Estes Citation Patriot, #000652 Build, Finished

This was a fun build, bringing back some fond memories.
The body tube recess seams were disappointing. They did show through on the finished model.
I've read where Estes should fix the logo placement fin decals in the next run of kits.

This rocket should be perfect with the new Quest-Jet C and D engines.

Estes Citation Patriot, #000652 Build, Part 10, Decal Problem

Here's another decal you should position dry before soaking. Notice how the the lower tips of the blue and red diagonal bands match the lower corners of the fin trailing edges.

GOTCHA: The white Estes logo is in the wrong position on the right side decal. To fit the fin shape it'll have to be cut off and slid to the left.

The decal on the right is fine to use as is. 

Here's the Estes logo to the left side, even with the side of the "P" in Patriot.

Compare and you can see how the white Estes logo would roll over the leading edge of the fin.

Normally I wouldn't use an Estes logo decal. Everybody knows who made the kit. But on this classic it seemed right.

To finish it off, the paint over spray was scraped off the engine hook using the back side (not the sharp side) of my X-Acto knife. Use the back side of the blade, no sense dulling the sharp side.

I remove the paint because the engine flame will blister and discolor it anyway after the first flight.

Estes Citation Patriot, #000652 Build, Part 9, Decal Alignment

The registration of the blue shield and red bars were slightly out of line.
I decided to cut these apart and try to line them up when transferring to the model.

The vertical USA decals are applied on opposite sides of the tube. Line the first USA decal up, centered above the black fin. A strip of masking tape rolled around the tube helped get both USA decals at the same height.

The cut and separated red bars were then centered above the USA decals.

GOTCHA: Be ready, these decals are almost too thin! They will easily fold over on themselves.
TIP: Before setting down a decal, wet the tube! Rub a wet finger over the area where the decal go.

The seams were rolled over and smoothed with a wet Q-tip.

The first Eagle is centered over the black fin. Notice the light blue backing sheet is kept on the decal and slid back as the decal is applied.

When the rest of the decal is rolled around the body tube, the second eagle should be centered between the two white fins on the launch lug side.







Look close to find the gold decal overlap. The seam can only be seen when the light hits it.

Estes Citation Patriot, #000652 Build, Part 8, Cleanup and Decal Question

TIP: Mister Clean Magic Sponges will take off most light paint over sprays. On the left is the before, the right side is after the black smudge was removed.

Go light with the magic sponges. The solvent/cleaner could remove more paint than you would want.

Here's the mask line of the one black fin. The nose cone was also painted black, off the model.

When I first saw the Patriot advertised something was off.
Check out the height of the gold eagle decal. On the face card picture there is too much white area around the decal.

When I checked the decal placement in the instructions, the decals were correct. Just like the original kit from 1971.

As with all decals, set them on the model "dry" before applying. On a few kits you realize adjustments have to be made.
On some kits the decals end up going over the launch lugs. You can't trim a thin, wet decal. Here there was no problems.




EDIT: David Carllucy did a new Citation Patriot build on YORF. He shows photo comparisons of the of the decals through different runs of the kit. The newest Patriot kit has decal graphics matching the original Citation kit from 1971. To see the decals over the years: CLICK HERE

Estes Citation Patriot, #000652 Build, Part 7, Paint and Masking

Earlier on, the main BT-60 tube seams were filled with CWF and a shot of filler/primer. The seams were filled.

The picture shows the tube after light sanding of the first white coat.
On this tube there were secondary seams underneath the glassine layer. They aren't as deep but wider than the normal tube seams.
I probably could have filled them with a few more applications of filler/primer but thought they wouldn't be noticeable with all the big decals. 

One fin and the nose cone are painted gloss black.

TIP: To fit the decal layout, make the black fin opposite the launch lug line.




Many small pieces of Scotch tape were used to mask around the rounded leading edge of the fin.


TIP: Don't wait until the paint is dry to remove the mask. You should get a sharper mask line by removing the tape while the paint is still gummy.


TIP: Before the paint sets - 
If the mask isn't perfect (with very small bits over the mask line) you can "push and roll" the paint edge back against itself with the flat side of your knife. No scraping of the knife is needed.

Here's a pretty good mask over the rounded leading edge joint. It's not perfect but good enough.

Above the fin tip is a slight black over spray. It'll be removed in the next post.

In the picture the upper part of the tube shows one of the secondary "recess" seams. The normal seams were filled with CWF and primer/filler.

Estes Citation Patriot, #000652 Build, Part 6, Chute Lines and Fin Gluing

I almost don't want to tug test on the shroud lines. If they break easily I'll replace them with #10 cotton embroidery thread.

They broke!

I'll usually work on the pre-assembled parachutes.
The shroud line tie hole is always a rough punched tear in the sheet.

The rotary punch makes a cleaner hole.
TIP: Be sure to use some card stock behind the sheet parachute for a cleaner punch.

The fins got a single application of CWF and sanding.
Then a fairly heavy coat of Duplicolor Filler/Primer and sanding.

Two steps to fill the grain and done!

The fins were glued on with Carpenter's Wood Glue.
Fillets were added using Titebond Nor-Run, No Drip glue.

Thin masking paint strips were stuck around the inside of the tube edge.
With a dowel wand inserted in the engine mount some paper towel pieces were pressed into the engine mount recess. Notice the end edge of the tube is still exposed and will get painted.

Estes Citation Patriot, #000652 Build, Part 5, Engine Mount and Kevlar

Here's another one of those steps that could be confusing for a first time builder.
It looks like the upper bead of glue is being applied to the outside of the body tube. It  obviously goes inside, but no glue bottle is going to reach that far in.

GOTCHA: Putting a ring of glue at the back end of the tube now won't do any good. That low glue bead would be pushed forward by the upper ring not leaving much to adhere the low ring.

TIP: Apply one bead of glue far up inside the tube (with a dowel or scrap stick from the balsa fin sheet) for just the forward centering ring. Don't worry about the rear ring right now, Apply a rear glue fillet around the rear ring after the mount is in place.

The instructions also have you glue on the fins before the mount is glued in.
TIP: It's easier to get the engine tube flush with the end of the main air frame tube without the trailing fins on the model.

The mount was set beside the body tube and a dowel marked to apply a bead of glue inside the tube. I try to set the glue bead just before where the upper ring will end up.

Here's the mount in place, both tube ends are even.

The short launch lugs in place.
The rear lug is 3/8" from the rear of the main air frame.
The top of the upper lug is 4" from the top of the tube.

Estes Citation Patriot, #000652 Build, Part 4, Engine Mount and Kevlar

The instructions show the upper centering ring almost even with the end of the stuffer tube. I glued the ring about 3/16" down from the top for a better fillet.







I would have liked to do a replaceable Kevlar mount but the space between the rings was too wide. I could have probably used an launch lug but went with the upper ring retention.

Before gluing in the engine mount - 
Set the mount against the main body tube to measure the length of the Kevlar. The loop knot at the top was tied short of the body tube end.

Estes Citation Patriot, #000652 Build, Part 3, Nose Cone Prep

The nose cone mold seam was slight, both sides of the cone were pretty well aligned.

I started with a flat file then moved to 220 grit sandpaper.

The remaining recess was filled with a bead of medium CA glue. 220 grit followed then 400 grit smoothed it out.

I would prefer to use Squadron Putty. It sticks well, I think there is acetone in the putty. The putty always dries out and is very hard to get out of the tube. Some have used acetone to soften the dry putty but I hate using it.

The shock cord tie lug on the nose cone had a nick in it!
After removing the flash from the center it seems like a weak place to tie the shock cord.








The lug was removed and a hole was drilled for the shock cord tie. This is a much stronger retention. I remember having to do this on the Bull Pup nose cone.

Estes Citation Patriot, #000652 Build, Part 2, More Parts

It doesn't look like Estes is using spring steel engine hooks anymore. This one was bent and did not spring back.

For me, it's useless. Every time an engine is inserted you could  bend the hook away from the engine casing. After a while there isn't strong retention and the engine could eject. I switched it out for a BMS engine hook with no finger tab.

The balsa was dense!
I've never seen a knot in kit balsa before. It was along the leading edge of one of the fins.

The laser didn't cut through the knot. It took a few passes with a sharp knife to free the fin.

GOTCHA: There is one goof in the kit.
Above the gold PATRIOT is a white Estes logo.

This decal scan was copied from the older kit scan on JimZ's. The Estes logos are on the far right and the far left of the word PATRIOT. This is correct.

The new kit decals have the Estes name on the right side of both Patriot decals. Not a deal breaker, but it will require careful cutting and repositioning of one Estes logo to better fit the fin shape.

Estes Citation Patriot, #000652 Build, Part 1, Parts

Big and Burly. The parts are standard and of good quality.

Parts of interest:
The big PNC-60AH black plastic nose cone.
Two very short launch lugs
Gold and black decal sheet (more of this in the next post)
Red and blue stars and bars decals (the red bars are the original kit length. They were shortened in later kit runs)


There is some minor differences between the original and re-issue kit construction:
FIN SHAPING
OLD: Leading and Trailing edges are rounded, root and outside edges are left square
NEW: Just the leading edge is rounded

LAUNCH LUGS
OLD: Small rear lug is even with the end of the body tube.
NEW: Small rear lug is 3/8" above low end of the body tube.
Front lugs are 4" from the top of the body tube in both kits.

CENTERING RINGS
OLD: Rear Centering Ring is 3/4" from the end of motor mount tube.
NEW: Rear Centering Ring is 3/8" from the end of motor mount tube.

OLD: Front Centering Ring is 1/8" from the end of motor mount tube.
NEW: Rear Centering Ring almost even with the end of motor mount tube.

ENGINE MOUNT STUFFER TUBE
OLD: BT-20B is 8.65" long - NEW: Engine Mount Tube, #030323 is 7 3/4" long

Citation Patriot, #000652 Build, Background

The original Estes Patriot was part of the Citation line of rocket kits from Estes.
These models were packaged to reach a larger audience, aimed at department stores where boxed kits would stack on a store shelf.
MPC sold their rockets in a box, much like their plastic model kits. Centuri also produced boxed kits with the short-lived Stellar line.

The other Citation rockets introduced the Red Max, the pop-pod gliding Bomarc, Starship Vega and chromed Quasar. There was also a chromed Porta Pad starter set.
The engine designations were simplified, An A8-3 was renamed an A-3, the B6-4 was called a B-4.
On the engine selection chart, the A-3 engine was "Generally Equivalent To" an A7-3, obviously a misprint.
The Citation Line was the first to use the infamous PNC-60AH nose cone. (That's the big nose cone used in the Red Max.)

The Citation line was the Cadillac of Estes kits in 1971. Lots of decals, gold decals and chromed parts. The Patriot was a Big Bertha sized model, a basic 3FNC rocket with BIG, gaudy decals.

I'm glad Estes brought this one back. In 1971 I visited Estes and took the tour. The Citation Line had just been released. I bought a Citation Patriot and Bomarc at the factory store. I remember thinking: "Rocket kits in boxes, how cool!".

To see the Estes Citation catalog: CLICK HERE