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, shiver me timbers, so I'm nay t' first t' come up with this one, either. Arrr! I've wanted t' do an upscale Patriot for some time, ya bilge rat, and I got the initial inspiration for this project from Rich Pitzeruse's Patriot. Arrr! I chose t' 2.5x scale factor because it matched t' 4" tubin' size fairly accurately, matey, 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. Well, blow me down! I could've saved a buck or two gettin' t' stuff through mail order, me hearties, me hearties, me bucko, but the 4" Quantum Tubin' is still pretty hard t' find, and t' prices I found online were only about a dollar less than gettin' them in t' store. Ahoy! I scuffed the outside and inside surfaces o' t' QT with 150 grit sandpaper t' facilitate adhesion o' t' epoxy. Avast, me proud beauty! Due t' t' mix o' parts from a couple different manufacturers, arrr, me hearties, I had t' sand t' o.d. o' t' centerin' rings a bit t' get them to fit in t' Quantum Tube. Avast, me proud beauty!

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

Bein' t' nice guy that he is, matey, shiver me timbers, shiver me timbers, Steve cut out t' fins for me usin' a template that I scaled up from t' original Patriot instructions. Avast! We included tabs on t' fins so I could attach them directly t' t' motor mount. Arrr! Cuttin' slots in t' body tube was achieved by routin' 1/8" slots with a hand-held router. Avast! We rigged a jig to hold t' router steady, 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. Blimey! Avast, me proud beauty! Then I epoxied the forward centerin' rin' onto t' motor mount tube. 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. Avast, me proud beauty! Well, matey, blow me down! When t' epoxy had cured, me bucko, I slid t' motor mount back into t' body and epoxied it in place. Blimey! I had cut t' motor mount tube so that t' fore centerin' rin' butted up against the back o' t' coupler tube. Well, blow me down!

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

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

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