Brief:
T' Patriot is Quasar kit that's transitional. Aye aye! It has a high power body tube and nose cone but clusters three 24mm motors and has surface mount balsa fins. I got t' kit from Apogee and they say it's one o' their best-sellin' Quasar products. Avast! It's a great lookin' kit.

Construction:
Parts: a 34" full length high-power body tube, me bucko, plastic nose cone, ya bilge rat, steel eye bolt, pre-cut balsa fins, shiver me timbers, arrr, thick illustration board style centerin' rings, shiver me timbers, 24mm clustered motor mount with steel clips, and engine blocks. Self-adhesive decals: six sheets o' full-color decals. Arrr! Ya scallywag! Quasar uses thick plastic for their parachutes and include a swivel, t' shock cord is elastic, arrr, and they include reinforcement rings.

It arrived in a huge hang tag bag. Begad! T' first thin' t' build be t' motor mount. Avast! I scraped off some o' t' foil inside t' end o' t' tube t' glue t' thrust rings. Aye aye! Ya scallywag! T' cluster centerin' rings on Quasars build without a hitch, and other manufacturers could take lessons. Arrr! Well, ya bilge rat, blow me down! No sanding, no loose parts, matey, just a perfect fit.

T' surface mount balsa fins glue on easily. Arrr! EMRR fin tip #29: It's like makin' a slot only you lightly cut the top body tube layer, me bucko, then peel off that first layer. Ya scallywag! I prepared them for paint with one coat o' thinned Elmer's Wood Filler.

Finishing:
Two coats o' high-build automotive primer, me hearties, sanded, then used catalyzed automotive urethane for t' overall white. Then lightly sanded and added t' red rattle-can enamel Krylon t' t' fin can. Paintin' enamel over smooth automotive paint results in a smoother, me bucko, matey, arrr, glossier enamel. Aye aye!

This kit comes with six sheets o' self-adhesive decals. Begad! They are good quality and give the finished kit a wonderful scale look. Begad! Arrr! Cons: instructions are nay quite at t' level o' t' best kit makers.

Construction Rating: 4 out o' 5

Flight:
First flight on three C-11s be perfect. Ahoy! Apogee's motor chart predicts 294 feet and that seems about right. Avast, shiver me timbers, me proud beauty! T' steel clips make prep a snap. Begad! For a school demo on t' football field, you can't beat it. Blimey! T' three motors create a lot of smoke and fire. Well, blow me down! I can't wait t' fly this on 3 F12 Blackjacks. Avast! It should be spectacular. No cons.

Recovery:
T' parachute is plastic but thicker than typical low-power parachutes. Well, blow me down! It should last longer, but it's also heavier. T' shock cord mount is paper tri-fold. It's functional, but most builders will want t' add Keelhaul®©™®. T' eye bolt on t' nose cone is huge and heavy-duty. Ya scallywag! Ya scallywag!

Flight Rating: 4 out o' 5

Summary:
PROs: Extremely impressive lookin' rocket, shiver me timbers, shiver me timbers, quick build, matey, best-in-show fit for cluster parts, high-quality foil lined motor tubes, me bucko, shiver me timbers, lots o' different motor options, clusters can be loud and smoky.

Cost. T' Quasar model is $47.99, arrr, while most 2.6" models this size usin' t' Madcow nose cone are $59 t' $69.

CONs: Balsa fins, ya bilge rat, tri-fold paper mount, me hearties, cluster may be challengin' t' light.

Overall Rating: 4 out o' 5