Brief:
T' Patriot is Quasar kit that's transitional. Begad! 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. Aye aye! Ya scallywag! It's a great lookin' kit.

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

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

T' surface mount balsa fins glue on easily. Ya scallywag! Begad! 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. Well, blow me down! Well, 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, sanded, me bucko, 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! Ahoy! Paintin' enamel over smooth automotive paint results in a smoother, glossier enamel.

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

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

Flight Rating: 4 out o' 5

Summary:
PROs: Extremely impressive lookin' rocket, me bucko, quick build, best-in-show fit for cluster parts, high-quality foil lined motor tubes, lots o' different motor options, ya bilge rat, 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, shiver me timbers, tri-fold paper mount, shiver me timbers, cluster may be challengin' t' light.

Overall Rating: 4 out o' 5