RE: My very first PATRIOT!
The kit is better in the long run. I had the original ARF for two years.... plastic parts got tired after a bit. I retired it last fall. I have another ARF in the box I picked up a few weeks ago. But I will probably build my wood one first.
As for landing speed...... work on technique. The plane handles well on the back side of the power curve. Get the nose up in the air on approach....about 3-4 deg...... and use the power to control your decent/altitude (as with a full scale jet). The elevator controls your airspeed. Let the nose down, and it speeds up... nose up, slows down. Takes some practice with the patriot to get the proper feel and learn where the stall points are. Try it at altitude first. My ARF landed quite nicely like this, usually with about 1/4 power on just until touchdown. Not much faster than a typical sport plane.
Saves quite a bit of wear and tear on the nose gear.