Brief:
The M2 is another kit from the '50s retro line at Pemberton Technologies. This HPR kit comes with lots of parts and a great instruction book. Keeping with the humorous style, the instructions take you step-by-step through the unusual and challenging build.

Construction:
There are lots of high quality parts in this kit. From the PML tail cone to the parachute, all the components are first rate.

I can't stress enough: read the directions before you start. All Pem Tech kits are unusually designed and don't go together like other kits. Take your time and don't try to second guess the build. There is no skill level listed on the kit, but I would put it at a skill level 4. The 21 fun-filled pages of instructions have 30 pictures and illustrations to help you through it. The instructions are as fun to read as they are informative.

Although the fins and landing legs are cut, there is still a lot of cutting to do. The tail cone/MMT/fin section is the most difficult build on this kit. The tail cone needs to be slotted for the fins and the root edge is angled to match up with the motor mount. Getting everything lined up and glued in place was a challenge. Patience prevailed and mine came out perfect. This tail cone assembly ends up being quite heavy so lots of nose weight gets added to the nose cone.

The ½" tubular nylon shock cord gets attached to the body tube by a loop of Kevlar® string. I'm a little nervous about this breaking after several flights, and because it sticks out further than the body tube, I'm worried that it will cause a zipper. On the other hand, this will prevent the nylon shock cord from ever being scorched during ejection. My tip here would be to glue it down far enough so that the shock cord is below the tube opening. This will prevent the Kevlar® string from zippering the tube. I'm on the fence on this one so I'm not going to deduct points here. Time will tell.

Finishing:
This kit took several sessions of priming, sanding, and filling, but the unusual design made it all worth the effort. I went with Rustoleum primer and metallic silver to finish it off. Something like this really should be painted chrome, but I've never had luck with chrome paint.

Construction Rating: 4 out of 5

Flight:
I went with the smallest motor I felt would safely lift this bird. At 23oz, it's quite a heavy bird. The first flight was on an AT F20-4. The flight was sweet with a nice slow roll as it ascended into the heavens.

Recovery:
The delay was slightly long but no troubles arose as the chute came out. This was a great first motor for this rocket.

Flight Rating: 5 out of 5

Overall Rating: 5 out of 5