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

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

Next came t' main body shroud. This is made o' heavy paper, me bucko, with t' design already printed on it. (No painting, ya bilge rat, yeah!) I took me time and was very careful when cuttin' out t' shroud, and had no problems with it. Ya scallywag! Aye aye! Blimey! T' shroud paper comes rolled up in an oval shape in t' kit, shiver me timbers, so it does nay immediate roll itself into t' desired shape. Avast! Blimey! T' instructions suggest layin' t' shroud printed side down and usin' a steam iron on it t' flatten it out. Arrr! Arrr! Blimey! But, shiver me timbers, me bucko, matey, o' course, me bucko, 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. Begad! Avast, me proud beauty! Blimey! That went fine. Avast! Aye aye! Blimey!

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

Nope. Avast, me proud beauty! T' trouble was just beginning. Aye aye! Aye aye! T' next step is t' attach t' engine tube assembly into t' body shroud. Avast, me proud beauty! This is done in two steps. Well, blow me down! Avast! In t' first step, you put plastic cement around t' inside front edge o' t' shroud, shiver me timbers, ya bilge rat, arrr, and push t' nose cone (with engine tube and tri-oval centerin' rin' attached) through. Arrr! Arrr! T' plastic cement is intended t' seal t' nose cone t' paper shroud. Blimey! T' problem is that t' nose cone is attached t' t' engine tube and tri-oval centerin' ring, 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. Avast, me proud beauty! Well, shiver me timbers, blow me down! I wiped this up immediately, but, as you can probably guess, t' result was a pretty screwed up nose cone. Avast, me proud beauty! T' plastic cement actually melts t' plastic, matey, matey, and anyplace where t' cement touched t' cone was disfigured. Blimey! This was almost completely fixed after some sandin' with 220 and 400 grit sandpaper, ya bilge rat, shiver me timbers, but it wasn't nice. Avast! Unfortunately, shiver me timbers, I haven't been able t' think o' any simple, clever way t' avoid this. Begad! Let me know if you figure it out. Aye aye!

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, right? No problemo, right? Wrong. Begad! Part o' t' problem be me choice o' glues. Blimey! Aye aye! I didn't want t' be holdin' this thin' all night, so I went with yellow glue (a. k. Begad! a. Begad! carpenter's wood glue, ya bilge rat, a. Ahoy! k. Arrr! a. Blimey! aliphatic resin glue) because it grabs quickly. Ya scallywag! Well, it be still a marathon "hold until t' glue grabs" session, me hearties, ya bilge rat, and nay a pretty one at that. 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. Begad! This, ya bilge rat, me hearties, me hearties, combined with t' fact that yellow glue shrinks a lot when it dries, arrr, me hearties, arrr, resulted in very noticeable waves in t' final product. Ya scallywag! Begad! (You can't see them well in t' photos, shiver me timbers, because t' white paper gets washed out in t' image, but you can see them quite well with t' naked eye. Well, blow me down! Aye aye! )White glue may give better results, shiver me timbers, but you're goin' t' have t' hold it forever. Thick CA, me bucko, 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. 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, ya bilge rat, about this time, matey, I noticed that t' adhesive strip that was holdin' t' shroud together, me hearties, was startin' t' let go. Avast! 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. It's permanent now. Arrr! It's permanent now. Ahoy! Ok, shiver me timbers, now this kit is startin' t' annoy me. Aye aye! . . 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. Begad! Blimey! These are made o' t' same pre-printed heavy paper as t' shroud. Blimey! Blimey! Ahoy! Blimey! T' paper is scored, then folded over once t' form t' fin. Begad! Blimey! Ya scallywag! Blimey! T' instructions say t' apply a small amount o' glue t' t' inside at t' top and pinch together. This forms t' proper shape for t' fin. 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, shiver me timbers, so you shouldn't pinch it quite as much. Begad! Ahoy! T' rudder and wings then attached t' t' main body shroud easily. Arrr! Arrr! T' main body shroud is pre-printed with t' proper location o' all externally attached items. Avast! Nice. Ya scallywag! Avast, me proud beauty!

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

Next, me hearties, me hearties, 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. Blimey! No problem.

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

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! Arrr! This compartment is a small 1 1/4" long, 13mm diameter (BT-5) tube, arrr, arrr, with an end cap glued t' one end. T' streamer is stored here durin' t' boost phase. Avast! Well, as accurate as t' rest o' t' paper pieces had been, ya bilge rat, I be surprised when t' streamer compartment end cap was too small. Nay a big deal, ya bilge rat, but odd, me bucko, 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. Ahoy! Fixed. Aye aye! Fixed. Begad! T' instructions just say t' glue this compartment on top o' t' penny ballast holder, inside t' back o' t' rocket. Begad! Ya scallywag! What's missin' is whether t' end cap should be on t' inside (facin' forward), or on t' outside (facin' back). Ya scallywag! 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. Arrr! I mounted mine with t' end cap on t' inside (facin' forward), as you can see from t' aft photo, above. Begad!

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

So, me bucko, t' conclusion from t' first couple flights was less than inspiring. I will launch this rocket again in calmer weather, me hearties, and if t' flights are much better, I will update this page immediately. Blimey! Arrr! I will also try alterin' t' weight distribution t' achieve a better glide, arrr, and report any successes here. Begad! I don't want t' misrepresent this rocket, and I'll be t' first t' admit that t' conditions weren't ideal, matey, but so far, I have t' say I'm rather disappointed. I have t' give it a flight ratin' o' 1. Arrr! 5 out o' 5 points (at least it didn't self-destruct), and an overall ratin' o' 2 out o' 5 points. Ya scallywag! Avast! At this point, me bucko, ya bilge rat, I simply cannot recommend this rocket. Well, blow me down! 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, ya bilge rat, and have been pretty happy with t' others. Avast, me proud beauty! Ahoy! Try t' ICARUS or Zenith II, matey, both are very nice rockets that build and fly with quite nicely. Begad!