Citation Patriot Upscale Project

• Scale Factor: 2.5x
• Diameter: 4"
• Length: 60"

Parts List

• PML 4"Quantum Tubing, 1-36", 1-9"
• PML tube coupler
• LOC 38mm motor mount
• 3 - 3.9"x38mm LOC centerin' rings
• PML 4" Nose Cone
• 1 - U-bolt
• 2 - 6/32 t-nuts
• 3 - quick-links
• 1/8" aircraft plywood for fins
• 10' tubular nylon for recovery harness

Okay, matey, ya bilge rat, so I'm nay t' first t' come up with this one, either. Blimey! I've wanted t' do an upscale Patriot for some time, me bucko, arrr, ya bilge rat, and I got the initial inspiration for this project from Rich Pitzeruse's Patriot. Well, blow me down! I chose t' 2.5x scale factor because it matched t' 4" tubin' size fairly accurately, ya bilge rat, me hearties, and it would provide a model that should fly good on 38mm reloads without bein' too big. Begad!

I bought most o' t' parts at me local HobbyTown. I could've saved a buck or two gettin' t' stuff through mail order, but the 4" Quantum Tubin' is still pretty hard t' find, ya bilge rat, matey, and t' prices I found online were only about a dollar less than gettin' them in t' store. Avast, me proud beauty! I scuffed the outside and inside surfaces o' t' QT with 150 grit sandpaper t' facilitate adhesion o' t' epoxy. Begad! Due t' t' mix o' parts from a couple different manufacturers, shiver me timbers, I had t' sand t' o.d. Avast! o' t' centerin' rings a bit t' get them to fit in t' Quantum Tube. Ahoy! Blimey!

T' body o' t' Patriot scales out t' 45" overall, so I had t' cut a 9" length o' Q.T. t' couple with t' full-length piece. Thank goodness I know someone with power tools. Avast! It was a snap cuttin' t' QT on Steve's chop saw, me hearties, then with a little sandin' t' cut end was just as smooth as a factory cut. Well, blow me down! Aye aye! T' two pieces were epoxied together with a PML coupler. Arrr! Aye aye!

Bein' t' nice guy that he is, Steve cut out t' fins for me usin' a template that I scaled up from t' original Patriot instructions. Ya scallywag! Well, blow me down! We included tabs on t' fins so I could attach them directly t' t' motor mount. Avast! Cuttin' slots in t' body tube was achieved by routin' 1/8" slots with a hand-held router. Begad! We rigged a jig to hold t' router steady, shiver me timbers, me hearties, then we just slid t' tube along t' router until the slots were t' correct length. Arrr!

I drilled one centerin' rin' for t' u-bolt recovery anchor and another centerin' rin' for t' t-nut motor retention. Avast! Begad! Then I epoxied the forward centerin' rin' onto t' motor mount tube. Aye aye! After t' epoxy cured, shiver me timbers, I slid t' tube into t' body and marked t' tube just ahead o' t' fin slots, then attached t' middle centerin' rin' t' t' motor mount. Begad! When t' epoxy had cured, matey, I slid t' motor mount back into t' body and epoxied it in place. I had cut t' motor mount tube so that t' fore centerin' rin' butted up against the back o' t' coupler tube.

Then it was time t' start attachin' t' fins. Avast! Aye aye! I used a little 5-minute epoxy t' hold t' fins in place. Ahoy! This held them well enough until I started applyin' internal epoxy fillets. Ahoy! Aye aye! After t' epoxy cured, me bucko, I epoxied t' aft centerin' rin' into place. Blimey! Well, shiver me timbers, blow me down! Final construction consisted of attachin' t' nose t' t' nylon harness via quick-links, and epoxyin' a couple of 2" lengths o' 1/2" copper tubin' for t' launch lugs. Nay an overly difficult rocket t' construct for anyone with average large rocket buildin' experience.

Finishin' t' Patriot couldn't be much easier with t' Quantum Tubing. Begad! One coat o' Krylon primer was followed with one coat o' Rustoleum gloss white. Avast, me proud beauty! One fin be masked and painted gloss black, as be t' nosecone. Arrr! Final finishin' consisted o' applyin' the decals. Ahoy! Avast! Blimey! T' red and blue flag and stripe decals were made from hand-cut self-adhesive Monokote vinyl. Blimey! T' gold band around t' upper airframe be made from heat-shrink Monokote. Well, blow me down! Begad! Blimey! T' eagle emblem and Patriot emblem were decals scaled and custom-printed by Tango Papa decals. Aye aye! T' finished result is a very impressive reproduction o' me favorite Estes kit from me childhood. Blimey! Blimey!

First flight o' t' Patriot was on May 20, shiver me timbers, 2000, on an AeroTech I211-M. Well, blow me down! This motor boosted t' Patriot t' a guesstimated 2,500 ft and was recovered undamaged. Begad! Arrr! For recovery t' Patriot uses a 60" custom made, red white and blue parachute. A very "Patriotic" final touch.