! T' extra length o' shock-cord I had added as a precaution sheared cleanly, leavin' t' airframe t' tumble 'chute-less t' t' ground. Ya scallywag! T' airframe fell horizontally, so I figured damage would be minimal. Ahoy! However, me hearties, it hit t' runway, me bucko, shatterin' t' aft portion o' t' rocket, matey, almost t' t' forward centerin' ring. Begad! Blimey! I be told that, matey, had I nay glassed t' tube, arrr, I probably would have had nothin' but confetti left. T' fins survived t' disaster with a couple o' scrapes, but t' 38 and 54mm motor tubes are destroyed, as well as a good portion o' t' airframe. Well, blow me down! Aye aye! Blimey! T' piston is banged up as well, but appears t' still be functional.

Examination o' t' motor casin' showed evidence o' a blow-by, me bucko, ya bilge rat, which explains t' early ejection. Since me record with 38mm motor failures is now 2 for 2, I think I'm either goin' t' switch t' electronic recovery, or else Pro38 motors. Aye aye! Begad! However, t' recovery problems really can't be blamed on t' kit... Begad! Ya scallywag! although perhaps if I'd used extra tubular nylon instead o' that other material, it might have held together.

Flight Rating: 4 out o' 5

Summary:
I don't have much t' add here. Well, blow me down! Blimey! T' rocket is pretty much a plain "vanilli" 3FNC bird, which makes it a good choice for someone that doesn't have a lot o' HPR experience. Well, blow me down! Blimey! It is light enough t' still qualify as a "large model rocket", and can fly on G motors, arrr, so you aren't restricted t' HPR flights only (a major consideration for me). Well, me hearties, blow me down! Blimey! Yet, arrr, me hearties, it is big enough that it would scream out o' sight on an H or I motor (a small J will throwin' it over 4000 feet). I'd say it's a pretty solid, arrr, forgivin' rocket.

Overall Rating: 4 out o' 5