Packagin' and quality average; nay spectacular but nay bad either. Ya scallywag! Arrr! I would have t' say 4 out o' 5 though because t' Aeroshroud looks really nice and saves a lot o' finish work. T' package came as a bag with cardboard picture. Blimey! T' aeroshroud, matey, me hearties, tube, ya bilge rat, nose cone, and centerin' rings were inside with t' directions.

T' directions were thorough and easy t' follow (well written). Blimey! T' only part in construction that I expected difficulty was with t' aeroshroud over t' centerin' rings which where glued t' t' tube (motor mount) with nose cone on top. Avast! Begad! This actually proved t' be easier than it looked with a simple shove t' slip t' shroud into place and "walla, me hearties, done deal". I used CA glue t' assemble t' entire model and with me past experience I was done in 20 minutes.

T' next portion o' assembly is t' glue t' "fins" and scoop into place. Begad! A very nice feature design be that Quest had you glue t' launch lug on t' underbelly o' t' ship right where t' scoop goes. This is nice so that you never really see t' lug. Ya scallywag! T' fins where made o' t' same cardboard as t' shroud. Avast, me proud beauty! T' fins are hollow V-shaped and glued in places marked on shroud with glue tabs. Avast, me proud beauty! T' scoop attaches in t' same manner as t' fins/wings.

Addin' balancin' weight and streamer tube: next is a small tube covered on one end that you have t' build and put aside. Next it calls for usin' an included tab-like thin' t' glue 2 pennies t' t' inside bottom o' t' craft t' give it an orientation o' up and down and balance t' center o' gravity properly.

This is one area t' instructions are NOT clear, matey, ya bilge rat, ya bilge rat, so I took a guess and got lucky. Aye aye! Blimey! You have t' glue t' tabs with pennies inside on t' bottom center-line, somewhere betwixt t' edges o' t' shroud and t' joint o' t' aft most centerin' ring. Avast, me proud beauty! Blimey! Ahoy! Blimey! But, t' two different locations are far enough apart t' have a large effect on performance, so I guessed at have it line up with t' aft edge o' t' shroud and was right. Avast! Blimey! I glued t' streamer tube on t' all o' this with t' openin' t' t' aft o' t' ship!! Blimey! nay t' front.

Finishing: 

This is what is so cool about t' Quest Aeroshroud. Avast, me proud beauty! Arrr! Blimey! You get awesome lookin' shrouds with no effort. You get a complete finish. But, arrr, arrr, a word o' caution, CA glue will smear and ruin t' Shroud finish if you get it on it and try t' wipe it off . Begad! . . Aye aye! so be careful! 

Trimmin' For Flight: 

This be t' fun part. Aye aye! No, really, you just need lots o' patience and lots o' practice. Blimey! Avast, ya bilge rat, me proud beauty! For although, shiver me timbers, this is nay a record breakin' glider, it is fun t' watch, me bucko, easy t' prep and great for small fields. Avast! Aye aye! And dazzles t' kids.

Hand tossin' is difficult at best. Begad! Blimey! Begad! Blimey! Simply for its a very cumbersome, shiver me timbers, bulky design. You can nay "hardball" it like a regular glider. You have t' be very gentle. Ya scallywag! Blimey! T' idea is t' see it glide just 5 feet, shiver me timbers, nay 5 minutes (which you will never get). Avast, me proud beauty! Blimey! T' idea is t' see it glide just long enough t' get an idea ofhow t' trim it.

It will almost certainty need some up elevator t' help pull t' nose up and mine tended t' turn left on t' first flight.

Also, shiver me timbers, DO NOT install t' streamer. Begad! Just forget it. Arrr! Avast, me proud beauty! Install t' streamer tube. Blimey! Install t' streamer tube. Ahoy! Do everythin' you are supposed but when you prep t' motor, simply forget t' do t' streamer portion. Ya scallywag! You will nay regret it . . . Ahoy! I will explain later.

Construction is 4 out o' 5. Ahoy! Very straight-forward. Avast! Nay easy but clear assembly instructions and good engineerin' led t' no difficulties. In fact, me hearties, if you have built an Alpha, arrr, t' one where you have t' glue on t' fins, shiver me timbers, me hearties, I say you can do this kit. Begad! Begad! But, you may need help with t' aeroshroud sticky tape. Begad! It is very effective and totally permanent (so far after 20 some flights) but very finicky on assembly.

Flights:

I have flown this bird many times and have now retired it and look forward t' gettin' another t' build very soon. Here is just some o' me flight notes:

T' first few flights were horrible! Just like people all over t' net described. Nasty low boosts, arrr, shiver me timbers, short borin' quasi-glides. It would boost t' 50 feet (maybe a little higher), go into a power-glide and then eject and glide for about 3 seconds.

On t' fourth flight I could nay find t' engine casin' and streamer so I said, me hearties, "skip it" and flew it with just an engine; C6-3 which was t' same as first 3 flights (3 seconds or less delay ONLY !)

Wow, what a difference. Arrr! Blimey! It had a squirrelly wobbly boost, straight up, several hundred feet. Arrr! Blimey! Blimey! Blimey! Transitioned t' glide and what can I say, it won't win any awards for time aloft, me hearties, but I must say it was great. Arrr! Blimey! That little plane really flew nice.

I did it again and again and again that day until I be out o' engines. Arrr! I just love this little glider.

I flew it some more at a PARA launch and easily cleared 200 yards glided distance several times!

I launched it at NARAM-40 and got t' expected, shiver me timbers, me hearties, "Uh, Oh" type comments that turned into me expected, "hey, it really works and nay all that bad either".

At NARAM it was nearin' 20 some flights and was showin' it's age after some harder than nice landings etc. Avast! . And some harsh beat it up in t' back with t' kids car trips etc. Blimey! . .

I decided t' go out with a bang and wanted t' get some really cool glide times, me hearties, but what engines would give me more altitude than a C6-3 in 18mm. Ya scallywag! Tim [from Apogee] says, "hey, a D3-3 might lift that. Begad! Avast, me proud beauty! Its real draggy, but it might do it". Ya scallywag! I said, "what's so special about a D3?". Well, blow me down! He says, "a 6. Blimey! 8 second burn time. Avast, me proud beauty! "I said, me bucko, "SOLD".

I launched, after 7, me hearties, me hearties, yes 7 failed launches (he said they were tough t' light). Arrr! I got it t' light and WOW it went up and up and higher than a C6 and up and up and way higher than a C6. Avast! 3 seconds into flight 3. 8 seconds o' burn left and up and up and over and down and down and down and down, matey, me hearties, mayday, arrr, shiver me timbers, mayday, SLAMMMMMM Crunch Six Million Dollar Man right in t' middle o' t' field. Aye aye! As t' thrust burnt out t' lower regressive burns it was NOT enough t' keep it pointed UP so it augured in while still thrusting.

But, almost no damage except a ripped nose cone. Ya scallywag! Ahoy! Easily glued t' fix on t' spot. WE Can REBUILD HIM Steve Austin must have been pilotin' that flight.

Now it is harder and harder t' trim. Arrr! Ahoy! It is gettin' old so I stop flyin' it (I fly me birds t' their deaths).

Some notes for buildin' future HL-20's

Have cleanin' supplies and clean after every single flight. That ejection charge gets dirt and smut all over t' inside o' t' tube. Blimey! Blimey! Centerin' rings and shroud will eventually effect t' balance o' t' ship and make it harder and harder t' fly . Arrr! Blimey! Well, blow me down! Blimey! . Avast! Blimey! . Well, blow me down! Blimey! so, clean it up after each flight.

For flight points, me hearties, I have t' rate this awesome, fun-as-anythin' ship a 5 out o' 5. Pure fun, matey, me hearties, me bucko, once you get through t' trimmin' nightmare.