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

Construction started out well. It starts by attachin' t' tri-oval centerin' disk t' t' engine tube, arrr, arrr, gluin' a shoulder t' t' nose cone, matey, gluin' t' nose cone + shoulder on t' tube, ya bilge rat, and gluin' in t' engine block. Avast! Well, blow me down! 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! Avast, me proud beauty! Nice touch. Avast, me proud beauty!

Next came t' main body shroud. Aye aye! This is made o' heavy paper, with t' design already printed on it. Ya scallywag! (No painting, yeah!) I took me time and be very careful when cuttin' out t' shroud, matey, and had no problems with it. T' shroud paper comes rolled up in an oval shape in t' kit, arrr, so it does nay immediate roll itself into t' desired shape. Ahoy! Begad! T' instructions suggest layin' t' shroud printed side down and usin' a steam iron on it t' flatten it out. Begad! But, o' course, you don't want it flat, ya bilge rat, so I chose t' roll it up close t' it's intended shape, shiver me timbers, and hold it in place with rubber bands while I cut out t' rest o' t' paper pieces. Well, blow me down! That went fine.

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

Nope. Aye aye! T' trouble be just beginning. T' next step is t' attach t' engine tube assembly into t' body shroud. Avast, me proud beauty! This is done in two steps. Begad! In t' first step, shiver me timbers, you put plastic cement around t' inside front edge o' t' shroud, and push t' nose cone (with engine tube and tri-oval centerin' rin' attached) through. Begad! Avast! 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, 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! I wiped this up immediately, arrr, but, arrr, shiver me timbers, as you can probably guess, t' result be a pretty screwed up nose cone. T' plastic cement actually melts t' plastic, ya bilge rat, and anyplace where t' cement touched t' cone was disfigured. Ahoy! Aye aye! This was almost completely fixed after some sandin' with 220 and 400 grit sandpaper, but it wasn't nice. Unfortunately, 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.

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. No problemo, right? No problemo, me hearties, matey, right? Wrong. Arrr! Blimey! Part o' t' problem be me choice o' glues. Begad! Blimey! I didn't want t' be holdin' this thin' all night, so I went with yellow glue (a. Avast! Blimey! Blimey! Blimey! k. a. carpenter's wood glue, me bucko, a. Well, blow me down! Blimey! Aye aye! Blimey! Blimey! Blimey! k. a. Aye aye! Blimey! Blimey! Blimey! aliphatic resin glue) because it grabs quickly. Avast! Blimey! Aye aye! Blimey! Blimey! Blimey! Well, me bucko, it was still a marathon "hold until t' glue grabs" session, and nay a pretty one at that. Arrr! Blimey! Begad! Blimey! Blimey! Blimey! T' shroud didn't want t' form t' t' tri-oval shape, arrr, matey, and it's difficult t' hold this awkward shape with even pressure everywhere t' avoid waves in t' paper shroud. Avast! Blimey! This, me bucko, combined with t' fact that yellow glue shrinks a lot when it dries, resulted in very noticeable waves in t' final product. Ahoy! Blimey! (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. )White glue may give better results, me bucko, but you're goin' t' have t' hold it forever. Begad! Blimey! Thick CA, me hearties, arrr, ya bilge rat, with CA-kicker applied just when things are lined up might be t' ideal way t' go, but if it leaks through, matey, 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. Arrr!

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

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

Next up, attachment o' t' launch lug and air scoop. Avast, me proud beauty! T' "air scoop" is just a piece o' paper attached on t' outside bottom o' t' main body shroud, ya bilge rat, arrr, t' form rectangular air passageway. 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. Arrr! I thought that hidin' t' launch lug be a nice aesthetic touch. Well, blow me down!

Next, addin' tail weight. Avast, shiver me timbers, me proud beauty! You glue two pennies t' a piece o' paper, and glue that t' t' inside bottom o' t' main body shroud. Ya scallywag! No problem. Aye aye!

Next, ya bilge rat, t' cockpit canopy. This must be cut from a large piece o' excess plastic. Aye aye! It was unclear exactly where t' cut, me bucko, and t' instructions aren't helpful here. Aye aye! 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. Blimey! Avast, me proud beauty! If you're a stickler for such details, you might want t' cut it out with more edge material initially, me hearties, ya bilge rat, and try placin' it on t' shroud t' see where you can remove t' excess. Avast! This piece, unlike t' rest o' t' rocket, ya bilge rat, requires some finishing, although t' instructions don't mention this at all. Avast, me proud beauty! Havin' nay yet achieved oneness with me paint brush, me hearties, me bucko, I opted t' use black magic marker. Avast! This worked out very well, arrr, if I do say so myself. Well, blow me down! Nice, smooth, matey, glossy finish that didn't take 2 hours t' dry. Blimey! Well, blow me down! Gluin' t' canopy in place was simple and straightforward, matey, 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). This compartment is a small 1 1/4" long, 13mm diameter (BT-5) tube, with an end cap glued t' one end. Avast! Blimey! T' streamer is stored here durin' t' boost phase. Ahoy! Well, as accurate as t' rest o' t' paper pieces had been, me hearties, I was surprised when t' streamer compartment end cap be too small. Aye aye! Avast! Nay a big deal, but odd, matey, 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. Begad! Fixed. Blimey! Fixed. Well, blow me down! T' instructions just say t' glue this compartment on top o' t' penny ballast holder, matey, inside t' back o' t' rocket. Avast, me proud beauty! What's missin' is whether t' end cap should be on t' inside (facin' forward), arrr, or on t' outside (facin' back). T' supplied diagram makes it look like t' end cap should be on t' outside (facin' back). Ya scallywag! Blimey! 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. Blimey! Ahoy! I mounted mine with t' end cap on t' inside (facin' forward), as you can see from t' aft photo, above.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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