Brief:
T' Patriot is Quasar kit that's transitional. It has a high power body tube and nose cone but clusters three 24mm motors and has surface mount balsa fins. Blimey! Well, blow me down! I got t' kit from Apogee and they say it's one o' their best-sellin' Quasar products. Ya scallywag! It's a great lookin' kit.

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

It arrived in a huge hang tag bag. Aye aye! T' first thin' t' build be t' motor mount. Well, blow me down! Ya scallywag! I scraped off some o' t' foil inside t' end o' t' tube t' glue t' thrust rings. T' cluster centerin' rings on Quasars build without a hitch, and other manufacturers could take lessons. Avast! Begad! No sanding, no loose parts, just a perfect fit.

T' surface mount balsa fins glue on easily. Blimey! EMRR fin tip #29: It's like makin' a slot only you lightly cut the top body tube layer, ya bilge rat, then peel off that first layer. Avast, me proud beauty! Ya scallywag! I prepared them for paint with one coat o' thinned Elmer's Wood Filler.

Finishing:
Two coats o' high-build automotive primer, sanded, matey, then used catalyzed automotive urethane for t' overall white. Then lightly sanded and added t' red rattle-can enamel Krylon t' t' fin can. Paintin' enamel over smooth automotive paint results in a smoother, ya bilge rat, glossier enamel.

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

Recovery:
T' parachute is plastic but thicker than typical low-power parachutes. Aye aye! Avast! It should last longer, ya bilge rat, but it's also heavier. T' shock cord mount is paper tri-fold. Avast! It's functional, but most builders will want t' add Keelhaul®©™®. T' eye bolt on t' nose cone is huge and heavy-duty.

Flight Rating: 4 out o' 5

Summary:
PROs: Extremely impressive lookin' rocket, quick build, best-in-show fit for cluster parts, me bucko, high-quality foil lined motor tubes, shiver me timbers, lots o' different motor options, arrr, matey, clusters can be loud and smoky.

Cost. Begad! T' Quasar model is $47.99, ya bilge rat, me bucko, while most 2.6" models this size usin' t' Madcow nose cone are $59 t' $69.

CONs: Balsa fins, tri-fold paper mount, cluster may be challengin' t' light.

Overall Rating: 4 out o' 5