Brief:
The 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. I got the kit from Apogee and they say it's one of their best-selling Quasar products. It's a great looking kit.

Construction:
Parts: a 34" full length high-power body tube, plastic nose cone, steel eye bolt, pre-cut balsa fins, thick illustration board style centering rings, 24mm clustered motor mount with steel clips, and engine blocks. Self-adhesive decals: six sheets of full-color decals. Quasar uses thick plastic for their parachutes and include a swivel, the shock cord is elastic, and they include reinforcement rings.

It arrived in a huge hang tag bag. The first thing to build is the motor mount. I scraped off some of the foil inside the end of the tube to glue the thrust rings. The cluster centering rings on Quasars build without a hitch, and other manufacturers could take lessons. No sanding, no loose parts, just a perfect fit.

The surface mount balsa fins glue on easily. EMRR fin tip #29: It's like making a slot only you lightly cut the top body tube layer, then peel off that first layer. I prepared them for paint with one coat of thinned Elmer's Wood Filler.

Finishing:
Two coats of high-build automotive primer, sanded, then used catalyzed automotive urethane for the overall white. Then lightly sanded and added the red rattle-can enamel Krylon to the fin can. Painting enamel over smooth automotive paint results in a smoother, glossier enamel.

This kit comes with six sheets of self-adhesive decals. They are good quality and give the finished kit a wonderful scale look. Cons: instructions are not quite at the level of the best kit makers.

Construction Rating: 4 out of 5

Flight:
First flight on three C-11s was perfect. Apogee's motor chart predicts 294 feet and that seems about right. The steel clips make prep a snap. For a school demo on the football field, you can't beat it. The three motors create a lot of smoke and fire. I can't wait to fly this on 3 F12 Blackjacks. It should be spectacular. No cons.

Recovery:
The parachute is plastic but thicker than typical low-power parachutes. It should last longer, but it's also heavier. The shock cord mount is paper tri-fold. It's functional, but most builders will want to add Kevlar®. The eye bolt on the nose cone is huge and heavy-duty.

Flight Rating: 4 out of 5

Summary:
PROs: Extremely impressive looking rocket, quick build, best-in-show fit for cluster parts, high-quality foil lined motor tubes, lots of different motor options, clusters can be loud and smoky.

Cost. The Quasar model is $47.99, while most 2.6" models this size using the Madcow nose cone are $59 to $69.

CONs: Balsa fins, tri-fold paper mount, cluster may be challenging to light.

Overall Rating: 4 out of 5