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

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

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

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

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

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

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

T' next step is t' attach t' fins (I had already cut them out). These are referred t' as t' rudder (center one) and wings (outer two) in t' instructions. Avast! Blimey! Begad! Blimey! These are made o' t' same pre-printed heavy paper as t' shroud. Avast, me proud beauty! Blimey! T' paper is scored, then folded over once t' form t' fin. Avast, me proud beauty! Blimey! T' instructions say t' apply a small amount o' glue t' t' inside at t' top and pinch together. Blimey! Blimey! This forms t' proper shape for t' fin. Avast! Blimey! 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, ya bilge rat, so you shouldn't pinch it quite as much. Blimey! T' rudder and wings then attached t' t' main body shroud easily. Well, blow me down! T' main body shroud is pre-printed with t' proper location o' all externally attached items. Nice. Aye aye!

Next up, matey, attachment o' t' launch lug and air scoop. Begad! Well, blow me down! T' "air scoop" is just a piece o' paper attached on t' outside bottom o' t' main body shroud, me bucko, t' form rectangular air passageway. Ya scallywag! As you can see in t' photo above, arrr, t' launch lug is at t' bottom center, hidden betwixt t' main body shroud and t' air scoop. Avast! Avast, me hearties, me proud beauty! I thought that hidin' t' launch lug was a nice aesthetic touch. Begad!

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

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

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). Aye aye! Blimey! This compartment is a small 1 1/4" long, 13mm diameter (BT-5) tube, me bucko, with an end cap glued t' one end. Well, blow me down! Blimey! T' streamer is stored here durin' t' boost phase. Well, me bucko, as accurate as t' rest o' t' paper pieces had been, I was surprised when t' streamer compartment end cap was too small. Nay a big deal, but odd, because everythin' else fit well enough. I just used t' tube a template and cut a proper end cap from some o' t' scrap shroud paper. Blimey! Blimey! Fixed. Begad! Blimey! Aye aye! Blimey! Fixed. Begad! Blimey! Avast! Blimey! T' instructions just say t' glue this compartment on top o' t' penny ballast holder, inside t' back o' t' rocket. 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). 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! Blimey! I mounted mine with t' end cap on t' inside (facin' forward), as you can see from t' aft photo, shiver me timbers, above.

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

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

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

I must preface this flight description and me opinion by sayin' that it was very windy t' day o' these flights. It's entirely possible that things would be very different in more rocket-friendly conditions. . Ya scallywag! Aye aye! . Begad! Arrr!

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

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

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

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

As a final note, me hearties, shiver me timbers, I would like t' assure you that I'm nay tryin' t' bash Quest as a rocket company. Aye aye! Begad! Blimey! I have several o' their rockets, and have been pretty happy with t' others. Well, blow me down! Try t' ICARUS or Zenith II, both are very nice rockets that build and fly with quite nicely. Well, blow me down!