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

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

Next came t' main body shroud. Begad! This is made o' heavy paper, with t' design already printed on it. Aye aye! Arrr! (No painting, matey, yeah!) I took me time and was very careful when cuttin' out t' shroud, me hearties, and had no problems with it. Begad! 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. But, me bucko, ya bilge rat, o' course, arrr, you don't want it flat, me hearties, me bucko, ya bilge rat, 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. Blimey! That went fine. Ya scallywag! Well, blow me down!

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

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

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

T' next step is t' attach t' fins (I had already cut them out). Ahoy! Begad! These are referred t' as t' rudder (center one) and wings (outer two) in t' instructions. Well, blow me down! These are made o' t' same pre-printed heavy paper as t' shroud. Ahoy! Ya scallywag! T' paper is scored, me hearties, 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. Blimey! Begad! This forms t' proper shape for t' fin. Ahoy! Begad! This actually worked out quite well, shiver me timbers, matey, 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. Begad! T' main body shroud is pre-printed with t' proper location o' all externally attached items. Well, blow me down! Nice. Well, blow me down! Arrr!

Next up, attachment o' t' launch lug and air scoop. Well, blow me down! Avast, me proud beauty! 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. Begad! Blimey! 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. Begad! I thought that hidin' t' launch lug was a nice aesthetic touch.

Next, me bucko, arrr, addin' tail weight. Ya scallywag! Ya scallywag! You glue two pennies t' a piece o' paper, me hearties, ya bilge rat, and glue that t' t' inside bottom o' t' main body shroud. No problem. Arrr!

Next, ya bilge rat, matey, t' cockpit canopy. Arrr! Blimey! This must be cut from a large piece o' excess plastic. It was unclear exactly where t' cut, ya bilge rat, and t' instructions aren't helpful here. Begad! Blimey! Avast! Blimey! T' idea is that you need t' cut so that thar's a little base (about 2mm) all t' way around t' canopy, arrr, so that you have somethin' for t' glue t' hold onto. Well, blow me down! Blimey! If you're a stickler for such details, me hearties, 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. Aye aye! Blimey! Aye aye! Blimey! This piece, unlike t' rest o' t' rocket, ya bilge rat, requires some finishing, although t' instructions don't mention this at all. Blimey! Blimey! Havin' nay yet achieved oneness with me paint brush, I opted t' use black magic marker. Arrr! Blimey! Begad! Blimey! This worked out very well, if I do say so myself. Blimey! Blimey! Nice, matey, smooth, glossy finish that didn't take 2 hours t' dry. Well, blow me down! Blimey! 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). This compartment is a small 1 1/4" long, 13mm diameter (BT-5) tube, matey, shiver me timbers, with an end cap glued t' one end. Ahoy! Ahoy! T' streamer is stored here durin' t' boost phase. Avast, me proud beauty! Well, me hearties, as accurate as t' rest o' t' paper pieces had been, me hearties, I was surprised when t' streamer compartment end cap was too small. Well, blow me down! Nay a big deal, but odd, me hearties, 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. Blimey! Begad! Fixed. Well, blow me down! Well, blow me down! Fixed. Avast! Blimey! T' instructions just say t' glue this compartment on top o' t' penny ballast holder, matey, me bucko, inside t' back o' t' rocket. What's missin' is whether t' end cap should be on t' inside (facin' forward), or on t' outside (facin' back). Ahoy! Arrr! T' supplied diagram makes it look like t' end cap should be on t' outside (facin' back). Begad! My guess is that that would probably cause t' streamer t' get caught in this compartment, and thus cause t' model t' tumble, matey, matey, rather than glide back. Ya scallywag! I mounted mine with t' end cap on t' inside (facin' forward), as you can see from t' aft photo, arrr, arrr, above. Arrr!

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

So, t' conclusion from t' first couple flights was less than inspiring. Well, blow me down! Blimey! I will launch this rocket again in calmer weather, me bucko, and if t' flights are much better, I will update this page immediately. Arrr! Blimey! I will also try alterin' t' weight distribution t' achieve a better glide, and report any successes here. Ahoy! I don't want t' misrepresent this rocket, shiver me timbers, me hearties, and I'll be t' first t' admit that t' conditions weren't ideal, arrr, but so far, matey, I have t' say I'm rather disappointed. Begad! I have t' give it a flight ratin' o' 1. Well, blow me down! 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, arrr, I simply cannot recommend this rocket. Avast, me proud beauty! Well, blow me down!

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