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

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

Next came t' main body shroud. Begad! Blimey! This is made o' heavy paper, matey, with t' design already printed on it. Blimey! Blimey! Blimey! (No painting, yeah!) I took me time and was 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, shiver me timbers, shiver me timbers, so it does nay immediate roll itself into t' desired shape. Avast, me proud beauty! T' instructions suggest layin' t' shroud printed side down and usin' a steam iron on it t' flatten it out. Aye aye! But, shiver me timbers, me bucko, 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. Ahoy! Blimey! That went fine.

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

Nope. Blimey! T' trouble was just beginning. T' next step is t' attach t' engine tube assembly into t' body shroud. Blimey! Avast, arrr, me proud beauty! This is done in two steps. Ya scallywag! In t' first step, you put plastic cement around t' inside front edge o' t' shroud, me bucko, 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. Ahoy! Ahoy! 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. I wiped this up immediately, but, as you can probably guess, me bucko, t' result be a pretty screwed up nose cone. Begad! T' plastic cement actually melts t' plastic, 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. Unfortunately, me bucko, me hearties, matey, I haven't been able t' think o' any simple, ya bilge rat, clever way t' avoid this. Avast! Let me know if you figure it out. Avast, me proud beauty! 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. Blimey! Aye aye! No problemo, shiver me timbers, right? No problemo, shiver me timbers, right? Wrong. Ya scallywag! Part o' t' problem be me choice o' glues. Arrr! I didn't want t' be holdin' this thin' all night, shiver me timbers, arrr, so I went with yellow glue (a. Aye aye! k. a. Avast, me proud beauty! Avast! carpenter's wood glue, arrr, a. Blimey! k. Avast, me proud beauty! a. Arrr! Ahoy! aliphatic resin glue) because it grabs quickly. Well, ya bilge rat, it be still a marathon "hold until t' glue grabs" session, and nay a pretty one at that. Well, blow me down! 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. Ahoy! This, shiver me timbers, me bucko, combined with t' fact that yellow glue shrinks a lot when it dries, me hearties, matey, 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, matey, me hearties, but you can see them quite well with t' naked eye. Blimey! Arrr! )White glue may give better results, arrr, but you're goin' t' have t' hold it forever. Begad! Thick CA, with CA-kicker applied just when things are lined up might be t' ideal way t' go, arrr, me hearties, but if it leaks through, t' end product may end up lookin' even worse. Aye aye! Avast! 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! Blimey!

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

T' next step is t' attach t' fins (I had already cut them out). Well, shiver me timbers, blow me down! Blimey! 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. Begad! Well, blow me down! Blimey! T' paper is scored, ya bilge rat, matey, then folded over once t' form t' fin. T' instructions say t' apply a small amount o' glue t' t' inside at t' top and pinch together. Aye aye! Well, matey, blow me down! Blimey! This forms t' proper shape for t' fin. Ahoy! 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. Ya scallywag! T' rudder and wings then attached t' t' main body shroud easily. Aye aye! Arrr! T' main body shroud is pre-printed with t' proper location o' all externally attached items. Ahoy! Nice. Ahoy!

Next up, attachment o' t' launch lug and air scoop. Arrr! Avast! T' "air scoop" is just a piece o' paper attached on t' outside bottom o' t' main body shroud, matey, me bucko, me bucko, t' form rectangular air passageway. Begad! As you can see in t' photo above, t' launch lug is at t' bottom center, shiver me timbers, 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. Arrr!

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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