Photo Courtesy o' PML

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

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

I used West System epoxy throughout construction, and found t' kit went together very easily. Aye aye! Arrr! 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, me hearties, I was boggled, me bucko, as me concern be whether these parts would hold up t' t' stresses that a really big motor would place on them. Well, I suppose PML knows what they're doing. Arrr! Anyway, ya bilge rat, part fit was good overall, 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. Avast, me proud beauty! Blimey! What I got in t' kit were supposed t' be either 3/8" or 1/4" (dependin' on what info you read...), ya bilge rat, me hearties, but were neither, when I measured t' ID.

Otherwise, everythin' else went together fine, with nothin' more than t' usual bit o' sandin' t' get optimal fit. No motor retention is provided with t' kit, so I had ordered t' PMR kit that PML offered for t' Kwik-Switch motor mounts. Avast! Aye aye! Sinkin' those threaded inserts was a pain, ya bilge rat, but I couldn't ever imagine them comin' back out, shiver me timbers, 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), arrr, and had plans on usin' it for level 3 eventually too. Well, blow me down! Well, me hearties, blow me down! Blimey! 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, considerin' I'd never done any glassin' before. When I was done, ya bilge rat, I had a pretty solid-lookin' rocket... if kinda plain.

Finishing:
Unfortunately, I was pressed for time, arrr, and never had t' chance t' even shoot a coat o' primer on this rocket. 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. Begad! T' kit does come with a pair o' PML logo decals, ya bilge rat, but nothin' more.

Construction Rating: 4 out o' 5

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

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

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

Examination o' t' motor casin' showed evidence o' a blow-by, me hearties, matey, which explains t' early ejection. Begad! Since me record with 38mm motor failures is now 2 for 2, matey, I think I'm either goin' t' switch t' electronic recovery, or else Pro38 motors. Begad! However, t' recovery problems really can't be blamed on t' kit... Well, blow me down! 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. Ya scallywag! Blimey! T' rocket is pretty much a plain "vanilli" 3FNC bird, arrr, arrr, which makes it a good choice for someone that doesn't have a lot o' HPR experience. Blimey! Arrr! It is light enough t' still qualify as a "large model rocket", me hearties, and can fly on G motors, so you aren't restricted t' HPR flights only (a major consideration for me). Aye aye! Yet, 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). Avast, me proud beauty! Begad! I'd say it's a pretty solid, matey, forgivin' rocket.

Overall Rating: 4 out o' 5