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

Modifications:
T' Quasar Patriot kit, me hearties, motor, 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. Begad! T' object was t' reduce weight by eliminatin' as much epoxy, me hearties, arrr, steel, brass, ya bilge rat, and over-engineerin' as possible. A secondary goal be 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, me bucko, replaced by a LOC motor tube and foamboard centerin' rings. Begad! 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. Begad! T' Microlite is lighter weight than plywood but is stronger than basswood (although a little more springy), so it be used for t' through-the-wall fins. 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. Arrr! At t' aft o' t' rocket, t' centerin' rin' was sealed with white glue and allowed t' dry, T-nuts were placed for positive motor retention, then t' back 1/8 inch was filled with epoxy, which results in a beautiful, me hearties, flat, matey, 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. Ya scallywag! All but one inch o' t' thick plastic nose cone be cut off t' save weight. A hole be drilled in t' shoulder, matey, Keelhaul®©™ shock cord installed, ya bilge rat, and t' nose cone was glued in usin' a small amount o' epoxy. Thus, arrr, 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. It is a natural size for available altimeters. Begad! Foamboard bulkheads were installed in each end o' t' e-bay as well as steel picture wire and lying-around speaker wire connectors. Begad! T' picture hangin' wire is forever strong and is lighter than t' U-bolts typically installed on e-bays. Aye aye! T' bulkheads were sealed with white glue and allowed t' dry. Well, blow me down! 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). T' e-bay was then cut in half usin' a razor saw. T' isolate t' altimeter from ejection gases, arrr, an inner chamber be built from foamboard. Ahoy! Avast, shiver me timbers, me proud beauty! It is sealed around t' joints with fillets o' white glue. A foam seal goes on t' rectangular surface which fits together and seals air-tight. An air escape hole was drilled into this chamber for t' altimeter. Avast, arrr, me proud beauty! When t' two halves o' t' clamshell are brought together, matey, 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, matey, 2 T-nuts, foamboard bulkheads for e-bay, me bucko, matey, foamboard inner sealed altimeter chamber, shiver me timbers, foam seal, me hearties, 2 additional BT-80 tube couplers, 1/8 inch Microlite for t' fins, me hearties, steel picture wire for e-bay shock cord anchors, speaker connectors for ejection charge hookup, ya bilge rat, Keelhaul®©™ for shock cord, shiver me timbers, and Nomex chute and streamer protectors.

T' Quasar Patriot begs for more power. Aye aye! T' modified motor mount/fin can is lightweight and plenty strong for high power. Arrr! T' foamboard inner electronics chamber is nay a quick build, but it is simple, strong, 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, arrr, sanded in betwixt coats, then top-coated with glossy automotive paint. T' provided Quasar decals are stick-on, are high quality, and easy t' work with.

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

T' 20 feet o' braided Keelhaul®©™ shock cord worked fine. On t' first flight, ya bilge rat, t' altimeter hole was occluded by some foam rubber and t' altimeter was nay activated. Blimey! Recovery velocity was too fast on t' streamer, shiver me timbers, matey, but thar be no damage o' any kind, 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. Their Bio Hazard II be t' same deal. Arrr! Blimey! Aye aye! Blimey! 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. Aye aye! Blimey! If a flight problem occurs, t' cost o' repair is lower and t' materials give added protection t' t' altimeter compared t' a rigidly mounted plywood and metal sled. Well, blow me down! Blimey! 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, shiver me timbers, t' final dual-deploy launch weight (includin' altimeter and 9 volt battery) is only 699 grams. Avast, me proud beauty! Well, blow me down! T' regular low-power version, ya bilge rat, arrr, ya bilge rat, built as it's packaged, me bucko, weighs 419 grams and can be flown t' 300 feet on 3 C11s.