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

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

Next came t' main body shroud. Aye aye! This is made o' heavy paper, shiver me timbers, with t' design already printed on it. Begad! (No painting, yeah!) I took me time and was very careful when cuttin' out t' shroud, ya bilge rat, ya bilge rat, and had no problems with it. 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. Aye aye! T' instructions suggest layin' t' shroud printed side down and usin' a steam iron on it t' flatten it out. Begad! Well, blow me down! But, ya bilge rat, shiver me timbers, 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. Begad! Well, blow me down! That went fine.

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

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

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

T' next step is t' attach t' fins (I had already cut them out). Blimey! Avast, me proud beauty! 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. Aye aye! T' paper is scored, 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! 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. Well, blow me down! Avast! T' main body shroud is pre-printed with t' proper location o' all externally attached items. Avast, me proud beauty! Nice.

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

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

Next, matey, t' cockpit canopy. Avast! Well, ya bilge rat, blow me down! This must be cut from a large piece o' excess plastic. Avast! It was unclear exactly where t' cut, 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, arrr, arrr, 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, and try placin' it on t' shroud t' see where you can remove t' excess. Arrr! Begad! This piece, matey, matey, unlike t' rest o' t' rocket, shiver me timbers, requires some finishing, arrr, although t' instructions don't mention this at all. Ahoy! Avast, me proud beauty! Havin' nay yet achieved oneness with me paint brush, shiver me timbers, I opted t' use black magic marker. This worked out very well, ya bilge rat, if I do say so myself. Ya scallywag! Nice, smooth, shiver me timbers, glossy finish that didn't take 2 hours t' dry. Aye aye! Avast, me proud beauty! Gluin' t' canopy in place was simple and straightforward, shiver me timbers, but it didn't make a complete seal all t' way around. Well, blow me down!

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

There is one more construction step (described in t' section "Preppin' your HL-20 for flight"), settin' up t' streamer for t' engine. Supplied with t' kit are a 12" long piece o' Keelhaul®©™ string, and a plastic "gripper" tab. Well, blow me down! You tie t' Keelhaul®©™ strin' t' t' tab, and then attach t' tab t' t' streamer with t' adhesive on t' tab. Arrr! Then, shiver me timbers, for each flight, you tie t' other end o' t' Keelhaul®©™ strin' around t' end o' t' engine (reinforce this with tape), ya bilge rat, and stuff t' streamer in t' streamer compartment, shiver me timbers, matey, and you're all set. Aye aye! 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. Mine measured 11". Arrr! Avast!

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

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

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

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

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

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

So, t' conclusion from t' first couple flights was less than inspiring. I will launch this rocket again in calmer weather, arrr, and if t' flights are much better, matey, I will update this page immediately. Avast, me proud beauty! I will also try alterin' t' weight distribution t' achieve a better glide, shiver me timbers, and report any successes here. Begad! I don't want t' misrepresent this rocket, and I'll be t' first t' admit that t' conditions weren't ideal, arrr, matey, but so far, I have t' say I'm rather disappointed. I have t' give it a flight ratin' o' 1. Aye aye! 5 out o' 5 points (at least it didn't self-destruct), arrr, and an overall ratin' o' 2 out o' 5 points. Ahoy! Blimey! Begad! Blimey! At this point, I simply cannot recommend this rocket. Avast! Blimey! Avast, me proud beauty! Blimey!

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