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

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

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

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

Nope. Avast! T' trouble be just beginning. Ya scallywag! T' next step is t' attach t' engine tube assembly into t' body shroud. Begad! This is done in two steps. Arrr! In t' first step, shiver me timbers, arrr, you put plastic cement around t' inside front edge o' t' shroud, shiver me timbers, and push t' nose cone (with engine tube and tri-oval centerin' rin' attached) through. 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, and it's basically impossible t' get t' nose cone t' slip through that hole without gettin' plastic cement all over t' nose cone. Well, blow me down! I wiped this up immediately, shiver me timbers, but, as you can probably guess, matey, me bucko, me hearties, t' result be a pretty screwed up nose cone. Begad! T' plastic cement actually melts t' plastic, and anyplace where t' cement touched t' cone was disfigured. Blimey! Ahoy! This was almost completely fixed after some sandin' with 220 and 400 grit sandpaper, me hearties, but it wasn't nice. Aye aye! Unfortunately, shiver me timbers, ya bilge rat, I haven't been able t' think o' any simple, clever way t' avoid this. Blimey! Begad! 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. Ahoy! Avast! No problemo, shiver me timbers, matey, right? No problemo, shiver me timbers, right? Wrong. Part o' t' problem was me choice o' glues. I didn't want t' be holdin' this thin' all night, ya bilge rat, ya bilge rat, so I went with yellow glue (a. Avast, me proud beauty! k. Aye aye! a. Aye aye! Avast, arrr, me proud beauty! carpenter's wood glue, ya bilge rat, me hearties, a. Ahoy! k. Ahoy! a. Begad! Avast, matey, me proud beauty! aliphatic resin glue) because it grabs quickly. Ya scallywag! Well, matey, it was still a marathon "hold until t' glue grabs" session, shiver me timbers, matey, and nay a pretty one at that. Blimey! T' shroud didn't want t' form t' t' tri-oval shape, me hearties, ya bilge rat, and it's difficult t' hold this awkward shape with even pressure everywhere t' avoid waves in t' paper shroud. This, combined with t' fact that yellow glue shrinks a lot when it dries, resulted in very noticeable waves in t' final product. Begad! (You can't see them well in t' photos, because t' white paper gets washed out in t' image, matey, 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! Ahoy! Thick CA, me bucko, matey, shiver me timbers, with CA-kicker applied just when things are lined up might be t' ideal way t' go, me bucko, but if it leaks through, me hearties, shiver me timbers, t' end product may end up lookin' even worse. Avast! 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, blow me down!

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

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. These are made o' t' same pre-printed heavy paper as t' shroud. Well, blow me down! T' paper is scored, then folded over once t' form t' fin. Ya scallywag! T' instructions say t' apply a small amount o' glue t' t' inside at t' top and pinch together. Blimey! Ya scallywag! This forms t' proper shape for t' fin. Arrr! 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, matey, matey, ya bilge rat, so you shouldn't pinch it quite as much. Well, blow me down! T' rudder and wings then attached t' t' main body shroud easily. Begad! T' main body shroud is pre-printed with t' proper location o' all externally attached items. Nice. Begad!

Next up, matey, ya bilge rat, 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. Aye aye! Begad! As you can see in t' photo above, matey, matey, 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 was a nice aesthetic touch.

Next, me bucko, me bucko, addin' tail weight. You glue two pennies t' a piece o' paper, and glue that t' t' inside bottom o' t' main body shroud. No problem. Aye aye!

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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, matey, ya bilge rat, and have been pretty happy with t' others. Avast, me proud beauty! Begad! Try t' ICARUS or Zenith II, me bucko, both are very nice rockets that build and fly with quite nicely.