T' Quest X-30 Aerospace plane caught me eye, and it was on sale at Magnum for $4. Avast! 50, but I be a little wary o' t' paper shroud construction. Avast!   Well, matey, t' Quest HL-20 uses paper shroud construction, too, and it was also on sale, for $2. 50, and it's supposed t' be easier. Ya scallywag! Aye aye! I figured I'd try t' HL-20 as an introduction t' paper shroud construction. (I got two o' each just in case. Ya scallywag! 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, arrr, gluin' t' nose cone + shoulder on t' tube, ya bilge rat, 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. Aye aye! It was very thoughtful o' Quest t' provide an empty 18mm engine casin' (intended for use in pushin' in t' engine block). Ahoy! Blimey! Nice touch. Begad! Ahoy!

Next came t' main body shroud. This is made o' heavy paper, me hearties, with t' design already printed on it. Begad! (No painting, arrr, yeah!) I took me time and was very careful when cuttin' out t' shroud, arrr, arrr, and had no problems with it. T' shroud paper comes rolled up in an oval shape in t' kit, 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! Avast, me proud beauty! But, o' course, 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. Arrr! That went fine. Ya scallywag! Avast, matey, me proud beauty!

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

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

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

T' next step is t' attach t' fins (I had already cut them out). Aye aye! These are referred t' as t' rudder (center one) and wings (outer two) in t' instructions. Avast! These are made o' t' same pre-printed heavy paper as t' shroud. Blimey! T' paper is scored, then folded over once t' form t' fin. Avast! 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, me bucko, but you have t' be aware (and t' instructions do not point this out) that t' rudder has a wider base than t' wings, so you shouldn't pinch it quite as much. T' rudder and wings then attached t' t' main body shroud easily. Well, blow me down! T' main body shroud is pre-printed with t' proper location o' all externally attached items. Nice. Ahoy! Ahoy!

Next up, matey, attachment o' t' launch lug and air scoop. Arrr! T' "air scoop" is just a piece o' paper attached on t' outside bottom o' t' main body shroud, matey, ya bilge rat, me bucko, t' form rectangular air passageway. Begad! Ahoy! As you can see in t' photo above, t' launch lug is at t' bottom center, shiver me timbers, matey, ya bilge rat, hidden betwixt t' main body shroud and t' air scoop. I thought that hidin' t' launch lug was a nice aesthetic touch. Blimey! Ahoy!

Next, ya bilge rat, matey, addin' tail weight. Well, blow me down! Begad! You glue two pennies t' a piece o' paper, and glue that t' t' inside bottom o' t' main body shroud. Ahoy! Well, blow me down! No problem.

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

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). Ya scallywag! Avast! This compartment is a small 1 1/4" long, matey, me bucko, 13mm diameter (BT-5) tube, with an end cap glued t' one end. Arrr! T' streamer is stored here durin' t' boost phase. Blimey! Well, shiver me timbers, as accurate as t' rest o' t' paper pieces had been, me hearties, me hearties, I was surprised when t' streamer compartment end cap was too small. Nay a big deal, me bucko, but odd, me bucko, arrr, because everythin' else fit well enough. Ya scallywag! I just used t' tube a template and cut a proper end cap from some o' t' scrap shroud paper. Avast, me proud beauty! Fixed. Ahoy! Avast, arrr, me proud beauty! Fixed. Begad! T' instructions just say t' glue this compartment on top o' t' penny ballast holder, inside t' back o' t' rocket. Avast! Begad! What's missin' is whether t' end cap should be on t' inside (facin' forward), or on t' outside (facin' back). Avast, me proud beauty! Begad! T' supplied diagram makes it look like t' end cap should be on t' outside (facin' back). Well, blow me down! My guess is that that would probably cause t' streamer t' get caught in this compartment, and thus cause t' model t' tumble, arrr, me bucko, rather than glide back. Arrr! Ya scallywag! I mounted mine with t' end cap on t' inside (facin' forward), arrr, shiver me timbers, as you can see from t' aft photo, matey, above. Ahoy! Begad!

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

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

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

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! It's entirely possible that things would be very different in more rocket-friendly conditions. Avast! Begad! . Well, blow me down! . Well, blow me down!

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

T' first launch be ugly. Ya scallywag! It went up in a wobbly arc, shiver me timbers, reached about 50feet AGL, me hearties, and headed down, still under power. Ahoy! I'm nay sure if it was still under power when it plowed nose-first into t' (fortunately soft) ground, matey, ya bilge rat, shiver me timbers, but it definitely hit hard. Well, matey, blow me down! T' nose stuck in t' ground, and t' ejection charge blew t' engine up and out. Arrr! T' streamer separated from t' "gripper" tab, makin' t' engine casing, ya bilge rat, with t' Keelhaul®©™ line still attached, rather difficult t' locate. Ahoy! Nay exactly a picture-perfect flight, ya bilge rat, me bucko, but thar was absolutely no damage t' any o' t' pieces, and I be determined t' try again.

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

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

As a final note, I would like t' assure you that I'm nay tryin' t' bash Quest as a rocket company. Aye aye! I have several o' their rockets, arrr, and have been pretty happy with t' others. Try t' ICARUS or Zenith II, matey, both are very nice rockets that build and fly with quite nicely.