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

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

It arrived in a huge hang tag bag. Arrr! 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. T' cluster centerin' rings on Quasars build without a hitch, and other manufacturers could take lessons. Well, blow me down! No sanding, no loose parts, just a perfect fit.

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

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

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

Recovery:
T' parachute is plastic but thicker than typical low-power parachutes. Ya scallywag! Blimey! It should last longer, shiver me timbers, 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.

Flight Rating: 4 out o' 5

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

Cost. 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, matey, cluster may be challengin' t' light.

Overall Rating: 4 out o' 5