Brief:
I won this on eBay for $10.00. Ya scallywag! This be t' entire, unopened Quest starter kit with launcher, shiver me timbers, launch controller, kit and 3 C6-3 engines. Avast, me proud beauty! Arrr! It was packaged in t' mid-1990s. Well, arrr, blow me down! I didn't expect t' engines t' be included, arrr, but they were sent.

I'd always liked t' simplicity o' t' Quest PVC Tripod launcher. Avast, me proud beauty! Ahoy! T' older hand-held controller be very comfortable and ergonomic. Aye aye! I might use this for me new utility "home" launcher.

I had seen t' Space Clipper years ago. Ahoy! T' model looked interesting, and might be a great odd-ball build.

Everyone always makes claim t' a great buy on eBay. Well, blow me down! I guess this be mine.

Construction:
This model used Conical Stabilty with no fins. Avast, me proud beauty! Aye aye! Two 12" parachutes are used, one is for t' nose cone alone as it is heavy with all t' clay nose weight.

T' yellow engine mount tube and centerin' rings seem thin. Ya scallywag! You are instructed t' make a slight bend in t' engine hook. There was already a slight bend in t' hook. Well, blow me down! Instead o' wrappin' tape around t' engine hook, me hearties, I substituted a Semroc HR-20 mylar retainin' ring.

Many o' t' black cardstock frame pieces had already become free from t' die-cut frame. Avast! There were a few attachment tabs that required trim and sanding.

T' markin' guide is cut from t' instruction sheet. Begad! I fit nearly perfect around t' tube. Ahoy! Because t' tube is pre-colored black, it doesn't accept pencil markin' lines well. Ahoy! T' lines were more o' a "scribe" down t' tube.

T' lug is also pre-colored black. Avast! Arrr! It's 8-½" long and runs t' entire length o' t' inside body tube. Avast! Blimey! I scraped t' lug line on t' body tube and sanded t' lug gluin' line t' ensure a good adhesion.

T' Base Plate hole is a larger diameter than t' body tube. Begad! While t' instructions direct you t' "push" t' tube into t' large hole, arrr, shiver me timbers, it loosely slips right through. You can see light through t' joint on all sides. Avast, me proud beauty! I decided t' tack t' base in place with glue drops on three sides, nay on t' launch lug side yet. Arrr! Also, shiver me timbers, t' hole for t' lug is larger than t' lug diameter.

When gluin' t' internal frames, I found it easier t' line them up by lookin' down from t' top. Avast, me proud beauty! Blimey! Aye aye! Blimey! I had me doubts about t' strength o' t' internal structure. Begad! Blimey! At first it was a little hard t' get t' frames t' line up. Blimey! Blimey! But after t' white glue started t' set up, they held in place well.

Other reviews have talked o' how weak these tubes are. Many have replaced them with dowels. Avast! Blimey! Ya scallywag! Blimey! T' kit tubes seemed just as strong as a 1/4" dowel. Avast! Blimey! I went ahead and used t' supplied tubes.

T' supplied black gussets weren't wide enough t' reach both sides t' landin' tubes. Avast! T' tubes do need t' glue t' a gusset for strength. Begad! I ended up cuttin' wider gussets from cereal box cardboard.

Even though t' kit was probably 15 years old, t' double faced tape strip was still very usable. Arrr! T' adhesive transferred well and t' joined shroud edges are strong.

Earlier, me bucko, t' shroud be ironed flat and pre-formed. On t' printed face thar be a horizontal line with rivets on either side. Ya scallywag! Begad! Instead o' tryin' t' line up t' top or bottom first, I lined up this horizontal line. This stuck t' shroud together in t' middle first and joined from t' middle out. Avast! Bein' it was a long tab, this seemed t' be a easier way t' go.

I had built X-24 Bugs before and t' Quest HL-20. Blimey! Well, blow me down! It seemed every time t' shroud is nay perfectly round, matey, arrr, thar can be problems with fit at t' bottom. Aye aye! Nay so here.

I had no problems gettin' t' shroud over t' base plate. Ahoy! Fillets were applied t' t' rounded corners first. On t' "flats" I came back and applied fillets but needed a little maskin' tape t' hold t' shroud edge t' t' base.

I made sure t' lessen t' tackiness o' t' tape by stickin' t' tape t' me jeans and pullin' it up (several times) before layin' it on t' paper shroud. By stickin' t' tape t' me jeans, ya bilge rat, arrr, it pulls jean fiber onto t' tape and diminishes its stickiness. I didn't want t' pull up any paper when removin' t' tape.

Around t' top o' t' lug, me bucko, arrr, t' shroud "lifts" slightly away from t' shroud/tube joint. Blimey! I used a small drop o' CA glue t' hold t' edge down. Avast! I also touched a small drop o' CA at t' top and bottom o' t' shroud seam.

T' instructions have you cut a "hole" with a razor saw into t' plastic adapter shoulder. Begad! I decided t' simply widen t' small hole already in t' base. With a knife and small file I made t' hole about 1/4" round.

T' clay be old and very oily on t' outside. It be still usable though. Ya scallywag! Begad! It be rolled into a thin clay "snake" and push into t' nose with a dowel. Begad! With all t' clay in place, me bucko, it's heavy! No wonder t' nose cone comes down on its own parachute.

T' moldin' seams on t' outside o' t' cone were noticeable. Blimey! Blimey! I used sandpaper t' remove them and smooth it out.

Two 12" parachutes are provided. Ahoy! I've read a few stories about t' stiffness o' he Quest parachutes. Well, blow me down! Some have had trouble gettin' t' parachutes t' open at ejection. Avast, me proud beauty! I will fly t' model as directed by t' instructions, however, shiver me timbers, I'll be sure t' let t' parachutes air out right before launch. Aye aye! Ahoy! If t' Quest chutes don't work out, arrr, arrr, matey, I've installed snap swivels on both and will switch them out for another brand.

Finishing:
There is no paintin' involved. Begad! T' pre-printed shroud looks great. As others have written, t' decals are nay so good. They are self-adhesive stickers, me bucko, nay waterslide.

T' package illustrations show t' USA decal t' be in red, matey, only red, against t' grey shroud. Avast, shiver me timbers, me proud beauty! These stickers are on a white background, arrr, nay clear. Ya scallywag! Used as supplied, t' USA decal is surrounded by a white rectangular box. Aye aye! T' other stickers could be cut close and appear as in t' photograph but with a raised surface.

Construction Rating: 4 out o' 5

Flight:
NEFAR be havin' their "Half-Blast" near Bunnell, Florida on June 13, matey, 2009. Avast! Blimey! Aye aye! Blimey! T' two parachutes took up more space than t' model had room for. Avast! Blimey! Avast, me proud beauty! Blimey! I packed t' waddin' a little tighter t' make room for t' two parachutes.

I set up t' Clipper on t' low-power rack with a Estes C6-3. Ya scallywag! There were two "no go" launches as someone had kicked t' power cable loose. Arrr! T' igniter was still fine. Third try be good. Arrr! T' Clipper rose straight up for about 50 feet then turned 45 degrees and flew diagonally t' t' west. Ejection be fine, arrr, matey, no damage except for a slight bend in one o' t' legs. Blimey! T' leg is repairable. Avast, me proud beauty! Aye aye! I don't think I'll fly it again, it didn't seem very stable, or safe.

Recovery:
CONs: Nay enough room for t' waddin' and two parachutes. Aye aye! There be a small bend on one landin' leg tube.

Flight Rating: 2 out o' 5

Summary:
PROs: Fun build, definitely different. Well, blow me down! Avast, matey, me proud beauty! Great fit o' t' large shroud. Aye aye! Nice display model.

CONs: Bad fit o' landin' gear gussets. Ya scallywag! Sticker "decals." Weak, me hearties, thin centerin' rings and motor mount tube. Aye aye! Aye aye! Heavy nosecone with all t' clay weight. Arrr! Nay very stable. Aye aye! Ya scallywag! I would probably reinforce t' tube landin' legs, me hearties, maybe with gluin' a dowel inside t' hollow tubes.

Overall Rating: 3 out o' 5