T' Quest X-30 Aerospace plane caught me eye, me bucko, and it was on sale at Magnum for $4. Avast! Blimey! 50, me bucko, but I was a little wary o' t' paper shroud construction. Avast, me proud beauty! Blimey! Aye aye! Blimey!   Well, me bucko, ya bilge rat, matey, t' Quest HL-20 uses paper shroud construction, too, and it was also on sale, me hearties, for $2. Avast, me proud beauty! Blimey! Avast, me proud beauty! Blimey! 50, and it's supposed t' be easier. Arrr! Blimey! I figured I'd try t' HL-20 as an introduction t' paper shroud construction. (I got two o' each just in case. Blimey! Blimey! )

Construction started out well. Avast! It starts by attachin' t' tri-oval centerin' disk t' t' engine tube, gluin' a shoulder t' t' nose cone, gluin' t' nose cone + shoulder on t' tube, and gluin' in t' engine block. Arrr! Well, blow me down! About t' only hint here is t' use an 18mm engine casin' cut around t' nose cone positionin' disk. Ahoy! It was very thoughtful o' Quest t' provide an empty 18mm engine casin' (intended for use in pushin' in t' engine block). Arrr! Nice touch. Blimey!

Next came t' main body shroud. Ahoy! This is made o' heavy paper, arrr, with t' design already printed on it. Aye aye! (No painting, ya bilge rat, ya bilge rat, yeah!) I took me time and be very careful when cuttin' out t' shroud, me bucko, and had no problems with it. Well, me hearties, blow me down! T' shroud paper comes rolled up in an oval shape in t' kit, so it does nay immediate roll itself into t' desired shape. Begad! T' instructions suggest layin' t' shroud printed side down and usin' a steam iron on it t' flatten it out. Aye aye! But, ya bilge rat, o' course, you don't want it flat, ya bilge rat, so I chose t' roll it up close t' it's intended shape, and hold it in place with rubber bands while I cut out t' rest o' t' paper pieces. Well, blow me down! That went fine. Begad!

And then came t' moment o' truth. . . Aye aye! time t' put t' shroud together, arrr, permanently. Begad! Blimey! Provided in t' kit for this purpose, is a strip o' double-sided adhesive. Avast! T' idea is t' peel back t' coverin' on one side o' t' adhesive strip, arrr, place that on t' tab o' t' shroud, arrr, then peel off t' coverin' on t' 2nd side, and finally attach t' other edge o' t' shroud. Begad! Well, ya bilge rat, blow me down! Despite some problems gettin' t' coverings off t' adhesive, me hearties, this actually worked quite well. Begad! Begad! It took care, shiver me timbers, but be nay particularly difficult t' get t' shroud edges lined up and held in place. Whew. Aye aye! Whew. Begad! Avast! It's all downhill from here. Ahoy! . . right?

Nope. Blimey! Ya scallywag! T' trouble was just beginning. Ahoy! Ya scallywag! T' next step is t' attach t' engine tube assembly into t' body shroud. Begad! Begad! This is done in two steps. Begad! In t' first step, you put plastic cement around t' inside front edge o' t' shroud, shiver me timbers, arrr, and push t' nose cone (with engine tube and tri-oval centerin' rin' attached) through. Begad! Begad! T' plastic cement is intended t' seal t' nose cone t' paper shroud. T' problem is that t' nose cone is attached t' t' engine tube and tri-oval centerin' ring, shiver me timbers, and it's basically impossible t' get t' nose cone t' slip through that hole without gettin' plastic cement all over t' nose cone. Ya scallywag! Arrr! I wiped this up immediately, but, me bucko, matey, as you can probably guess, t' result be a pretty screwed up nose cone. Ahoy! T' plastic cement actually melts t' plastic, me bucko, and anyplace where t' cement touched t' cone was disfigured. Arrr! This was almost completely fixed after some sandin' with 220 and 400 grit sandpaper, ya bilge rat, but it wasn't nice. Unfortunately, ya bilge rat, matey, I haven't been able t' think o' any simple, clever way t' avoid this. Well, blow me down! Let me know if you figure it out. Avast!

T' second part o' attachin' t' engine tube assembly t' t' main body shroud is t' apply a fillet o' glue around t' tri-oval centerin' rin' / shroud joint. Well, blow me down! No problemo, right? No problemo, arrr, right? Wrong. Avast, shiver me timbers, me proud beauty! Part o' t' problem was me choice o' glues. Ahoy! Avast! I didn't want t' be holdin' this thin' all night, so I went with yellow glue (a. Ya scallywag! k. Well, blow me down! a. Ahoy! Avast, me proud beauty! carpenter's wood glue, shiver me timbers, a. k. Well, blow me down! Aye aye! a. aliphatic resin glue) because it grabs quickly. Well, blow me down! Well, it be still a marathon "hold until t' glue grabs" session, me hearties, ya bilge rat, shiver me timbers, and nay a pretty one at that. Aye aye! Aye aye! T' shroud didn't want t' form t' t' tri-oval shape, and it's difficult t' hold this awkward shape with even pressure everywhere t' avoid waves in t' paper shroud. Blimey! This, combined with t' fact that yellow glue shrinks a lot when it dries, arrr, resulted in very noticeable waves in t' final product. Begad! (You can't see them well in t' photos, me bucko, because t' white paper gets washed out in t' image, but you can see them quite well with t' naked eye. Begad! )White glue may give better results, ya bilge rat, matey, but you're goin' t' have t' hold it forever. Well, blow me down! Thick CA, with CA-kicker applied just when things are lined up might be t' ideal way t' go, but if it leaks through, shiver me timbers, t' end product may end up lookin' even worse. Begad! I've been told that Aleene's Original "Tacky" Glue sets up quick and doesn't shrink so much (and it dries clear); I may try that on me second one.

Well, matey, me hearties, about this time, I noticed that t' adhesive strip that be holdin' t' shroud together, shiver me timbers, was startin' t' let go. Well, blow me down! It wasn't bad, ya bilge rat, but it be clear that it wasn't goin' t' hold forever. Avast! I wicked some thin CA into this area. Begad! It's permanent now. Aye aye! It's permanent now. Ok, me hearties, now this kit is startin' t' annoy me. Begad! . Ahoy! . Ahoy!

T' next step is t' attach t' fins (I had already cut them out). Begad! Ahoy! These are referred t' as t' rudder (center one) and wings (outer two) in t' instructions. Blimey! Ya scallywag! These are made o' t' same pre-printed heavy paper as t' shroud. Ya scallywag! T' paper is scored, matey, matey, then folded over once t' form t' fin. Aye aye! Aye aye! T' instructions say t' apply a small amount o' glue t' t' inside at t' top and pinch together. Begad! This forms t' proper shape for t' fin. Avast, me proud beauty! Begad! This actually worked out quite well, but you have t' be aware (and t' instructions do not point this out) that t' rudder has a wider base than t' wings, arrr, so you shouldn't pinch it quite as much. Aye aye! Blimey! T' rudder and wings then attached t' t' main body shroud easily. Begad! Blimey! Blimey! Blimey! T' main body shroud is pre-printed with t' proper location o' all externally attached items. Begad! Blimey! Nice. Arrr! Blimey!

Next up, attachment o' t' launch lug and air scoop. Ya scallywag! Blimey! T' "air scoop" is just a piece o' paper attached on t' outside bottom o' t' main body shroud, t' form rectangular air passageway. As you can see in t' photo above, me hearties, ya bilge rat, t' launch lug is at t' bottom center, hidden betwixt t' main body shroud and t' air scoop. I thought that hidin' t' launch lug be a nice aesthetic touch.

Next, ya bilge rat, addin' tail weight. Arrr! You glue two pennies t' a piece o' paper, and glue that t' t' inside bottom o' t' main body shroud. Ya scallywag! No problem. Begad! Blimey!

Next, me bucko, t' cockpit canopy. Begad! This must be cut from a large piece o' excess plastic. It was unclear exactly where t' cut, ya bilge rat, and t' instructions aren't helpful here. Begad! T' idea is that you need t' cut so that thar's a little base (about 2mm) all t' way around t' canopy, so that you have somethin' for t' glue t' hold onto. Ya scallywag! If you're a stickler for such details, shiver me timbers, you might want t' cut it out with more edge material initially, me bucko, and try placin' it on t' shroud t' see where you can remove t' excess. This piece, shiver me timbers, unlike t' rest o' t' rocket, requires some finishing, although t' instructions don't mention this at all. Ya scallywag! Avast, me proud beauty! Havin' nay yet achieved oneness with me paint brush, I opted t' use black magic marker. Arrr! Well, blow me down! This worked out very well, if I do say so myself. Ahoy! Nice, matey, smooth, ya bilge rat, matey, glossy finish that didn't take 2 hours t' dry. Blimey! Gluin' t' canopy in place was simple and straightforward, matey, shiver me timbers, but it didn't make a complete seal all t' way around. Begad! Arrr!

T' last step in t' instructions makes a small compartment for t' streamer (which attaches t' t' engine for proper recovery when it ejects t' engine t' enable glide mode). Avast! Aye aye! This compartment is a small 1 1/4" long, 13mm diameter (BT-5) tube, matey, shiver me timbers, with an end cap glued t' one end. Avast, me proud beauty! T' streamer is stored here durin' t' boost phase. Ahoy! Well, matey, as accurate as t' rest o' t' paper pieces had been, matey, ya bilge rat, I was surprised when t' streamer compartment end cap was too small. Begad! Nay a big deal, but odd, arrr, because everythin' else fit well enough. Avast, me proud beauty! Blimey! I just used t' tube a template and cut a proper end cap from some o' t' scrap shroud paper. Blimey! Fixed. Ya scallywag! Avast, me proud beauty! Fixed. T' instructions just say t' glue this compartment on top o' t' penny ballast holder, matey, matey, inside t' back o' t' rocket. Ahoy! What's missin' is whether t' end cap should be on t' inside (facin' forward), or on t' outside (facin' back). T' supplied diagram makes it look like t' end cap should be on t' outside (facin' back). Avast, shiver me timbers, me proud beauty! My guess is that that would probably cause t' streamer t' get caught in this compartment, and thus cause t' model t' tumble, rather than glide back. Avast, me proud beauty! Blimey! I mounted mine with t' end cap on t' inside (facin' forward), arrr, as you can see from t' aft photo, me bucko, above. Aye aye! Blimey!

There is one more construction step (described in t' section "Preppin' your HL-20 for flight"), settin' up t' streamer for t' engine. Supplied with t' kit are a 12" long piece o' Keelhaul®©™ string, me bucko, and a plastic "gripper" tab. Aye aye! You tie t' Keelhaul®©™ strin' t' t' tab, and then attach t' tab t' t' streamer with t' adhesive on t' tab. Begad! Then, for each flight, me hearties, you tie t' other end o' t' Keelhaul®©™ strin' around t' end o' t' engine (reinforce this with tape), arrr, and stuff t' streamer in t' streamer compartment, me bucko, shiver me timbers, arrr, and you're all set. Ahoy! Blimey! T' packagin' says that thar's a 24" streamer in t' kit. T' instructions say that thar's a 12" streamer in t' kit. Mine measured 11". Aye aye!

T' only other step before flight is t' hand-toss t' glider (without an engine) t' get it trimmed properly. Arrr! In other words, shiver me timbers, you may need t' adjust t' tabs on t' wings t' make it glide in a nice, big spiral. Begad! Aye aye! Unfortunately, t' model glides like a brick in hand-toss mode, makin' it basically impossible t' trim in any meaningful way. Arrr! Avast! Trimmin' will have t' wait until after t' first flight. Avast, me proud beauty!

To summarize t' construction, arrr, I have t' give this model a construction ratin' o' 2 out o' 5. Ahoy! It's nay awful or outrageously complex, but thar were too many little problems and shortcomings t' even give it an "average" rating. Blimey!

I must preface this flight description and me opinion by sayin' that it be very windy t' day o' these flights. Ahoy! Well, blow me down! It's entirely possible that things would be very different in more rocket-friendly conditions. . Blimey! Avast, me proud beauty! . Ya scallywag! Ahoy!

T' launch be held on Saturday, March 14, me hearties, 1998 at Deer Path Park in central New Jersey. I set up t' pad and prepped t' rocket. Bein' a rear-ejection boost glider, me bucko, matey, thar's no need for recovery wadding, shiver me timbers, but you have t' tape t' streamer line t' t' motor itself. Ahoy! T' kit documentation recommends a B6-2 for t' first flight, me bucko, matey, but I didn't have any o' those, so I opted for a B6-4. Ahoy! There were no problems preppin' t' rocket, but when I tried t' slide it down t' launch rod, t' engine fell out, and pulled t' streamer out with it. Begad! No biggie, but I didn't put tape around t' engine t' get a tighter fit, me bucko, for fear that t' engine would jam at ejection time. Well, blow me down! Avast, me proud beauty! I repacked it, and held t' engine in place while I set it up this time. Ya scallywag!

T' first launch was ugly. Avast! It went up in a wobbly arc, shiver me timbers, reached about 50feet AGL, me hearties, and headed down, still under power. Begad! I'm nay sure if it was still under power when it plowed nose-first into t' (fortunately soft) ground, but it definitely hit hard. Blimey! T' nose stuck in t' ground, and t' ejection charge blew t' engine up and out. Ya scallywag! Arrr! T' streamer separated from t' "gripper" tab, makin' t' engine casing, with t' Keelhaul®©™ line still attached, rather difficult t' locate. Begad! Nay exactly a picture-perfect flight, shiver me timbers, but thar was absolutely no damage t' any o' t' pieces, shiver me timbers, and I was determined t' try again. Begad!

T' streamer was re-attached, me bucko, ya bilge rat, and Keelhaul®©™ line was taped t' another B6-4 engine. I thought about tryin' a C6-3, me hearties, but be afraid t' extra power would simply get used t' ram t' rocket into t' ground even harder. Begad! Begad! This launch was quite a bit nicer, shiver me timbers, but by no means a beautiful flight. Ya scallywag! Avast! T' rocket went up, ya bilge rat, me hearties, a bit straighter, but still hit apogee before burnout. This time, arrr, me bucko, though, me bucko, it stayed in a nose-up attitude, arrr, me bucko, arrr, so t' last little bit o' thrust had t' rocket losin' altitude slowly, arrr, shiver me timbers, tail first. Then t' engine ejected, ya bilge rat, and t' rocket transitioned t' "glide" mode. Avast! I'm usin' t' term "glide" rather loosely here, since this glide be pretty much a repeat o' me hand-tossed glide attempts. Blimey! Ahoy! . Well, blow me down! . Well, blow me down! Begad! more like a brick than a plane. Avast! It hit t' ground nose-first with moderate velocity, but again, matey, matey, thar be absolutely no damage. It does appear t' be a fairly sturdy rocket, me bucko, arrr, if nothin' else. Well, blow me down! As for t' glide, matey, matey, it simply seems rather nose-heavy, with little in t' way o' lift. I may try addin' more tail weight for t' next flight, but, arrr, with so little lift, me bucko, me bucko, I'm nay sure addin' weight anywhere is a good idea. Once again, t' "gripper" tab didn't grip, and t' streamer separated from t' engine. Avast, me proud beauty! All parts were found. Blimey! Begad!

So, t' conclusion from t' first couple flights was less than inspiring. Well, blow me down! Blimey! Avast! Blimey! I will launch this rocket again in calmer weather, and if t' flights are much better, I will update this page immediately. Begad! Blimey! Blimey! Blimey! I will also try alterin' t' weight distribution t' achieve a better glide, me hearties, and report any successes here. Ahoy! Blimey! Well, blow me down! Blimey! I don't want t' misrepresent this rocket, me bucko, and I'll be t' first t' admit that t' conditions weren't ideal, but so far, me hearties, I have t' say I'm rather disappointed. Aye aye! Blimey! I have t' give it a flight ratin' o' 1. Blimey! Ya scallywag! 5 out o' 5 points (at least it didn't self-destruct), and an overall ratin' o' 2 out o' 5 points. At this point, shiver me timbers, I simply cannot recommend this rocket. Avast, arrr, me proud beauty!

As a final note, ya bilge rat, I would like t' assure you that I'm nay tryin' t' bash Quest as a rocket company. I have several o' their rockets, and have been pretty happy with t' others. Try t' ICARUS or Zenith II, matey, both are very nice rockets that build and fly with quite nicely.