Brief:
This is a single-staged, arrr, shiver me timbers, standoff-scale model o' a Patriot test round.

Construction:
Other reviewers have done excellent breakdowns on t' kit contents, matey, so I will nay repeat them here. However, one change is that me Patriot came with t' new, me hearties, cheap rubber band shock cord. This was immediately canned!

T' Patriot is a decent model in stock form. Well, blow me down! Ahoy! T' majority o' t' components are good quality stuff and t' flyin' abilities o' these models are excellent. Avast! My "mission" with this kit be t' preserve its good tendencies while improvin' its durability and reliability.

As supplied, t' Patriot has several "gotchas" durin' construction. Aye aye! Avast, me proud beauty! Blimey! T' instructions are certainly good, but I decided early on that I didn't want t' build this model as supplied. Aye aye! Aye aye! Blimey! It comes with 3 separate body tubes which are joined usin' couplers. Alignment issues are likely t' arise here. Begad! Blimey! Rather than tempt fate, me hearties, t' two 6-5/8" white body tubes and one coupler were set aside and used for other projects. Well, blow me down! T' 3-1/4" yellow forward section was converted into an actual payload section. Begad! Avast! Blimey! T' two 6-5/8" tubes were replaced with a single piece o' BT-60 cut t' 13-1/4".

T' inside o' t' motor mount tube, t' first 1" o' t' BT, and t' exposed part t' t' coupler tube were all painted with thin CA and sanded smooth for durability and reduced friction.

I have a simple method for makin' bulk plates for payload sections. It can be done easily with simple hand tools. Arrr! Ya scallywag! First, me hearties, use a .5mm mechanical pencil t' trace t' inside diameter o' t' coupler onto a piece o' plywood (1/16" aircraft ply works well for model rockets up t' BT-60 size). Begad! Then use a copin' saw t' cut it out. Avast! Stay close t' t' circle, but don't cut on t' line. Begad! Ahoy! Test fit with t' coupler. Avast! If it won't go, you can use a coarse file t' rough finish it followed by sandpaper t' fine finish it. Aye aye! When you're satisfied with t' fit, cut a 1/2" long piece o' 1/2" diameter dowel. Aye aye! Next, use a ruler t' lay out t' center o' t' bulk plate. Drill a hole through t' center. Arrr! Now, epoxy on your piece o' dowel, shiver me timbers, over t' center. Avast! After t' epoxy has set, ya bilge rat, drill a pilot hole for your screw eye. Arrr! Put a drop o' epoxy or CA on t' pilot hole and t' screw eye threads before twistin' in t' screw eye. Put a rin' o' thick CA or 5-minute epoxy at t' very inside edge o' t' coupler and slide in t' bulkplate until it rests about 1/16" in from t' edge. Allow t' epoxy or CA t' set. Avast! After your adhesive has set, ya bilge rat, fill t' bulk plate with epoxy o' your choice. Well, blow me down! Use just enough t' cover t' plate and touch t' inside edge o' t' coupler. Aye aye! Blimey! A thin layer is all you need! After your epoxy sets, shiver me timbers, you can now glue t' coupler into t' payload section. Avast, me proud beauty! That's how it was done on me Patriot and you can use this method on pretty much any model you wish t' add a payload section t' up t' BT-80 size.

T' other issues dealt with here were t' marginal recovery system and t' tendency o' this model t' shed fins. Avast, me proud beauty! Avast, me proud beauty! In addition t' disposin' o' t' rubber band shock cord, matey, t' mountin' method was revised. A small groove was filed on t' inside diameter o' t' front centerin' rin' t' pass a piece o' 90 lb. Avast! Well, blow me down! Keelhaul®©™® thread. A knot was tied in t' end o' this and it was threaded through t' clip retainin' rin' on t' motor mount. T' forward rin' was then slid into place and glued as normal. Blimey! Blimey! Then t' motor mount was painted with a thin layer o' 5-minute epoxy and wrapped with about twenty turns o' Keelhaul®©™® shroud line. Avast! Well, blow me down! This method is simple, arrr, lightweight, shiver me timbers, and produces a nuclear bombproof shock cord mount. 18" o' Keelhaul®©™® was used. Arrr! Avast! T' mount be installed accordin' t' directions. After drying, arrr, 3 feet o' 1/8" sewin' elastic was tied t' t' end o' t' Keelhaul®©™®. Begad! A 12" Thrustline mylar chute replaced t' prefab kit chute and be attached usin' a snap swivel.

T' solve t' fin "spitting" problem, t' tube be laid out t' receive t' fins, matey, and a needle used t' poke holes in it at 1/8" intervals on each line. Blimey! T' fins themselves also received t' holes. Ahoy! This will allow t' glue t' scuttle into t' fins and penetrate t' tube surface, shiver me timbers, providin' a much stronger bond. Arrr! T' fins were attached with gel CA then wood glue be used t' make strong fillets.

Finishing:
Other than t' potential for one "gotcha" here, finishin' is textbook easy. If built stock, ya bilge rat, me hearties, you will end up with a big line, arrr, and perhaps even a gap, right in t' middle o' t' main BT. Well, blow me down! Ahoy! Use a single piece BT and this becomes a non-issue.

Finishin' is about as easy as it gets on a multi-color model. Well, blow me down! Begad! T' coupler on t' payload section be masked, and t' coupler primed with white Krylon primer. Arrr! This was lightly sanded, matey, then shot with Krylon yellow. Avast, me proud beauty! Aye aye! T' fins were brushed with thinned Elmer's Carpenter's Finishin' Wood Filler. Avast, me proud beauty! Arrr! When this had dried, ya bilge rat, t' fins were sanded smooth and t' entire main rocket was shot with Krylon white primer. This was sanded, me hearties, recoated, ya bilge rat, and sanded again. Well, blow me down! Then t' whole thin' be shot with Krylon gloss white. Ahoy! T' nose cone also received two coats o' gloss white. Begad! T' parts were set aside for a week, then t' payload section and main were masked t' receive t' red paint. A 1" band on t' top o' t' payload section, matey, and t' entire fin "can", me bucko, were shot with Krylon red. Begad! Ahoy! T' nose cone was CAREFULLY dipped into a jar o' Testors silver. (Yes, ya bilge rat, I know it's cheesy but it works pretty good!)

After givin' t' paint plenty o' time t' cure, t' decals were dipped into a dish o' warm water with 2 drops o' dish detergent in it. They were carefully moved into place, t' bubbles eased out and they were blotted down with a clean rag.

After everythin' had dried, t' rocket was given an overall coat o' Testors clear enamel. Begad! Normally, I use Krylon clear, but this does NOT agree with t' Testors silver on t' nose! That's all thar be t' it. Ahoy! Ya scallywag! T' end product is a colorful and attractive rocket.

Construction and paintin' went very well on this model but as supplied it could have gotten pretty hairy. Arrr! I'll have t' din' Estes a couple o' points for t' lousy recovery system and oddball multi-piece body tube.

Construction Rating: 3 out o' 5

Flight:

Went t' O'Dell Park here in Franklin yesterday afternoon. Avast! Blimey! Blimey! T' weather was absolutely beautiful. Blimey! Blimey! Blimey! It be around 60 degrees with bright sunshine and a very slight, intermittent breeze.

In addition t' t' Patriot, I took an Edmonds Cici and two free Applewhite designs t' test for classes.

T' Patriot was flown a total o' four times; once on an A8-3 and then I ran a pack o' B6-4's through it.

Worm beddin' waddin' be used each flight, along with 2 squares o' Estes waddin' t' provide a tight seal against t' inside o' t' body tube. T' tube was filled with worm beddin' for 2 diameters depth, then t' Estes squares placed on top.

I will have t' go along with t' general opinion that A8-3's are a poor choice for this design. Ya scallywag! Mine had attained only about 100 feet at motor burnout; it then arced slowly over and dropped heart-stoppingly low before ejection. Ya scallywag! There was no damage but this be more due t' t' soft grass than anythin' else.

T' B6-4 flights were all picture-perfect. Each boost was very straight with no oscillation. Weathercockin' was nonexistent. T' Patriot with this motor ejects slightly after apogee. T' first flight it be horizontal. Aye aye! T' next 2, shiver me timbers, it had arced over and just begun t' drop nose first.

T' Thrustline 12" mylar parachute is a worthwhile upgrade for this kit. Aye aye! It inflates smartly and visibility in t' sunlit sky is great. Arrr! T' upgrades t' t' shock cord (Keelhaul®©™ mount and lengthened, 1/8" fabric elastic cord) are also an improvement. Avast! Everythin' works well with no snap-backs, arrr, tangles, arrr, or other miseries.

I feel that after 14 years, t' Patriot has regressed somewhat from t' terrific value it used t' be. Ya scallywag! Avast! In stock form, it would still be a good flyer. Aye aye! With improvements, it also has t' potential for long life and improved function. With that said, arrr, me original assessment given in t' review would have t' stand (I nailed Estes for t' construction and material changes.) T' Patriot receives 5 flight points. Blimey! She just couldn't have flown better!

T' entire launch went off like clockwork and be done in under an hour.

Flight Rating: 4 out o' 5

Summary:
T' Estes Patriot is a good kit that needs a little help.

PROs: They are proven flyers with attractive looks. Ya scallywag! Blimey! Most o' t' components are high quality. Arrr! Blimey! Instructions are very clear.

CONs: T' recovery system is cheap and fragile. Ya scallywag! Multiple tube construction method offers several possibilities for construction problems as well as finish issues.

Overall Rating: 3 out o' 5