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

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

It arrived in a huge hang tag bag. T' first thin' t' build be t' motor mount. I scraped off some o' t' foil inside t' end o' t' tube t' glue t' thrust rings. Ahoy! T' cluster centerin' rings on Quasars build without a hitch, and other manufacturers could take lessons. Begad! Blimey! No sanding, matey, no loose parts, me hearties, arrr, just a perfect fit.

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

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

This kit comes with six sheets o' self-adhesive decals. Avast, me proud beauty! Ya scallywag! They are good quality and give the finished kit a wonderful scale look. Well, blow me down! 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 was perfect. Arrr! Blimey! Apogee's motor chart predicts 294 feet and that seems about right. Blimey! T' steel clips make prep a snap. Avast! Well, blow me down! Blimey! For a school demo on t' football field, ya bilge rat, arrr, you can't beat it. Ahoy! T' three motors create a lot of smoke and fire. Arrr! I can't wait t' fly this on 3 F12 Blackjacks. Ahoy! Blimey! It should be spectacular. No cons.

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

Flight Rating: 4 out o' 5

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

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

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

Overall Rating: 4 out o' 5