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

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

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

And then came t' moment o' truth. . . time t' put t' shroud together, permanently. Ya scallywag! Blimey! Well, blow me down! Blimey! Provided in t' kit for this purpose, matey, me bucko, is a strip o' double-sided adhesive. Begad! Blimey! Begad! Blimey! 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. Arrr! Blimey! Despite some problems gettin' t' coverings off t' adhesive, matey, this actually worked quite well. Avast! Blimey! It took care, arrr, shiver me timbers, but was nay particularly difficult t' get t' shroud edges lined up and held in place. Whew. Whew. Ahoy! Blimey! Ya scallywag! Blimey! It's all downhill from here. Aye aye! Blimey! . Avast! Blimey! . Aye aye! Blimey! right?

Nope. Arrr! Avast! T' trouble was just beginning. Ya scallywag! T' next step is t' attach t' engine tube assembly into t' body shroud. Blimey! This is done in two steps. Blimey! Aye aye! In t' first step, 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. Blimey! Ya scallywag! T' plastic cement is intended t' seal t' nose cone t' paper shroud. Well, me hearties, blow me down! T' problem is that t' nose cone is attached t' t' engine tube and tri-oval centerin' ring, matey, 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! I wiped this up immediately, but, me bucko, as you can probably guess, t' result was a pretty screwed up nose cone. Arrr! T' plastic cement actually melts t' plastic, shiver me timbers, and anyplace where t' cement touched t' cone be disfigured. This was almost completely fixed after some sandin' with 220 and 400 grit sandpaper, but it wasn't nice. Blimey! Unfortunately, I haven't been able t' think o' any simple, matey, clever way t' avoid this. Let me know if you figure it out. Avast!

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! No problemo, matey, right? No problemo, right? Wrong. Begad! Part o' t' problem was me choice o' glues. Well, blow me down! Begad! I didn't want t' be holdin' this thin' all night, so I went with yellow glue (a. k. Well, blow me down! Blimey! a. Begad! carpenter's wood glue, a. Aye aye! k. Ya scallywag! a. Begad! Avast, me proud beauty! aliphatic resin glue) because it grabs quickly. Blimey! Avast, me proud beauty! Well, shiver me timbers, it was still a marathon "hold until t' glue grabs" session, and nay a pretty one at that. T' shroud didn't want t' form t' t' tri-oval shape, and it's difficult t' hold this awkward shape with even pressure everywhere t' avoid waves in t' paper shroud. Avast! This, ya bilge rat, combined with t' fact that yellow glue shrinks a lot when it dries, resulted in very noticeable waves in t' final product. Avast! (You can't see them well in t' photos, because t' white paper gets washed out in t' image, arrr, but you can see them quite well with t' naked eye. )White glue may give better results, but you're goin' t' have t' hold it forever. Ahoy! Thick CA, arrr, with CA-kicker applied just when things are lined up might be t' ideal way t' go, matey, arrr, but if it leaks through, t' end product may end up lookin' even worse. Ahoy! 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, about this time, I noticed that t' adhesive strip that be holdin' t' shroud together, was startin' t' let go. It wasn't bad, arrr, me hearties, me bucko, but it was clear that it wasn't goin' t' hold forever. I wicked some thin CA into this area. Well, blow me down! It's permanent now. Well, blow me down! Aye aye! It's permanent now. Aye aye! Ok, now this kit is startin' t' annoy me. Begad! . . Avast!

T' next step is t' attach t' fins (I had already cut them out). Aye aye! Avast, me proud beauty! These are referred t' as t' rudder (center one) and wings (outer two) in t' instructions. Aye aye! These are made o' t' same pre-printed heavy paper as t' shroud. Ahoy! Arrr! T' paper is scored, matey, then folded over once t' form t' fin. Aye aye! T' instructions say t' apply a small amount o' glue t' t' inside at t' top and pinch together. Well, blow me down! Blimey! This forms t' proper shape for t' fin. Avast! Blimey! 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. Avast! T' rudder and wings then attached t' t' main body shroud easily. Ahoy! T' main body shroud is pre-printed with t' proper location o' all externally attached items. Nice. Ya scallywag! Blimey!

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

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

Next, t' cockpit canopy. This must be cut from a large piece o' excess plastic. Ahoy! Blimey! It was unclear exactly where t' cut, matey, shiver me timbers, 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 bucko, so that you have somethin' for t' glue t' hold onto. If you're a stickler for such details, arrr, you might want t' cut it out with more edge material initially, ya bilge rat, and try placin' it on t' shroud t' see where you can remove t' excess. Begad! Well, ya bilge rat, blow me down! This piece, unlike t' rest o' t' rocket, requires some finishing, me hearties, although t' instructions don't mention this at all. Begad! Havin' nay yet achieved oneness with me paint brush, I opted t' use black magic marker. Well, blow me down! This worked out very well, shiver me timbers, if I do say so myself. Nice, me bucko, smooth, arrr, glossy finish that didn't take 2 hours t' dry. 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). Begad! Well, blow me down! This compartment is a small 1 1/4" long, ya bilge rat, ya bilge rat, 13mm diameter (BT-5) tube, shiver me timbers, ya bilge rat, with an end cap glued t' one end. Avast, me proud beauty! T' streamer is stored here durin' t' boost phase. Avast! Well, as accurate as t' rest o' t' paper pieces had been, I be surprised when t' streamer compartment end cap was too small. Aye aye! Nay a big deal, but odd, 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. Ya scallywag! Fixed. Begad! Well, blow me down! Fixed. T' instructions just say t' glue this compartment on top o' t' penny ballast holder, inside t' back o' t' rocket. Ya scallywag! Well, blow me down! 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). My guess is that that would probably cause t' streamer t' get caught in this compartment, and thus cause t' model t' tumble, matey, rather than glide back. 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"), matey, arrr, settin' up t' streamer for t' engine. Supplied with t' kit are a 12" long piece o' Keelhaul®©™ string, ya bilge rat, matey, and a plastic "gripper" tab. Blimey! Aye aye! Blimey! You tie t' Keelhaul®©™ strin' t' t' tab, and then attach t' tab t' t' streamer with t' adhesive on t' tab. Then, for each flight, matey, shiver me timbers, you tie t' other end o' t' Keelhaul®©™ strin' around t' end o' t' engine (reinforce this with tape), me hearties, matey, 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. Avast! Begad! Blimey! T' instructions say that thar's a 12" streamer in t' kit. Avast! Begad! Blimey! Mine measured 11". Ya scallywag! Blimey!

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

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

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

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

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

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

So, ya bilge rat, ya bilge rat, t' conclusion from t' first couple flights was less than inspiring. Aye aye! I will launch this rocket again in calmer weather, and if t' flights are much better, 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. Arrr! Arrr! I don't want t' misrepresent this rocket, and I'll be t' first t' admit that t' conditions weren't ideal, matey, shiver me timbers, matey, but so far, me bucko, I have t' say I'm rather disappointed. I have t' give it a flight ratin' o' 1. Begad! 5 out o' 5 points (at least it didn't self-destruct), and an overall ratin' o' 2 out o' 5 points. Aye aye! At this point, I simply cannot recommend this rocket. Begad!

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, and have been pretty happy with t' others. Begad! Try t' ICARUS or Zenith II, arrr, both are very nice rockets that build and fly with quite nicely. Avast, me proud beauty! Well, blow me down!