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

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

Next came t' main body shroud. Begad! Begad! This is made o' heavy paper, with t' design already printed on it. Begad! (No painting, shiver me timbers, yeah!) I took me time and was very careful when cuttin' out t' shroud, and had no problems with it. T' shroud paper comes rolled up in an oval shape in t' kit, 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. But, me bucko, shiver me timbers, o' course, ya bilge rat, 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. Well, blow me down! Ahoy! That went fine. Aye aye! Avast, me proud beauty!

And then came t' moment o' truth. Well, blow me down! . . Well, blow me down! time t' put t' shroud together, me bucko, matey, permanently. Blimey! 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, matey, place that on t' tab o' t' shroud, then peel off t' coverin' on t' 2nd side, shiver me timbers, ya bilge rat, and finally attach t' other edge o' t' shroud. Begad! Despite some problems gettin' t' coverings off t' adhesive, this actually worked quite well. Avast, me proud beauty! Arrr! It took care, ya bilge rat, but be nay particularly difficult t' get t' shroud edges lined up and held in place. Well, blow me down! Whew. Begad! Whew. It's all downhill from here. . Aye aye! Begad! . right?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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, me bucko, but thar were too many little problems and shortcomings t' even give it an "average" rating. Aye aye!

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

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

T' first launch was ugly. Blimey! It went up in a wobbly arc, reached about 50feet AGL, and headed down, ya bilge rat, still under power. Arrr! 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. T' nose stuck in t' ground, me hearties, and t' ejection charge blew t' engine up and out. T' streamer separated from t' "gripper" tab, ya bilge rat, makin' t' engine casing, me hearties, with t' Keelhaul®©™ line still attached, ya bilge rat, matey, rather difficult t' locate. Begad! Well, blow me down! Nay exactly a picture-perfect flight, but thar was absolutely no damage t' any o' t' pieces, arrr, and I was determined t' try again. Avast!

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

So, me hearties, t' conclusion from t' first couple flights was less than inspiring. Avast, me proud beauty! I will launch this rocket again in calmer weather, matey, and if t' flights are much better, me bucko, I will update this page immediately. Aye aye! I will also try alterin' t' weight distribution t' achieve a better glide, and report any successes here. Begad! I don't want t' misrepresent this rocket, arrr, 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. 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. Blimey! Blimey! At this point, arrr, I simply cannot recommend this rocket. Ya scallywag! Blimey!

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