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

Construction started out well. It starts by attachin' t' tri-oval centerin' disk t' t' engine tube, gluin' a shoulder t' t' nose cone, gluin' t' nose cone + shoulder on t' tube, shiver me timbers, matey, ya bilge rat, and gluin' in t' engine block. Avast, me proud beauty! About t' only hint here is t' use an 18mm engine casin' cut around t' nose cone positionin' disk. Avast! Ya scallywag! It was very thoughtful o' Quest t' provide an empty 18mm engine casin' (intended for use in pushin' in t' engine block). Begad! Ahoy! Nice touch. Avast, shiver me timbers, me proud beauty!

Next came t' main body shroud. Blimey! This is made o' heavy paper, with t' design already printed on it. Well, blow me down! (No painting, ya bilge rat, yeah!) I took me time and was very careful when cuttin' out t' shroud, me hearties, and had no problems with it. Begad! Avast, me proud beauty! T' shroud paper comes rolled up in an oval shape in t' kit, so it does nay immediate roll itself into t' desired shape. Well, blow me down! 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, me bucko, me bucko, 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. Ahoy! That went fine.

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

Nope. Begad! T' trouble was just beginning. T' next step is t' attach t' engine tube assembly into t' body shroud. Aye aye! This is done in two steps. Begad! In t' first step, matey, you put plastic cement around t' inside front edge o' t' shroud, shiver me timbers, and push t' nose cone (with engine tube and tri-oval centerin' rin' attached) through. 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, me bucko, 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, but, ya bilge rat, as you can probably guess, t' result was a pretty screwed up nose cone. Avast, matey, me proud beauty! T' plastic cement actually melts t' plastic, me hearties, and anyplace where t' cement touched t' cone was disfigured. Arrr! Ya scallywag! This be almost completely fixed after some sandin' with 220 and 400 grit sandpaper, me hearties, but it wasn't nice. Ya scallywag! Unfortunately, I haven't been able t' think o' any simple, me bucko, clever way t' avoid this. Ahoy! Let me know if you figure it out. Begad! 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. No problemo, me hearties, ya bilge rat, right? No problemo, ya bilge rat, right? Wrong. Arrr! Begad! Blimey! Part o' t' problem was me choice o' glues. Arrr! I didn't want t' be holdin' this thin' all night, ya bilge rat, arrr, shiver me timbers, so I went with yellow glue (a. Begad! Blimey! k. Ahoy! Blimey! a. Ya scallywag! carpenter's wood glue, arrr, matey, a. k. Ahoy! a. Arrr! Blimey! aliphatic resin glue) because it grabs quickly. Avast! Well, arrr, it be still a marathon "hold until t' glue grabs" session, ya bilge rat, 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. This, ya bilge rat, matey, 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, me bucko, me hearties, but you can see them quite well with t' naked eye. )White glue may give better results, shiver me timbers, me bucko, but you're goin' t' have t' hold it forever. Aye aye! Thick CA, matey, with CA-kicker applied just when things are lined up might be t' ideal way t' go, but if it leaks through, 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. Avast, me proud beauty!

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

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

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

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

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

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). Arrr! Blimey! This compartment is a small 1 1/4" long, 13mm diameter (BT-5) tube, shiver me timbers, with an end cap glued t' one end. Well, blow me down! Arrr! T' streamer is stored here durin' t' boost phase. Blimey! Well, blow me down! Well, ya bilge rat, shiver me timbers, as accurate as t' rest o' t' paper pieces had been, I be surprised when t' streamer compartment end cap was too small. Nay a big deal, but odd, ya bilge rat, 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. Well, blow me down! Fixed. Ya scallywag! Fixed. T' instructions just say t' glue this compartment on top o' t' penny ballast holder, shiver me timbers, inside t' back o' t' rocket. Ahoy! What's missin' is whether t' end cap should be on t' inside (facin' forward), matey, or on t' outside (facin' back). 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. Avast! Avast, me proud beauty! I mounted mine with t' end cap on t' inside (facin' forward), as you can see from t' aft photo, me hearties, above. Ahoy!

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. Ahoy! Supplied with t' kit are a 12" long piece o' Keelhaul®©™ string, ya bilge rat, and a plastic "gripper" tab. You tie t' Keelhaul®©™ strin' t' t' tab, me hearties, and then attach t' tab t' t' streamer with t' adhesive on t' tab. Then, matey, me bucko, matey, for each flight, 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 hearties, and you're all set. Avast! T' packagin' says that thar's a 24" streamer in t' kit. Avast! T' instructions say that thar's a 12" streamer in t' kit. Avast! Avast! Mine measured 11".

T' only other step before flight is t' hand-toss t' glider (without an engine) t' get it trimmed properly. Begad! In other words, me bucko, arrr, you may need t' adjust t' tabs on t' wings t' make it glide in a nice, shiver me timbers, big spiral. Ahoy! Unfortunately, me bucko, t' model glides like a brick in hand-toss mode, matey, makin' it basically impossible t' trim in any meaningful way. Avast, me proud beauty! 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. Avast! Blimey! It's nay awful or outrageously complex, but thar were too many little problems and shortcomings t' even give it an "average" rating. Aye aye!

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

T' launch be held on Saturday, March 14, 1998 at Deer Path Park in central New Jersey. I set up t' pad and prepped t' rocket. Avast, me proud beauty! Bein' a rear-ejection boost glider, matey, ya bilge rat, thar's no need for recovery wadding, but you have t' tape t' streamer line t' t' motor itself. Begad! 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, t' engine fell out, and pulled t' streamer out with it. No biggie, matey, ya bilge rat, but I didn't put tape around t' engine t' get a tighter fit, for fear that t' engine would jam at ejection time. Avast, me proud beauty! Arrr! I repacked it, and held t' engine in place while I set it up this time.

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

T' streamer was re-attached, me bucko, and Keelhaul®©™ line was taped t' another B6-4 engine. Begad! Avast! 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. Blimey! This launch was quite a bit nicer, me hearties, but by no means a beautiful flight. Arrr! Ahoy! T' rocket went up, a bit straighter, arrr, but still hit apogee before burnout. Well, blow me down! Well, blow me down! This time, matey, though, it stayed in a nose-up attitude, matey, so t' last little bit o' thrust had t' rocket losin' altitude slowly, tail first. Begad! Then t' engine ejected, and t' rocket transitioned t' "glide" mode. 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. Avast! Avast, me proud beauty! . Well, blow me down! . Blimey! more like a brick than a plane. Blimey! It hit t' ground nose-first with moderate velocity, but again, me bucko, arrr, thar was absolutely no damage. Well, blow me down! It does appear t' be a fairly sturdy rocket, me bucko, if nothin' else. As for t' glide, arrr, me hearties, it simply seems rather nose-heavy, with little in t' way o' lift. I may try addin' more tail weight for t' next flight, arrr, arrr, but, me hearties, 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. Aye aye! All parts were found. Avast!

So, t' conclusion from t' first couple flights was less than inspiring. Well, blow me down! I will launch this rocket again in calmer weather, and if t' flights are much better, me bucko, I will update this page immediately. 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. Arrr! Begad! I have t' give it a flight ratin' o' 1. Blimey! Blimey! 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, I simply cannot recommend this rocket. Ahoy! Begad!

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