Buildin' t' Quest X-30 

In me first incarnation, arrr, I had built t' Centuri Vulcan, a body-wrap design o' marginal performance. Aye aye! I had liked t' looks o' that exotic, me hearties, so when I ran across a Quest X-30 in me local hobby shop's "buy this stuff or we'll throw it away" bin, me hearties, I snapped it up. Well, shiver me timbers, blow me down! T' reduced price o' $10.99 over their original askin' o' $16.99 didn't hurt either. Ya scallywag! Avast, me proud beauty! (Discount Rocketry had them for a paltry $7.) Bein' an almost exclusive Estes buyer as a BAR, me bucko, shiver me timbers, I thought this would give me a chance t' see what Quest be all about without too serious an investment.

T' Bad Points

T' kit was unopened, me bucko, ya bilge rat, but was still missin' t' engine hook; I used an Estes standard engine hook that fit just fine. T' model has a great deal o' paper cut-outs, arrr, some requirin' a steady hand t' trim properly. Arrr! T' balsa fins are poorly die-cut, me hearties, shiver me timbers, needin' a sharp knife t' be extracted successfully from t' stock. Arrr! T' stock, BTW, ya bilge rat, ya bilge rat, appears t' be a notch below Estes' almost competition grade, shiver me timbers, me bucko, as are t' 'chutes, which are flimsy, matey, matey, poorly printed, me bucko, prone t' deformation and tearin' and nay easily packed. Well, blow me down! Avast! All three bulkheads were uniformly over-size, requirin' careful sandin' t' brin' them t' t' proper dimensions. Well, me bucko, blow me down! T' key phrase here is 'dry fit-up'; and nay just once, me hearties, but numerous times. Over-all, fit was poor, loose some places, tight in others.

Printed Material

T' 'bag art' is misleadin' on a number o' points; t' images are retouched, showin' some details where thar are none (the cockpit, arrr, for instance) and hidin' others (e.g., t' air scoop joint). One downright incorrect illustration shows t' shock cord attachin' t' both t' front and aft o' t' model, me bucko, ya bilge rat, and recovery as belly-first. Don't believe it; this bird recovers tail- first, ya bilge rat, just as with every other conventionally recoverin' rocket. Blimey! Well, ya bilge rat, blow me down! T' instructions are clear and easy t' follow, though little technique is discussed and at least one dimension is a total gaff. On t' other hand, shiver me timbers, t' printin' on t' body wrap and sheetin' be good except for one glitch; I've seen much worse.

T' Good Points

There are a few things about this bird I did like, though. T' Keelhaul®©™ shock cord is great idea, I'll be usin' on me own designs in t' future. Ahoy! Strong and light-weight, matey, its primary advantage is its extreme heat resistance. Avast, me proud beauty! This allows t' designer t' mount it darn near anyplace, ya bilge rat, even right in front o' t' engine, matey, as is done on t' X-30. (You can buy bulk cord from Rogue.) I also appreciated t' pre-cut shroud lines.

T' Body and Bulkheads

T' dual sided adhesive strip that joins t' body wrap is amazingly strong and easy t' apply. Ahoy! As with all wrapped designs, care must be taken in t' joinin' step, shiver me timbers, ya bilge rat, but even though t' strip provides less workin' time than white glue (practically none, in fact), matey, I didn't have too much trouble at all. Ya scallywag! No paper swellin' as with glue, me bucko, shiver me timbers, and extremely thin, keepin' t' joint darn near invisible. Aye aye! Why thar isn't a similar strip for t' air scoop joint is beyond me.

Unlike t' body wrap, t' bulkheads were a big disappointment. Avast! All must be sanded, ya bilge rat, me hearties, t' ones in t' body just t' fit and t' one in t' nose t' match. Well, blow me down! Ya scallywag! Failin' t' do so will result in creases in t' body which will require special attention t' t' fins t' get a good mount. Arrr! Don't believe t' placement dimension given in t' instructions for t' stern (i.e., me bucko, me bucko, larger) bulkhead; fit it up last, after you make sure t' bow bulkhead is even with t' edge o' t' body wrap. Begad! Avast! Even with careful work, shiver me timbers, me X-30 looks like a golf shoe.

Vacu-formed Parts

As I do with all plastic-to-paper or -balsa attachments, I used CA on these instead o' t' suggested plastic model cement, and also as usual, arrr, with much greater success. Arrr! Begad! For t' cockpit, arrr, I used maskin' tape t' form a holdin' tab on t' upper surface, lettin' me apply t' glue and place t' part without ever touchin' t' edges. Aye aye! Sand t' edges o' t' cockpit smooth and even, arrr, it'll look real crummy if you don't. Ya scallywag! Care must be taken when placin' t' nose bulkhead; you only get one chance with CA. Avast, shiver me timbers, me proud beauty! If you don't screw it up too much, sandin' t' bulkhead might brin' t' surface back t' square, but don't count on it.

Sheetin' t' Fins

Balsa sheetin' adhesive (the "glue stick" mentioned in t' instructions) is available from your local RC shop. Ya scallywag! Ya scallywag! Drop by for a bottle and ask how they use it (most RC planes have some type o' sheeting), and be sure t' mention your sheetin' is pre-printed paper. Avast, me proud beauty! If you'd rather go it alone, thin some white glue about 2:1 and brush it on, payin' special attention t' t' edges. Avast! Don't be surprised t' see t' fins warp after you've applied t' glue; set them in a warm place t' dry and they'll come back. Trimmin' t' sheetin' and plastic can be done with a good pair o' scissors and a final light sanding.

For construction, ya bilge rat, shiver me timbers, I'd rate this model a 2 points on t' Essence scale, arrr, 'Needs Improvement'.

Flying

As with all tapered body designs, extra nose weight is required, matey, and when combined with her wide body, t' X-30 is less than a stellar performer. Ya scallywag! Only two engines are on t' recommended list, me bucko, me hearties, B6-2 (~110') and C6-3 (~210'), me bucko, though I wouldn't recommend t' former myself. T' Quest versions o' these are "hotter" than their Estes counterparts, so I'd suggest usin' them; this bird needs all t' impulse she can get. Blimey! An Estes C5-3 also works (~220'), ya bilge rat, arrr, and if you've been able t' get darn near all (1 oz.) o' t' nose weight clay installed, ya bilge rat, I'd also recommend t' Apogee D3-3 for a flight commensurate with t' X-30's namesake (~490'). If your bird comes in heavy as mine did (3.25 oz. Blimey! vs. Ya scallywag! Begad! t' stated 2.75), arrr, don't be surprised t' see her nose over before ejection on t' three second delay engines.

For flight, me bucko, I'd rate this bird a 3 points on t' Essence scale, 'Average'.

Summary

This model is listed as Skill Level 4, arrr, Quest's highest, ya bilge rat, "Recommended for t' Expert Modeler", matey, and rightly so. Aye aye! It contains a number o' hurdles and techniques most Estes rocketeers will nay be familiar with, arrr, such as sheeted balsa fins and ill-fittin' parts. Begad! Ya scallywag! RC aircraft modelin' experience is more suited t' this ship's design, shiver me timbers, me hearties, but with attention t' detail and patience, it can be conquered without too much difficulty. Avast! And under D3-3 power, me hearties, she's bound t' be impressive once she's airborne.

Overall, matey, me hearties, I'd rate this bird a 3 points on t' Essence scale, 'Average'.

Would I buy another Quest model? Probably, arrr, but only because I know what I'd be in for and felt I could handle it. Begad! If you're nay used t' improvisin' on a design or lack o' quality, go with t' more thoughtfully produced products o' t' better-known manufacturers.