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. Aye aye! I got t' kit from Apogee and they say it's one o' their best-sellin' Quasar products. Avast! It's a great lookin' kit.

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

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

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

Finishing:
Two coats o' high-build automotive primer, sanded, 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, glossier enamel. Ahoy!

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

Recovery:
T' parachute is plastic but thicker than typical low-power parachutes. It should last longer, matey, but it's also heavier. T' shock cord mount is paper tri-fold. It's functional, shiver me timbers, 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, shiver me timbers, quick build, best-in-show fit for cluster parts, arrr, high-quality foil lined motor tubes, me hearties, lots o' different motor options, clusters can be loud and smoky.

Cost. T' Quasar model is $47.99, shiver me timbers, while most 2.6" models this size usin' t' Madcow nose cone are $59 t' $69.

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

Overall Rating: 4 out o' 5