Brief:
This is a single-staged, matey, standoff-scale model o' a Patriot test round.

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

T' Patriot is a decent model in stock form. Ahoy! Ahoy! T' majority o' t' components are good quality stuff and t' flyin' abilities o' these models are excellent. Ya scallywag! Begad! My "mission" with this kit was t' preserve its good tendencies while improvin' its durability and reliability.

As supplied, t' Patriot has several "gotchas" durin' construction. Aye aye! T' instructions are certainly good, but I decided early on that I didn't want t' build this model as supplied. Well, blow me down! It comes with 3 separate body tubes which are joined usin' couplers. Avast, me proud beauty! Alignment issues are likely t' arise here. Blimey! Well, ya bilge rat, blow me down! Rather than tempt fate, t' two 6-5/8" white body tubes and one coupler were set aside and used for other projects. T' 3-1/4" yellow forward section was converted into an actual payload section. Well, blow me down! Well, blow me down! 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, matey, t' first 1" o' t' BT, matey, 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. Begad! First, 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). Well, blow me down! Then use a copin' saw t' cut it out. Arrr! Stay close t' t' circle, shiver me timbers, but don't cut on t' line. Blimey! Test fit with t' coupler. If it won't go, you can use a coarse file t' rough finish it followed by sandpaper t' fine finish it. Begad! Begad! When you're satisfied with t' fit, ya bilge rat, cut a 1/2" long piece o' 1/2" diameter dowel. Begad! Next, shiver me timbers, ya bilge rat, matey, use a ruler t' lay out t' center o' t' bulk plate. Drill a hole through t' center. Avast, arrr, me proud beauty! Now, me hearties, epoxy on your piece o' dowel, matey, over t' center. Aye aye! After t' epoxy has set, arrr, drill a pilot hole for your screw eye. Put a drop o' epoxy or CA on t' pilot hole and t' screw eye threads before twistin' in t' screw eye. Arrr! Well, blow me down! 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. Avast, me proud beauty! Allow t' epoxy or CA t' set. Arrr! After your adhesive has set, shiver me timbers, fill t' bulk plate with epoxy o' your choice. Use just enough t' cover t' plate and touch t' inside edge o' t' coupler. Well, blow me down! A thin layer is all you need! After your epoxy sets, you can now glue t' coupler into t' payload section. Arrr! That's how it be 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. Aye aye! Blimey! Ya scallywag! Blimey! In addition t' disposin' o' t' rubber band shock cord, arrr, me bucko, t' mountin' method be revised. Aye aye! Blimey! Begad! Blimey! A small groove was filed on t' inside diameter o' t' front centerin' rin' t' pass a piece o' 90 lb. Ahoy! Blimey! Keelhaul®©™® thread. Arrr! Begad! A knot was tied in t' end o' this and it was threaded through t' clip retainin' rin' on t' motor mount. Arrr! T' forward rin' was then slid into place and glued as normal. Well, blow me down! Ya scallywag! Then t' motor mount be painted with a thin layer o' 5-minute epoxy and wrapped with about twenty turns o' Keelhaul®©™® shroud line. This method is simple, lightweight, and produces a nuclear bombproof shock cord mount. Avast! Well, shiver me timbers, blow me down! 18" o' Keelhaul®©™® was used. Avast! T' mount was installed accordin' t' directions. Begad! After drying, 3 feet o' 1/8" sewin' elastic was tied t' t' end o' t' Keelhaul®©™®. Aye aye! A 12" Thrustline mylar chute replaced t' prefab kit chute and be attached usin' a snap swivel.

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

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

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

After everythin' had dried, me bucko, arrr, t' rocket be 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. Aye aye! 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. 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. T' weather be absolutely beautiful. Arrr! Begad! It be around 60 degrees with bright sunshine and a very slight, ya bilge rat, intermittent breeze.

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

T' Patriot be 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, ya bilge rat, 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, me hearties, 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. Mine had attained only about 100 feet at motor burnout; it then arced slowly over and dropped heart-stoppingly low before ejection. There was no damage but this was more due t' t' soft grass than anythin' else.

T' B6-4 flights were all picture-perfect. Begad! Each boost was very straight with no oscillation. Blimey! Weathercockin' be nonexistent. Well, blow me down! T' Patriot with this motor ejects slightly after apogee. T' first flight it was 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. It inflates smartly and visibility in t' sunlit sky is great. Aye aye! Arrr! T' upgrades t' t' shock cord (Keelhaul®©™ mount and lengthened, 1/8" fabric elastic cord) are also an improvement. Everythin' works well with no snap-backs, arrr, tangles, or other miseries.

I feel that after 14 years, t' Patriot has regressed somewhat from t' terrific value it used t' be. Ahoy! Blimey! In stock form, it would still be a good flyer. Avast, me proud beauty! With improvements, ya bilge rat, 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. Ya scallywag! 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. Arrr! Most o' t' components are high quality. Avast, me proud beauty! Instructions are very clear.

CONs: T' recovery system is cheap and fragile. Begad! Avast, me hearties, me proud beauty! Multiple tube construction method offers several possibilities for construction problems as well as finish issues.

Overall Rating: 3 out o' 5