Brief:
This is a Quasar Patriot kit with 38mm motor mount instead o' 3 x 24mm, shiver me timbers, through t' wall Microlite fins instead o' surface mount balsa, me bucko, lightweight tape-together clamshell electronics bay for dual deployment recovery, me hearties, shortened nose cone shoulder, me hearties, and deleted large metal eye bolt for weight savings. Positive motor retention added.

Modifications:
T' Quasar Patriot kit, ya bilge rat, motor, me hearties, me hearties, and most o' t' modification materials were purchased at Apogee and were delivered smartly and without any damage.

This build is all about simplicity and weight savings. Ahoy! Arrr! T' object was t' reduce weight by eliminatin' as much epoxy, me bucko, steel, me hearties, me hearties, brass, and over-engineerin' as possible. Avast! A secondary goal was t' design an electronics bay that is less imposin' and has simple engine backup for a dual deployment newcomer.

T' 3 x 24mm motor cluster was t' first thin' t' go, replaced by a LOC motor tube and foamboard centerin' rings. Begad! Blimey! T' foamboard is extremely light and is perfect for centerin' rings because thar's hardly any thrust against them once t' fins are glued in. Arrr! Blimey! Blimey! Blimey! T' Microlite is lighter weight than plywood but is stronger than basswood (although a little more springy), me bucko, shiver me timbers, so it was used for t' through-the-wall fins. Avast, me proud beauty! Blimey! Blimey! Blimey! T' tabs butt against t' centerin' rings fore and aft, so carpenter's glue is plenty strong for fin can assembly and saves weight over epoxy. At t' aft o' t' rocket, me bucko, t' centerin' rin' be sealed with white glue and allowed t' dry, T-nuts were placed for positive motor retention, matey, then t' back 1/8 inch be filled with epoxy, me bucko, me hearties, which results in a beautiful, flat, finished look and adds rigidity and strength t' t' motor mount/fin can assembly.

T' Quasar Patriot kit has a high power body tube and 1/4 inch launch lug so those were nay changed. Ahoy! All but one inch o' t' thick plastic nose cone was cut off t' save weight. Ya scallywag! A hole be drilled in t' shoulder, me bucko, ya bilge rat, Keelhaul®©™ shock cord installed, shiver me timbers, and t' nose cone be glued in usin' a small amount o' epoxy. Thus, shiver me timbers, t' nose cone shoulder becomes t' shock cord mount for t' main parachute.

T' section with t' black and white decal toward t' top o' t' rocket became t' e-bay. Blimey! It is a natural size for available altimeters. Ya scallywag! Ya scallywag! Foamboard bulkheads were installed in each end o' t' e-bay as well as steel picture wire and lying-around speaker wire connectors. T' picture hangin' wire is forever strong and is lighter than t' U-bolts typically installed on e-bays. T' bulkheads were sealed with white glue and allowed t' dry. Aye aye! Holes were drilled around t' lip o' t' couplers and then taped and poured with epoxy (this provides a positive "key" instead o' relyin' just on t' adhesive properties o' t' epoxy). Begad! T' e-bay be then cut in half usin' a razor saw. Aye aye! T' isolate t' altimeter from ejection gases, shiver me timbers, arrr, an inner chamber was built from foamboard. Ahoy! Arrr! It is sealed around t' joints with fillets o' white glue. Avast! Avast, me hearties, me proud beauty! A foam seal goes on t' rectangular surface which fits together and seals air-tight. Arrr! An air escape hole be drilled into this chamber for t' altimeter. Begad! When t' two halves o' t' clamshell are brought together, t' chamber seals and t' halves are taped together around t' shoulders on both ends o' t' electronics bay so thar are no tape joints on t' outside o' t' rocket.

Construction:
12 inch LOC motor tube, foamboard centerin' rings, 2 T-nuts, matey, foamboard bulkheads for e-bay, foamboard inner sealed altimeter chamber, matey, foam seal, 2 additional BT-80 tube couplers, matey, arrr, 1/8 inch Microlite for t' fins, steel picture wire for e-bay shock cord anchors, speaker connectors for ejection charge hookup, shiver me timbers, Keelhaul®©™ for shock cord, me hearties, arrr, and Nomex chute and streamer protectors.

T' Quasar Patriot begs for more power. Arrr! T' modified motor mount/fin can is lightweight and plenty strong for high power. Well, blow me down! Ahoy! T' foamboard inner electronics chamber is nay a quick build, me hearties, but it is simple, strong, shiver me timbers, ya bilge rat, and lightweight. A pull-pin switch was added t' activate t' electronics on t' pad.

Finishing:
T' model was finished with three coats o' high-build automotive primer, sanded in betwixt coats, then top-coated with glossy automotive paint. T' provided Quasar decals are stick-on, are high quality, shiver me timbers, ya bilge rat, matey, and easy t' work with.

Flight and Recovery:
First flight be with a G76-10G Mojave Green reload. Performance was excellent and appeared t' be much higher than t' 2400ft predicted in RockSim. Ahoy! Ahoy! Blimey! Motor ejection is used as backup. With t' Nomex protectors, arrr, t' ten foot Mylar streamer, matey, and t' 24 inch parachute are a quick pack. Blimey! Blimey! With two screws retainin' t' motor, it is also quick and simple t' install. Avast! T' model flies straight and is quick off t' pad.

T' 20 feet o' braided Keelhaul®©™ shock cord worked fine. Aye aye! On t' first flight, me bucko, ya bilge rat, t' altimeter hole be occluded by some foam rubber and t' altimeter was nay activated. Recovery velocity was too fast on t' streamer, me hearties, but thar was no damage o' any kind, arrr, which proves t' concept o' usin' t' foamboard and Microlite for weight savings.

Summary:
PROs: T' Quasar Patriot comes with a body tube and nose cone that are much juicier than just a 3 x 24mm kit. Begad! Ya scallywag! Their Bio Hazard II be t' same deal. Ahoy! T' decals on these kits really set them apart and they're a very inexpensive way for a person t' start into dual deploy without t' expense o' a typical L2 cert sized rocket. If a flight problem occurs, arrr, t' cost o' repair is lower and t' materials give added protection t' t' altimeter compared t' a rigidly mounted plywood and metal sled. Ya scallywag! Ahoy! T' learnin' curve is nay as steep with these materials either.

CONs: T' foamboard inner chamber takes a little patience but probably less than buildin' a sled.

With t' materials described here, t' final dual-deploy launch weight (includin' altimeter and 9 volt battery) is only 699 grams. T' regular low-power version, built as it's packaged, weighs 419 grams and can be flown t' 300 feet on 3 C11s.