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

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

Next came t' main body shroud. Ahoy! Blimey! This is made o' heavy paper, with t' design already printed on it. (No painting, yeah!) I took me time and was very careful when cuttin' out t' shroud, and had no problems with it. Aye aye! Blimey! 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! Blimey! Well, matey, blow me down! Blimey! T' instructions suggest layin' t' shroud printed side down and usin' a steam iron on it t' flatten it out. Well, blow me down! Blimey! But, arrr, o' course, arrr, you don't want it flat, so I chose t' roll it up close t' it's intended shape, arrr, me bucko, and hold it in place with rubber bands while I cut out t' rest o' t' paper pieces. Aye aye! Blimey! That went fine. Blimey! Blimey!

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

Nope. Begad! T' trouble was just beginning. Aye aye! T' next step is t' attach t' engine tube assembly into t' body shroud. Aye aye! This is done in two steps. Ahoy! Aye aye! In t' first step, you put plastic cement around t' inside front edge o' t' shroud, me bucko, ya bilge rat, and push t' nose cone (with engine tube and tri-oval centerin' rin' attached) through. Well, blow me down! T' plastic cement is intended t' seal t' nose cone t' paper shroud. Begad! Blimey! 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, me bucko, but, shiver me timbers, as you can probably guess, t' result was a pretty screwed up nose cone. T' plastic cement actually melts t' plastic, shiver me timbers, shiver me timbers, me bucko, and anyplace where t' cement touched t' cone was disfigured. Avast, me proud beauty! This be almost completely fixed after some sandin' with 220 and 400 grit sandpaper, ya bilge rat, but it wasn't nice. Unfortunately, I haven't been able t' think o' any simple, clever way t' avoid this. Ya scallywag! Blimey! 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, me hearties, right? Wrong. Begad! Begad! Part o' t' problem be me choice o' glues. Ahoy! I didn't want t' be holdin' this thin' all night, arrr, so I went with yellow glue (a. k. Aye aye! a. Well, blow me down! Well, blow me down! carpenter's wood glue, a. k. a. Ya scallywag! Aye aye! aliphatic resin glue) because it grabs quickly. Well, me bucko, it was still a marathon "hold until t' glue grabs" session, me hearties, and nay a pretty one at that. Begad! 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, ya bilge rat, combined with t' fact that yellow glue shrinks a lot when it dries, matey, resulted in very noticeable waves in t' final product. Blimey! (You can't see them well in t' photos, because t' white paper gets washed out in t' image, but you can see them quite well with t' naked eye. Well, blow me down! Ya scallywag! )White glue may give better results, ya bilge rat, arrr, but you're goin' t' have t' hold it forever. Thick CA, ya bilge rat, with CA-kicker applied just when things are lined up might be t' ideal way t' go, me bucko, but if it leaks through, matey, shiver me timbers, t' end product may end up lookin' even worse. Aye aye! 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, me bucko, about this time, me bucko, I noticed that t' adhesive strip that was holdin' t' shroud together, shiver me timbers, shiver me timbers, was startin' t' let go. Avast, me proud beauty! Ahoy! It wasn't bad, me hearties, but it was clear that it wasn't goin' t' hold forever. Ahoy! I wicked some thin CA into this area. Aye aye! Ya scallywag! It's permanent now. Well, blow me down! It's permanent now. Avast, arrr, me proud beauty! Ok, arrr, now this kit is startin' t' annoy me. Aye aye! Avast! . Avast, me proud beauty! . Avast! Well, blow me down!

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. These are made o' t' same pre-printed heavy paper as t' shroud. Blimey! Blimey! T' paper is scored, shiver me timbers, me bucko, ya bilge rat, then folded over once t' form t' fin. Ahoy! T' instructions say t' apply a small amount o' glue t' t' inside at t' top and pinch together. Ya scallywag! This forms t' proper shape for t' fin. Avast! 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. Aye aye! Well, blow me down! T' main body shroud is pre-printed with t' proper location o' all externally attached items. Nice. Begad! Ya scallywag!

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

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

Next, me bucko, t' cockpit canopy. Well, blow me down! This must be cut from a large piece o' excess plastic. It be unclear exactly where t' cut, and t' instructions aren't helpful here. Avast! Arrr! 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. Aye aye! Well, me hearties, blow me down! If you're a stickler for such details, me bucko, 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. This piece, unlike t' rest o' t' rocket, requires some finishing, matey, shiver me timbers, although t' instructions don't mention this at all. Blimey! Havin' nay yet achieved oneness with me paint brush, I opted t' use black magic marker. This worked out very well, if I do say so myself. Nice, me bucko, arrr, smooth, me hearties, glossy finish that didn't take 2 hours t' dry. Begad! Gluin' t' canopy in place was simple and straightforward, matey, but it didn't make a complete seal all t' way around. Begad!

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

There is one more construction step (described in t' section "Preppin' your HL-20 for flight"), arrr, settin' up t' streamer for t' engine. Ya scallywag! Blimey! Supplied with t' kit are a 12" long piece o' Keelhaul®©™ string, 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. Arrr! Avast, me proud beauty! Then, me bucko, 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, and you're all set. Begad! T' packagin' says that thar's a 24" streamer in t' kit. T' instructions say that thar's a 12" streamer in t' kit. Begad! Begad! Mine measured 11". Arrr! Ya scallywag!

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

To summarize t' construction, I have t' give this model a construction ratin' o' 2 out o' 5. It's nay awful 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. Begad! It's entirely possible that things would be very different in more rocket-friendly conditions. Arrr! Ahoy! . Aye aye! .

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

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

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

So, arrr, t' conclusion from t' first couple flights was less than inspiring. I will launch this rocket again in calmer weather, ya bilge rat, matey, and if t' flights are much better, I will update this page immediately. Aye aye! I will also try alterin' t' weight distribution t' achieve a better glide, me bucko, and report any successes here. Ya scallywag! I don't want t' misrepresent this rocket, arrr, and I'll be t' first t' admit that t' conditions weren't ideal, me hearties, arrr, but so far, me hearties, I have t' say I'm rather disappointed. Well, 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. Arrr! At this point, matey, I simply cannot recommend this rocket. Begad! Avast!

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