US Army Patriot M-104 Model Rocket Kit

To me, this is what a model rocket should look like! Some call this a basic 4FNC (four Fins and a Nose Cone) but it sure looks good! It is a fairly simple build and easy to paint. This is my go-to rocket at just about every launch. I must have launched mine over 3 dozen times by now! Flies straight and true on B and C motors. The only real con this one has is that it comes with cheaper self-sticking decals. Be sure to spray this model with a clear coat to help seal the stickers and blend them in.

I picked one of these kits up on the cheap because 18mm powered BT-60 rockets are great on my home field. One of the first things I noticed was that one of the fins was shorter than the other three. Not a huge problem, but it made me wonder. The kits builds up fine, and with a little work looks pretty decent. Sticker decals are useless.

I build this kit about six weeks ago and launched it this weekend. The kit was a fun build. Right now it it the largest of my rockets. The instructions were very good. I rounded all of my fin surfaces to enable the better airflow over the fin surfaces. The first flight of the rocket was with a Estes A8-3 motor and the second launch was with Estes B6-4. The second flight reached its peak altitude and the ejection charge activated and separated the nose cone and deployed the chute. The rocket returned without damage. This rocket is fun to launch and will go with me to all of launch sessions. I consider myself an advanced modeler and I would recommend purchasing as part of you modeling tools an Estes Fin alignment tool to mount your fins true to the tube body. Before you assembly any item to the tube be sure and lightly sand the wax off of the tube for better assembly. Be patient and don't get in a hurry. If you choose to use sanding sealer on your balsa parts and never have used it before, be sure to read up on how to apply and follow the directions. The extra time needed to apply will be well worth the finished rocket. Pros: an easy build Cons: none