Public Missiles Hydra

Public Missiles - Hydra {Kit}

Contributed by Neil and Mike Thompson

Construction Rating: starstarstarstarstar_border
Flight Rating: starstarstarstarstar
Overall Rating: starstarstarstarstar_border
Diameter: 3.00 inches
Length: 60.00 inches
Manufacturer: Public Missiles
Style: Sport

Picture courtesy of Public Missiles    Rocket Pic

Brief:
This is a single staged, 6 fin HPR rocket that my dad launched on Labor Day 2003 on an H242 for his L1. I wrote the review since he is always busy and I saw every step he took on that rocket. Plus I did a bit of work for him too. (Inside fillets in a boat tail! What a pain in the butt!).

Construction:
It did not have a payload section (What WERE they THINKING!?), but it did have a piston, good nose cone, precut fiberglass G10 fins, a nice boat tail (Nice if you are not doing the inner fillets on it!), and a Quantum tube.

Fairly straight forward construction. Took my dad and I about 3 months to make but if it was just me doing it, it would have been 3 days. Finally done though (he had me worried) and will fly Labor Day 2003!

Finishing:
Still have not painted it. My dad changes his mind every night. To paint the fins silver...or not to not paint the fins silver...to paint the fins silver... Well, you get the point.

Construction Rating: 4 out of 5

Flight:
My dad used an H242T in his Hydra for a successful L1. It was a very good flight. The parachute was a touch late in opening, but fine otherwise. A fin was stuck in the soft ground when I recovered it. We used friction fit and a piston ejection system. It flew high, fast and straight for a L1 certification--it has to be good!

Recovery:
Recovery perfect and my dad is L1 certified now!!!!

Flight Rating: 5 out of 5

Summary:
Great design besides the lack of a payload bay. Very unique. Nothing really wrong with it.

Overall Rating: 4 out of 5

Flights

Comments:

avatar
T.M. (June 22, 2005)
I flew this kit for my L2 cert. Great kit with unusual fin styling that always gets noticed at the launches! As always, good quality materials and nice clear instructions that are to be expected from PML. I have to agree with the review...filleting the tailcone was a challenge to make sure a good bond was achieved without filling the entire thing with epoxy or foam. I added on an Aeropac motor retainer as I couldn't figure out any other way to keep the nice, clean lines of the tail and get positive motor retention.

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