Brief:
This scale model uses a 29mm motor mount for midpower to high power motors, and uses a parachute and PML's piston for recovery.

Construction:
The construction of the AMRAAM was much easier than I had predicted. The packaging was neat and informative. All of the parts were in the kit and in perfect shape.

The kit is made of a PML 54mm phenolic tube, 8 G10 fins, a 29mm phenolic tube for the motor mount, 2 thick plywood centering rings, piston retaining strap, piston, shock cord, 24" parachute, thick plastic nose cone, and a copper launch lug (which I cut in half for better support).

The instructions were not anywhere near what they could have been. They took up the equivalent of one piece of paper, and assumed a lot. I was lucky to have built mid-power rockets before so knew how to make good bonds with epoxy, etc. The instructions did have several useful diagrams.

One problem I had was that on the lower set of fins I could not tell which end went through the rocket and which end stuck out. They were very similar, but different enough to make a difference. I looked as closely as possible at the diagram provided and then tried what looked more like it. I'm still not sure if I did the right one! But the only time I think it looks odd is when it is held up to my Estes AMRAAM (of which I have know nothing of scale accuracy).

One thing I did like about the construction was materials. This was my first experience with Phenolic and G10. The materials weigh a lot more, but they are stronger than plywood and paper. The copper launch lugs were also very nice. I used 60 minute epoxy throughout construction and ended up with a very strong-seeming rocket.

The AMRAAM, with the exception of the fin problem mentioned above, was very easy to use. The upper fins fit perfectly in their notches, but the lower fins left a small bit of fin slot gap showing. I epoxied a small square of paper over this hole and spread epoxy over it. I sanded it once and now you can't see it, so no big problem. The AMRAAM didn't require any difficult construction techniques or special tools. Because it is promoted as a good mid-power/low-highpower rocket, and therefore a logical first high power rocket, I think the instructions could be made clearer. Overall a very nice kit.

Finishing:
Finishing this model was not overly-difficult. The G10 fins are already nice and smooth, but the tubes have those nasty spirals which require a lot of filling for a decent finish. I used several coats of grey primer to smooth out imperfections (using white for the nose). In the instructions it tells you to look for decal strips for the colored strips, but I just painted mine on. The decals also proved to be very nice. I have no complaints about the finishing of this rocket.

Construction Rating: 4 out of 5

Flight:
The AMRAAM kit recommends F-H motors. Because of its high weight I would recommend flying it on high thrust F motors (F62, F80), or just sticking with G's and H's.

The first flight was on a G35-7, which worked great. I think that any G or H motor should work fine, except for the really long burn G's (G25, G33) which might not have enough kick for this model.

The AMRAAM is the easiest to prep mid-power rocket I have. Because the piston eliminates the need for recovery wadding, all that is required is to pack and insert the chute. Motor retention on my model consists of an Estes engine hook epoxied on (just like on Estes models). Although this systems sounds and looks simple and actually weak, it works fine. First I get a good solid friction fit with masking tape and make masking tape thrust ring on the rear of the motor, then I insert the motor and wrap the rear of it and the motor mount with masking tape. The masking tape acts as the primary system, with the engine hook as a great backup. On the first launch the AMRAAM's G35 ignited first try. The rocket leaped off the launch pad and went straight up. The 7 second delay was just right with this motor.

Recovery:
The shock cord on the AMRAAM is black flat elastic nylon strap, which attaches to the piston, which in turn attaches to a heavy duty piston-retaining strap. The chute has a large spill hole, but even with this it is near perfect for the AMRAAM. Recovery was a little slow, but overall it was great. The only damage to the rocket was some slight scorching at the base. This was my first mid-power rocket not painted black at the rear, so this was the first time I experienced this. It does give the rocket a sort of battle-worn look which I think is cool.

Flight Rating: 4 ½ out of 5

Summary:
The AMRAAM overall is a great kit. It flies great, is a very strong and durable rocket, and the piston system eliminates recovery wadding. However, the kit doesn't come with motor retention and the fins didn't quite fit right in their slots. None of these were major problems.

The PML AMRAAM was my first PML kit. I normally am against almost all high power kits because most of them require so many replacement parts that they aren't worthwhile. While the AMRAAM has flaws, I still recommend it for those who don't enjoy designing their own rockets.

My only advice for someone building this kit is to add positive motor retention and use a good quick-cure epoxy. Other than that, have fun flying!

Overall Rating: 4 out of 5

Brief:
Scale air to air missile as manufactured by Hughes. Single stage with parachute recovery.

Construction:
The parts were contained in a plastic bag, nothing missing or damaged. This AMRAAM is made with PML's new Quantum Tube. The high strength polymer was a key factor when I purchased this rocket. All of the rest of the materials were typical high quality PML materials. A very sturdy PML style parachute with spill hole, plywood centering rings, plastic nose cone, G-10 fiberglass fins, 96" heavy elastic shock cord, self stick decals, a brass (I think) launch lug, and PML's piston ejection system with a 4 to 5 foot long heavy duty strap.

The instructions were comprehensive and logical. They had illustrations where necessary and were very easy to follow. The only potential trouble in assembly would have been the location of the piston strap on the motor tube. The strap must be glue almost perfectly straight on the motor tube or it would interfere with the through-the-wall fin attachment. There is a warning in the instructions concerning location of the strap when placing the motor tube in the airframe.

The slotted quantum tube made it easy to glue the fins on but, I used some lego's to set the rocket on and help align the rear fins to the front fins. Once the fins were on, I removed the rear centering ring (as directed by the instructions) and put epoxy fillets against the motor tube and the inside of the airframe. These will never come out. I used 2 ton epoxy throughout construction.

Finishing:
This was the easiest rocket I have had to paint because of the quantum tube. A light sanding with some 400 grit sand paper with a few coats of primer in between, and it was ready to paint. No serious sanding and no spiral groove. I painted it almost to the instructions, the main airframe was painted medium gray but, I elected to paint the fins white (along with the nose cone). One of the many advantages of the Quantum Tube became evident when the paint was dry, it looked exceptional. I cut out the self stick decals and applied them as directed. Finishing also requires Monocote adhesive that PML claims to be available at most hobby shops and I was able to find it at Tower Hobbies. It was a bit of a challenge to put that on straight but, I got it done. I didn't want to wait for the Monocote (it took me a few weeks to get it) to launch it so, the launch photo is missing the decals.

Construction Rating: 5 out of 5

Flight:
The card that comes with the rocket claims that it will fly on F through H motors. I imagine that it says what the exact motors are somewhere but, I knew that I would be safe with the ones that I chose for the first flights. The maiden flight was on a single use G40-7. The piston system made recovery preparation fast and easy. I have heard that the piston system will bind up over time when the airframe becomes dirty and worn after many uses. The Quantum Tube, I believe, will help here too. It seems to me that it will be easy to clean and it will not cause a binding problem with proper care. The G40 launch was flawless, it screamed off the pad and flew beautifully. The next flight was on a G33 reload with the same exceptional results.

Recovery:
The recovery system worked perfectly, the piston ejected the chute and prevented the ejection gasses from getting to the chute. The day that this AMRAAM flew, there was another one just like it there. The only difference was that on the other AMRAAM lost it's parachute at apogee and the rocket came down with only the shock cord to slow its descent. Apparently, the young guy that brought his AMRAAM forgot to secure the chute prior to launching. However, it was the Quantum Tube to the rescue again. I don't know the altitude it attained but on a G33-7, this thing was up there pretty good and there was NO damage at all. It didn't fall directly on concrete or anything but seriously, how many other rockets could have survived intact? Awesome job, PML!

Flight Rating: 5 out of 5

Summary:
I can't say enough about the quality of this rocket, the Quantum Tube, the construction. It is almost indestructible and it flies great. I don't plan on sending it up without the chute anytime soon so I'm quite sure that it will fly many, many times. If you get a chance to purchase a PML rocket with a Quantum Tube, you will not regret the purchase.

Overall Rating: 5 out of 5

Brief:
The PML AMRAAM 2 is a stand-off scale version of the original AMRAAM/Aim-120 used by both the U.S Navy and Air Force as a medium range air to air missile.The kit is a 2.1” model with a length of 43 inches and clan fly on 29mm motors from F to H class.

Construction:
The kit came in a bag and all the components were included. Kit design is actually very simple and straight forward; included were the nosecone, Quantum body tube pre-slotted for fins, G-10 fiberglass fins, centering rings, 29mm motor mount tube, piston kit, 24” ripstop nylon parachute, tubular nylon shock cord and all the hardware. This is a superb quality kit, using the best components commercially available. The body tube is made of PML’s “Quantum” tubing, approximately 1/16” thick plastic, somewhat flexible/forgiving and smooth with no spirals. A quality set of decals also came with the kit, along with an easy to follow instruction manual. The instruction manual was very good and step-by-step construction went well.

Component Rating: 5 of 5

Epoxy (15 minute) was used throughout the construction, which begins with the assembly of the motor mount. Make sure you use at least 80 grit sandpaper to rough up all surfaces to be glued. The motor mount procedures require you glue a ¾” wide black nylon shock strap to the side of the tube. I glazed mine with epoxy for added strength once the initial epoxy had set. IMPORTANT: Make sure when you install the motor mount in the body tube that you position the shock strap BETWEEN two fin slots, otherwise the strap will not allow one of your through-the-wall mounted fins to fit flush against the motor mount tube. This is noted in the instructions, but is in small text and it’s a point that you need to follow. Do not use the “Scotch tape” method on the rear centering ring as they suggest. Trust me, the tape just breaks off. I installed the motor mount and the rear centering ring without tape, then, once the glue was set at the top, I used a metal ruler through the fin slot to push the lower centering ring back out. Much easier to do than tape.

Once the motor mount is complete, you need to glue in each fin. Use an alignment jig or measure to make sure each fin is straight and perpendicular. Also, insure you rough up the outside of the motor mount and inside of the body tube in the area of the fin slots for fillets or glassing later. Note, I used 80 grit sandpaper on all parts of the plastic Quantum body tube for roughing up an area prior to gluing. It has more bite than the suggested 120 grit and cuts deeper grooves for a good glue joint. Additionally, I roughed up the outer surface of the body tube from about 1” forward of the lower fin slots to the tail, as I planned on fiberglassing the lower fins for strength.

Lower fins are glued on next; I put a small amount of epoxy on the edge of a fin, then inserted it through the fin slot and allowed its own weight to hold it down on the motor tube. Once all four fins were glued, I cut 1 ½” wide strips of 2 oz. fiberglass cloth to the length of each fin, then glassed the space from the motor mount to the fin and inner body tube. Soaking the cloth in epoxy then folding it around a ½” wide stick allowed me to insert it into the tube, then the stick was used to make sure the cloth was pressed down on all surfaces. This added strength inside the body tube like you cannot believe, as I have had these fins break clean off in colder weather without glassing on these PML kits. I now glass all my fins and it pays off!!!

Next step is to glue on the upper fins, which went well. Once all 8 fins were glued, I fiberglassed the lower 4 fins using 1 ½ oz. cloth and 15 minute epoxy. I ran the cloth from about 1 ½” up one fin, down and across the body tube and up the other fin about 1 ½”. FYI: using this method I have NEVER broken a fin out of the slot, as had happened before on PML kits as small as 2” without fiberglassing. If you fly on any kind of hard surface or in the winter, fiberglass your rocket’s fins. Piston assembly is next on the list; PML uses a unique “piston” ejection system which is really slick and works well. You can prep a rocket in a flash without having to mess with wadding as the piston protects the parachute and shock cord from the heat of ejection. The piston assembly is glued to the other end of the ¾” black strap, which comes from the motor mount. I used a spare coupler to thicken the piston prior to assembly though, by cutting the coupler to the correct length, then slotting it vertically and fitting it INSIDE the piston. This gives you a “double wall” thick piston assembly as the single phenolic piston can become quite thin from sanding to fit inside the body tube. Once assembled, I glazed the wood surfaces inside and out with epoxy. This waterproofs the wood and allows for easy clean up after a day’s flight.

Launch lug placement instructions are supplied in the kit, and the lug consists of a single ¼” brass tube. Make sure that you rough up the gluing area with sandpaper before mounting the lug. Next, I applied fillets to each fin side and the sides of the launch lug. I applied a small filet to each of the upper fins just for safety. The center fins actually never touch the ground on landing, so they have no stress applied, but the lower fins do make contact, so these fillets are a good size.

Construction Rating: 4 ½ out of 5

Finishing:
White Krylon primer was applied prior to the first sanding and I used 100 grit to cut away any excess epoxy resin left from the fiberglassing and to blend in the cloth seams. Use an electric sander in the glassed area, which cuts through the epoxy nicely and blends glass seams well . A few more coats of primer were added, then I wet sanded with 220 grit, then 400 grit. Once the primer was finished, the Quantum body tubes and fins paint like a dream!

Light Gray Gloss Krylon paint was used on the body tube and fins, which left a nice and smooth surface to apply decals. The nosecone was done in Krylon Gloss White. I used Testors Gloss Navy Blue, Gold and Yellow for the 1” stripes and used a piece of Monokote self stick Chrome for the silver section. Once all decals were applied, I used TopFlite Clear Dullcoat for the flat military look. Do not use Testors Dullcoat; it leaves dirt and fingerprints like crazy which cannot be cleaned. The TopFlite can be found at any R/C hobby shop and is waterproof, alcohol proof and cleans easily. When applying the dullcoat, you must use light “dusting” layers; the Testors stripes you painted will orange peel if you put it on too thick. I had to re-do my yellow stripe for this reason, learned my lesson, and the rest of the rocket came out great. Just use light coats and it will dullcoat fine.

Finally, shock cord and parachute were attached per the instructions. Don’t forget to tack glue your knots with a drop of epoxy. I did purchase and add a 1” steel link so I could easily remove the parachute from the shock cord.

Finish: 5 of 5

Flight:
My first rocket weighed in at 27.2 oz., about 3 ounces heavier than the manufacturer's indicated weight. I can account for the extra weight though and attribute it to glassing and fillets.

Note that this article was written several months after the build process, so all tips on fiberglassing were the result of my experiences; due to the extra beefing up of my replacement A2, the weight increased to an even 32 oz., 5 oz. more than the first AMRAAM 2. This was due to the fact that I had to add about 3 oz. of nose weight to compensate for the extra fiberglassing in the tail section; it brought the CG right on for motors up through an H180.

This was my first High Power model and I planned on using it for my Level 1 TRA certification. I had to sand the outside of the piston so it slid easily inside the body tube, so make sure you fit the piston to your tube before flight. Also note that the Quantum tubing, as nice as it is, does shrink in diameter under colder temperatures. This is not a problem if you prepare for it. Also, drill a 1/8” pressure relief hole in the body tube below the nose cone seat and always check nose cone tightness. My first A2 has just recently been permanently retired due to a nose cone popping off in mid-flight under H power…a sad sight indeed. The good news is another A2 is completed and has been flown as listed below.

My first launch was on a H128W with a medium delay. The rocket was prepped and motor installed. I did purchase and install the PMR motor retainer prior to its first flight and recommend this to everyone that builds the kit. Also, when loading the motor case, do NOT use all the black powder ejection charge. The piston ejection system actually requires less ejection charge and PML includes a chart for reference when loading the charge.

The rocket was placed on the pad and then came the moment. The AMRAAM 2 took off the pad like a bullet, extremely fast, loud and very straight. It was an awesome launch, with the sound and white smoke billowing out the tail, I knew I was hooked in this hobby for good! It was a bit windy and very cold, around 25 degrees, but the model kept its track to apogee.

Recovery:
The parachute deployed at apogee and the rocket appeared to land just fine, but landed nearly ¼ mile away, so the long walk was on. I trekked through the frozen plowed field and when I approached the rocket, I was delighted to see it appeared to be in good condition. However, when I picked it up, I saw the bad news; it had landed just right to where the lower fin NOT facing up had broken clean out of the model, along with part of the body tubing between two lower fins. I found the fin on the frozen mud about six feet away and made the slow depressing walk back. The prefect was all ready to sign my L1, but I stopped him and showed him the damage. This was a two day event so there was still tomorrow….

I rushed home after the launch was over and began fiberglassing and repairing the lower section. By the next day the AMRAAM 2 was ready for a second attempt, Still in white primer where the glassing was performed, I prepped it once again, but with a little more experience and confidence. It was another beautiful launch, amazingly fast, and good deployment. This time the wind was down and it landed only about 150 feet away; it was still a cold 22 degrees though but I thought it just HAD to hold up this time. Note that at those temperatures, the ground is like concrete. I approached the rocket and was ecstatic to realize my glassing job made the rocket strong as steel and it landed without a scratch. I got my Level 1 TRA cert that day and since then, have been glassing all my kits. Maybe it’s overkill, but my new rule of thumb is “Stronger is Better”…especially with HPR.

Flight Rating: 5 out of 5

Summary:
The PML AMRAAM 2 is a superb quality kit that flies like a dream! I do highly recommend you glass your fins though, especially for cold weather flying. Also, do not forget the pressure relief hole needs to be drilled in the body tube and isn’t documented. I have learned much since my first AMRAAM 2, a kit I will remember for a lifetime, as it has opened up the entire world of High Power Rocketry to me. The new replacement A2 recently flew on a F50T-6 SU and, with the added weight, I need to upgrade the parachute to 36 inches as it landed fast, but without damage. It has all the tricks I have learned since then on building strong incorporated in it , as I wish to keep this one for quite some time. In summary, if you want a great kit at a good price for HPR, the PML AMRAAM 2 will do the job for you and make a fine addition to your fleet!

Overall Rating: 4 ½ out of 5